Compaction caused by machinery traffic can have severe yield consequences. Compaction increases soil strength and reduces soil porosity, which hinders root growth, moisture and nutrient uptake, and plant growth.

Extensive work on soil structure by researcher Dr Bruce Cockroft from Northern Victoria has brought the maintenance of soil structure into the spotlight as a promising area for irrigators to work on to improve their y

This project aims to assess soil structural decline under precision irrigation and to suggest management strategies to avoid it.

This paper discusses recent progress with the refinement of promising methods, both direct and indirect, for measuring the severity of compaction in cracking clays used for irrigated cotton.