The soil Tilth Index: an evaluation and proposed modification
1998
Tapela, M. | Colvin, T.S.
One of the factors critical to seed germination and plant development is good ti lth. Unfortunately, tilth is often only subjectively evaluated, hence its adequa cy depends on the experience of the evaluator rather than on a standard procedur e. The Tilth Index is a quantitative value used to describe soil conditions that relate to plant growth and water movement, ranging from 0.0 for the worst soil to 1.0 for the best soil as related to crop production. Five parameters, i.e., s oil particle uniformity, organic matter content, bulk density, plasticity and co ne index, thought to be the most important in determining soil tilth, were evalu ated for different tillage systems and their effects were combined to calculate the Tilth Index. The Tilth Index shows promise as a tool that could be used to o ptimize energy use for tillage by indicating when additional tillage may not be helpful. The results of this study also suggest that the index may assist in yie ld prediction by comparing measured soil conditions to known or projected optima for a location.
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