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Home → Publications → Tree Planters' Notes → Tree Planters' Notes Issue 79 (1966) → Soil Compaction Slows Eearly Growth of Planted Cottonwood

Soil Compaction Slows Eearly Growth of Planted Cottonwood

A recent study at the Southern Hardwoods Laboratory showed that when sandy loam soil is compacted to a bulk density of 1.60 the root and shoot growth of planted cottonwood cuttings is considerably retarded. Farm equipment or animals compact and destroy a soil's original structure by decreasing the percentage of large pores, with consequent decreases in aeration, moisture infiltration, and movement of moisture and nutrients. Roots extend slowly, and growth and yield of agronomic crops are generally reduced (3). The drier the compacted soils become, the greater is the effect of compaction on plant growth (4).


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Author(s): W. M. Broadfoot, Franklin T. Bonner

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Issue 79 (1966)