Soil compaction has detrimental effects on the physical, mechanical and hydraulic
properties of soils, and affects important soil processes and function, and crop productivity. This
work was conducted to investigate soil compaction impacts in integrated arable croppinglivestock systems managed under conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). The work
examined the combined effects of cattle trampling and farm machinery traffic on: soil strength,
soil deformation, and water infiltration into soil. The following treatments were applied to soil
(Entic Haplustoll, 60% sand) managed under CT and NT: three traffic intensities (1, 5, 7 passes)
performed with light (2WD, 53 kN) and heavy (4WD, 100.4 kN) tractors, and two stocking
densities (400 and 700 kg ha-1
), respectively. Controls were also used to represent the condition
of the soil without any effect of livestock or field traffic. In both tillage systems, soil penetration
resistance (strength) increased and water infiltration into soil decreased as traffic intensities or
stocking rates applied increased. There was a significant traffic intensity × stocking rate
interaction, which influenced the depth and extent of soil compaction at depth. Despite these
results, stubble grazing during fallow should not be discouraged as this practice offers mixed
farming systems several agronomic and financial benefits. If stubble was to be grazed, the system
would need to be carefully managed: (1) avoid ‘random’ traffic using permanent or semipermanent traffic paths to minimise the field wheeled area, (2) vacate livestock from the field, or
confine it to a sacrificial area, when the soil water content exceeds a critical level above which
soil damage is likely, and (3) maintain more than 60%–70% ground cover. Tillage repair
treatments can be targeted to those sacrificial or ‘hot-spots’ areas so that localised, as supposed
to widespread, compaction problems are rectified before the next crop is established
