Soil Compaction From Cattle Grazing in No-Till Winter Wheat Systems.

The dual-purpose use of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as forage for beef cattle is a common practice throughout the Southern Plains. In areas such as the North Canadian River watershed, where dual-purpose wheat is the dominant cropland management system, the adoption of no-till has been limited due to concerns about soil compaction. This study was conducted to evaluate compaction in no-till wheat under dual-purpose management scenarios on different soil types, and the effects of cover crops and their alleviation of pre-planting compaction. Grazing treatments were established in the fall of 2011 by placing exclosures at three locations on a Cyril fine sandy loam (course-loamy, mixed superactive, thermic Cumulic Haplustoll), a Dale silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Haplustoll), and a Bethany silt loam (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Paleustoll). Exclosure treatments were used to simulate grain-only and dual-purpose management; arranged with three replications. Soil cores (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, and 30-45cm) will be collected from all exclosures. Soils will be analyzed for bulk density, moisture, and penetration resistance; residue cover will be determined. Data collected from this study will provide an assessment of the extent of compaction resulting from dual-purpose wheat management. This research will demonstrate the impacts of grazing in no-till wheat to allow producers to make decisions on grazing intensity based on differences in the susceptibility of different soil types to compaction from grazing.