Crop responses to compacted soil: capture and efficiency in the use of water and radiation

A limited modelling study showed that water availability, as characterised with the lower limit of plant available water, could partially account for the effect of soil compaction and deep tillage on crop growth and evapotranspiration. Long-term simulations indicated important changes in the fate of water in response to ripping in sandy soils, including a moderate increase in evapotranspiration, a substantial reduction in E:ET, and important reductions in the frequency and rate of drainage beyond the crop root zone.