Preface

Soil management techniques can be labelled sustainable when their requirements for land use consider and respect the site specific properties and functions that soils fulfil in ecosystems. However, because soils offer multifunctional proper­ties, for example:
•    plant production with respect to their physical, chemical and biological properties
•    generation of potable water through the filtration and buffering of percolating soil water, producing
     clean groundwater
•    minimize atmospheric pollution during essential biological and chemical processes that optimise the
     humic metabolism, carbon storage and minimal emissions of greenhouse gases
     Interactions among these natural processes with those primarily caused by anthropogenic soil and land degradation processes alter not only the overall long term yield expectations by the farmers, but also the economically acceptable and safe yield forecasts. Additionally, soil modifications by tillage-induced decom­position of organic material, surface alterations by erosion, water pollution by lateral flow of contaminated soil water, i.e. interflow above impermeable plough pan layers instead of deep vertical infiltration to the groundwater, increased production of global climate change gases can be characterized as unadjusted site-specific land use effects. Soil structure, soil physical, chemical, and bio­logical functions of soils are under intense analyses and their interactions among coupled mechanical, hydraulic, chemical, and biological processes are often discussed but until recently, seldom quantified.
     During the last 3-4 decades the mass of most agricultural and forestry machinery has increased by at least 4-fold. The frequency of wheeling has also increased. These numerous and innovative agricultural technologies have been developed with the primary focus of augmenting crop production while decreasing human inputs, but, most new technologies have been at the expense of soil sustainability parameters mentioned above. The goal of this Triennial Conference is to identify the limits of soil strength-dependent chemical, hydraulic, and thermal conditions that modify the biological, chemical, and physical conditions spatially distributed across the landscape, so that more accurate site specific machinery can be engineered to compensate for vulnerable soil conditions which are further modified by recent climatic conditions. Furthermore, these land use and soil responses need to be linked to alterations to soils caused by soil erosion, soil compaction, soil crusting, soil structure deterioration, organic carbon losses, which produce more soil particulate matter and greenhouse gases which ultimately affect global climate change which eventually result in irreversible changes among the various soil functions and their continuous development.
     The sensitivity of soils and their limited resilience under various land use and climatic conditions partly resulted in national or international soil protection laws as well as in corresponding initiatives for a global concept of sustainable land management. However, the open questions concerning alternative land use systems and regulations for machine input which also consider the limited internal soil strength for given soil hydraulic conditions remain controversial. In this context, fertilizer and pesticide applications which increase plant production yet often exceed surface and groundwater pollution restrictions as well as increase greenhouse gas emissions with coinciding global changes, deserve our special attention. Thus, there is an urgent need to expand our knowledge base and develop greater insight for all these processes in order to improve existing prediction models.
     Soil vulnerability, associated economical consequences, and global change demand continuous and intense discussions among the various disciplines of soil science, plant production, ecology, hydrology, agricultural engineering, and mathematical modelling. A critical cross section of researchers covering many of these various disciplines has assembled together in Kiel during the 17^th Inter-national Soil and Tillage Research Conference. More than 300 participants from 4 continents have focussed their discussions on the Sustainability of Soils as it impacts management and the environment. The aim of this Conference was to document the latest state of knowledge and to discuss new ideas in order to also derive more specific recommendations that could prevent, modify, and amelio­rate the inordinate and global soil degradation processes, including the quantifi­cation of economical inputs. 

The book contains a selection of papers which covers many topics:
•    Soil Structure Formation and Functioning,
•    Soil Dynamics and Soil Compaction Processes affected by Tillage Systems and Amendments on soil
      properties and functions
•    Soil Biological Quality and Health
•    Economical Aspects of Sustainable Landscape Management

The main output of the 17^th Triennial ISTRO Conference is far beyond the mere summarization of the present state of knowledge in the various disciplines and countries. It is a comprehensive synthesis of detailed information about new approaches and methods including the modelling of complex interacting pro­cesses. This excellent information will further contribute to our understanding in a manner that better predicts the dynamic processes interacting within the pedosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere. This additional knowledge will better predict the best site-specific management practices that will serve as 21st century recommendations for farmers, scientists, politicians worldwide. 

We are confident this book will bridge an existing gap in knowledge, with the goal of generating new soil management systems that improve land use in a manner that mitigates environmental degradation.

Kiel, April, 26^th, 2006                                                             Prof. Dr. Rainer Horn

Contents

Kai Cui, Pauline Défossez and Guy Richard
A New Approach for Modelling the Vertical Stress Distribution at the Soil/Tyre
Interface to Predict Compaction of Cultivated Soils with PLAXIS Model                                              1

Dirk Ansorge and Richard Godwin
High Axle Load – Track – Tire Comparison                                                                                                   9

Athanasios Dedousis, Richard Godwin, Michael O’Dogherty, Nick Tillett and James Brighton

Effect of Implement Geometry and Inclination Angle on Soil Failure and Forces Acting

on a Shallow Rotating Disc for Inter- and Intra-Row Hoeing                                                                  15

Gholamhossein Shahgoli, Chris Saunders, Jack Desbiolles and John Fielke

An Investigation into the Performance of Vibratory Tillage Using

Straight and Bent Leg Tines                                                                                                                            21

Chapter II

Traffic, Tillage and Soil Deformation

Beat Schäffer, Martin Stauber, Ralph Müller and Rainer Schulin

Compaction-Induced Changes in Macro-Pore Structure of Restored Soil                                        31

Per Schjønning, Mathieu Lamandé, Frede A. Tøgersen, Johan Arvidsson and Thomas Keller

Distribution of Vertical Stress at the Soil-Tyre Interface:

Effects of Tyre Inflation Pressure and the Impact on Stress Propagation in the Soil Profile        38

Wibke Markgraf and Rainer Horn

Rheometry in Soil Mechanics: Microstructural Changes in a
Calcaric Gleysol and a Dystric Planosol                                                                                                      47

Dani Or, Markus Berli, Chistopher G. Eggers and Michael L. Accorsi

Linking Soil Micro-Mechanics and Hydraulic Conductivity                                                                    59

Jerzy Lipiec, Boguslaw Usowicz and Aldo Ferrero

Management Effects of Sloping Vineyard on Thermal Properties of Soil                                           71

Aude Gallardo-Carrera, Carolyne Dürr, Michel Herbin, Y. Duval and J. Lingrand
Analysis of the Surface Crack Pattern of Seedbeds in a Silt Loam Soil                                              79

Stephan Gebhardt, Heiner Fleige and Rainer Horn

Stress-Deformation Behaviour of Different Soil Horizons and their

Change in Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity as a Function of Load                                                   86

Chapter III

Conservation Farming and Forestry Landuse Systems and
Environmental Quality

Julia Krümmelbein, Zhongyan Wang, Ying Zhao, Stephan Peth and Rainer Horn

Influence of Various Grazing Intensities on Soil Stability, Soil Structure

and Water Balance of Grassland Soils in Inner Mongolia, P.R. China                                                 93

Olga P. Gaţe, Ewa A. Czyż and Anthony R. Dexter

Soil Physical Quality, S, as a Basis for Relationships between some

Key Physical Properties of Arable Soils                                                                                                    102

Sebastian Ulrich, Bodo Hofmann, Sabine Tischer and Olaf Christen

Influence of Tillage on Soil Quality in a Long–Term Trial in Germany                                               110

Alan J. Franzluebbers and John A. Stuedemann

Soil Physical and Biological Responses to Cattle Grazing of Cover Crops                                    117

Mirko Castellini, Domenico Ventrella, Donato De Giorgio, Michele Maiorana, Angelo Fiore and Francesco Fornaro

Hydraulic Properties as Affected by Tillage and Crop Residues

Management in a Vertisol of Southern Italy                                                                                              124

Oswaldo Ernst and Guillermo Siri-Prieto

Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in Relation to Tillage and Crop-Pasture Rotation        132

Chapter IV

Soil Biological Quality and Health

Hans-Rudolf Oberholzer, Monika Wysser, Martin Hartmann and Franco Widmer

Regeneration of Impaired Biological Soil Properties Caused by Physical Soil Impact                140

Isabel Brito, Mário de Carvalho, Diederik van Tuinen and Michael Goss

Effects of Soil Management on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in

Autumn-Sown Crops in Mediterranean Climates                                                                                    149

Endla Reintam, Jaan Kuht, Katrin Trükmann and Virgo Rääts

Soil Compaction and Fertilization Effect on Weed Community and

Nutrient Uptake on Spring Barley Field                                                                                                     157

Peter Weisskopf, Hans-Rudolf Oberholzer and Jan Rek

Influence of Different Regeneration Courses on Structural and

Microbial Properties of a Compacted Soil                                                                                                 170

Laura Alakukku

Emergence of Small Grain Cereals at Different Water Potentials of Clay and Sandy Soil            175

Katrin Rutt, Andreas Gransee and Olaf Christen

Long-term Effects of Potassium on Parameters of the Soil Water Balance                                     181

Bill Deen, Ken Janovicek, Tony Vyn and David Lapen

Effect of Intermittent Tillage on Yield and Soil Quality in a Corn/Soybean/Wheat Rotation         189

Bandula Premalal and Bill Deen

Response of Early Corn (Zea mays L.) Growth to Soil Aggregate Size                                             195

Chapter V

Soil Amendments

M. Stanley Liphadzi and Mary Beth Kirkham

Availability of Heavy Metals in Soil with Injected Sludge and Composted-Sludge Soil                203

Chapter VI

Precision Agriculture

Abdul Mounem Mouazen, Mohammad Reza Malaki, Josse De Baerdemaeker and Herman Ramon

Primary Results on On-line Measurement of Some Selected Soil

Properties Using a VIS-NIR Sensor                                                                                                            215

Dainis Lapins, Arvids Vilde, Andris Berzins, Aigars Plume, Adolfs Rucins

Investigations in Precision Agriculture in Latvia Studies of Soil Properties and Tillage              223

José A. Terra, Fernando Garcia-Préchac, Lucía Salvo, and Jorge Hernández

Soil Use Intensity Impact on Total and Particulate Soil Organic Matter

in No-till Crop-Pasture Rotations under Direct Grazing                                                                        233

Andrew Whitlock

Precision Farming – Supporting Innovation                                                                                            242

W.C.T. Chamen

Controlled Traffic Farming on a Field Scale in the UK                                                                           251

Hauke Petersen, Heiner Fleige, Wolfgang Rabbel, Rainer Horn

Geophysical Methods for Imaging Soil Compaction and Variability
of Soil Texture on Farm Land                                                                                                                       261

Chapter VII

Soil Erosion and its Control

Peter Fiener and Karl Auerswald

Rotation Effects of Potato, Maize and Winter Wheat on Water
Erosion from Cultivated Land                                                                                                                      273

Sheng Li, David A. Lobb and Michael J. Lindstrom

Measuring and Modeling Tillage Translocation and Tillage Erosion

in Cereal-Based Production in the Canadian Prairies                                                                           281

Anke Knapen and Jean Poesen

Enhancing the Soil’s Erosion Resistance During Concentrated Runoff

by Reducing Tillage Disturbance                                                                                                                290

Liisa Pietola, Kimmo Rasa, Mari Räty, Jaana Uusi-Kämppä, Markku Yli-Halla, Rainer Horn and Rolf Tippkötter
Management-Induced Changes of Soil Physical Properties in Vegetated Buffer Zones             301

Rainer Duttmann and Michaela Bach
Long-Term Wind Erosion and its Impact on Soil Heterogeneity
in Sandur Plain Landscapes in Northern Germany                                                                                309

Chapter VIII 

Economical Aspects

Victor Adamiade, Pauline Défossez, Bruno Mary and Guy Richard

Prediction of Soil Physical Behavior According to Organic Carbon

Content in the Context of Straw Exportation for Energy Production                                                320

Zofia Stępniewska and Pavel Misztal
Oxygenation Level and Gas Dynamics in a Loess Soil Suspension after
Exposure to Visible Light                                                                                                                              328

Chapter IX

Soil Management Induced Global Change Effects

Jaana Uusi-Kämppä

Vegetated Buffer Zones for Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Control                                337

Manon Janssen and Bernd Lennartz
Horizontal and Vertical Water Fluxes in Paddy Rice Fields of Subtropical China                         344

Virginijus Feiza and Gintautas Cesevicius

Soil Physical Properties:An Approach to Optimize Tillage in Crop

Production System in Lithuania                                                                                                                  355

Katrin Trükmann, Endla Reintam, Jaan Kuht, Virgo Rääts
Growing of Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.), Canadian Thistle
(Cirsium arvense L.) and Yellow Lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) on Compacted Soil                          362

Gerard Jităreanu, Costică Ailincăi and Daniel Bucur

Influence of Tillage Systems on Soil Physical and Chemical Characteristics
and Yield in Soybean and Maize Grown in the Moldavian Plain                                                         379

Horst H. Gerke

Exploring Preferential Flow in Forest-Reclaimed Lignitic Mine Soil                                                  380

Maria I. Kokkora, Mike J. Hann, Richard J. Godwin

Biowaste and Vegetable Compost Utilization in Agriculture:

An Agronomic and Environmental Assessment                                                                                     388

Bärbel Tiemeyer, Bernd Lennartz and Petra Kahle

Analysing Nitrate Fluxes at Different Scales in an Artificially

Drained Lowland Catchment by a Combined Hydrograph Separation-Mixing Mode                   395

Ralf Loges, M.R. Kelm F. and Taube

Nitrogen Balances, Nitrate Leaching and Energy Efficiency of

Conventional and Organic Farming Systems on Fertile Soils in Northern Germany                    407

Chapter X

Soil Structure Formation and Physical Processes

Guy Richard, Arlène Besson, Abdoulnasser Aboubacar Sani, Philippe Cosenza, Hubert Boizard and Isabelle Cousin

A New Approach of Soil Structure Characterisation in Field

Conditions Based on Electrical Resistivity Measurements                                                                 415

Lloyd D. Norton, Amrakh I. Mamedov, Chi-hua Huang and Guy J. Levy

Soil Aggregate Stability as Affected by Long-Term Tillage and Clay Mineralogy                          422

Barbora Badalíková and Jan Hrubý

Influence of Minimum Soil Tillage on Development of Soil Structure                                               430

Azadeh Safadoust, Mohammad Reza Mosaddeghi and Ali Akbar Mahboubi

Tensile Strength of Air-Dry Soil Aggregates as Influenced by Short-Term

Management Practices in Western Iran                                                                                                     436

Imke Janssen, Xinhua Peng and Rainer Horn

Physical Soil Properties of Paddy Fields as a Function of Cultivation

History and Texture                                                                                                                                        446

Alvin J.M. Smucker and Eun-Jin Park

Soil Biophysical Responses by Macroaggregates to Tillage of Two Soil Types                           456

Bev Kay and Nathaniel Novosad

Quantifying the Role of Anaerobic Microsites on the Onset of

Denitrification in Soils of Different Texture, Structure and Water Content                                       461

Emilia Jasinska, Paul Hallett and Rainer Horn

Spatial Distribution of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds

and Repellency in Aggregat                                                                                                                         467

Debbie S. Feeney, A.Glyn Bengough, Paul D. Hallett, Sheena Rodger, Nia White and  Iain M. Young

Assessing the Impact of Biological Exudates Associated with Soil Water Repellency               475

Kyriakos P. Panayiotopoulos and Efrosini Babatsikou

Migration of Dispersed Clay in Alfisols                                                                                                     484

Jan J.H. van den Akker

Evaluation of Soil Physical Quality of Dutch Subsoils in two

Databases with some Threshold Values                                                                                          490-497