Evaluation of soil compaction by modeling field vehicle traffic with SoilFlex during sugarcane harvest

Sugarcane harvest in Brazil involves infield traffic of trailers, haulout trucks and tractors, increasing the risk of soil compaction. Pseudo-analytic models have been used for analyzing soil compaction due to traffic as well as a tool to prevent it. The objective of this paper was to analyze the compaction process of an Ultisols in the costal table of Pernambuco, Brazil, subjected to vehicle traffic during sugarcane harvest. The pseudo-analytical model SoilFlex was used for modeling bulk density and soil moisture scenarios based on undisturbed soil samples taken at 0–0.1, 0.1–0.2, 0.2–0.3 and 0.3–0.4 m depth in a 120 m × 120 m area. Five bulk density scenarios, each one with four soil moisture conditions, were evaluated after passing vehicles during harvest: a loaded haulout truck, a loaded trailer hauled by a tractor and a loaded haulout truck hauling a loaded trailer. Soil vertical and pre-compression stresses showed that the haulout truck, as well as the trailer hauled by tractor, cause soil compaction beyond 0.2 m depth when the initial bulk density were 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 g cm−3.

► Different soil scenarios were modeled to compare vehicles impacts on soil compaction.
► Soil stress, bulk density and pre-consolidation stress were compared for each vehicle.
► Traditional road tyres in haulout trucks and trailers transmitted higher stresses to the soil.
► Higher tyre inflation pressures correspond to higher contact stress.