Impact of Normal and Shear Stresses Due to Wheel Slip on Hydrological Properties of an Agricultural Clay Loam: Experimental and New Computerized Approach

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect that mechanical stresses acting under the slipping driving wheels of agricultural equipment have on the soil's pore system and water flow process (surface runoff generation during extreme event). The field experiment simulated low slip (1%) and high slip (27%) on a clay loam. The stress on the soil surface and changes in the amounts of water flowing from macropores were simulated using the Tires/tracks And Soil Compaction (TASC) tool and the MACRO model, respectively. Taking a 65 kW tractor on a clay loam as a reference, results showed that an increase in slip of the rear wheels from 1% to 27% caused normal stress to increase from 90.6 kPa to 104.4 kPa at the topsoil level, and the maximum shear contact stress to rise drastically from 6.0 kPa to 61.6 kPa. At 27% slip, topsoil was sheared and displaced over a distance of 0.35 m. Excessive normal and shear stress values with high slip caused severe reductions of the soil's macroporosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water quantities flowing from topsoil macropores. Assuming that, under conditions of intense rainfall on sloping land, a loss in vertical water flow would mean an increase in surface runoff, we calculated that a rainfall intensity of 100 mm h -1 and a rainfall duration of 1 h would increase the runoff coefficient to 0.79 at low slip and to 1.00 at high slip, indicating that 100% of rainwater would be transformed into surface runoff at high slip. We expect that these effects have a significant impact on soil erosion and floods in steeper terrain (slope > 15°) and across larger surface areas (> 16 m 2 ) than those included in our study.

Investigating the Effect of the Tractor Drive System Type on Soil Behavior under Tractor Tires

“…Hence a maximum bulk density of 1241 kg/m 3 was generated. A similar result was reported on the soil compaction by Battiato [35] and Raghavan [36]. For all systems with depth increment soil compaction was decreased.…”

Quantifying the impact of no‐till on sediment yield in southern Brazil at the hillslope and catchment scales

“…As part of an originally conceived CA strategy, NT began to be implemented in isolation as a direct seeding method (Reicosky, 2015). This simplification of what was a more comprehensive conservationist management system has led to the depletion of soil organic matter due to insufficient phytomass inputs (Battiato et al, 2015; Castro et al, 2011; Collischonn et al, 2017) and to a significant reduction in infiltration as a result of increased soil compaction (Ambus et al, 2018; Drescher et al, 2016; Viglione et al, 2016). This change in soil hydrological properties combined with the removal of terraces that were initially promoted as part of the conservationist system enhanced surface runoff formation and erosion processes.…”

Efecto del balanceo de cargas en los ejes de tractores agrícolas sobre la eficiencia de labranza y las propiedades físico-mecánicas de un suelo vertisol

“…Por otro lado, los valores de RC y RP se encuentran fuertemente relacionados con el patinaje de las llantas del tractor, lo cual concuerda con lo establecido por Battiato et al (2015). Estas mismas personas autoras determinaron una relación directamente proporcional entre RC y RP con el porcentaje de patinaje, debido al debilitamiento de la capa superficial del suelo producto del contacto excesivo de las llantas con la superficie y a la presencia de peds de mayor tamaño (mayor patinaje) que incrementan la resistencia del suelo.…”