Abstract
Soil compaction is a common issue in cultivated sandy soils of North Carolina (NC). The use of heavy equipment, field traffic, and frequent tillage at the same depth causes compaction and the formation of hardpans. Compaction is undesirable because it reduces pore space, nutrient uptake efficiency, and soil water storage, all of which contribute to lower crop yields. Tillage, cover crops, and soil amendments have been shown to alleviate compaction in NC. This chapter focuses on the sandy soils of NC which are predominantly located on the coastal plain. We highlight the variation in soil types across the state and some prior work on soil compaction. We also discuss some opportunities for future work.
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Reyes, A.R., Heitman, J., Vepraskas, M., Ozlu, E. (2023). Soil Management Practices to Reduce Hardpans and Compaction in Sandy Soils of North Carolina, USA. In: Hartemink, A.E., Huang, J. (eds) Sandy Soils. Progress in Soil Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50285-9_18
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