Influence of non-inversion loosening on permanent pasture productivity

Non-inversion tillage can have significant benefits over inversion tillage in loosening soils under permanent pasture. A suite of attributes was used to characterize the degree of compaction at the 0- to 20-cm depth of a Charlottetown fine sandy loam under a 10-yr pasture in Prince Edward Island. Non-inversion tillage, using a paraplow, a slant-legged cultivator loosened the soil at the 10- to 20-cm depth. Penetrometer resistance profiles showed that the loosened soil condition persisted for 3 to 4 yr. Non-inversion soil loosening caused a negative yield response, which was possibly related to root injury.