Soil Compaction Assessment

Assess soil compaction severity from penetrometer readings. Accounts for soil moisture, depth, and crop-specific root restriction thresholds.

Inputs

Penetrometer Reading

PSI

Soil Moisture

Measurement Depth

inches

Crop Type

Tab to move between fields

Results

Compaction Rating

Moderate — Root Restriction Likely

Moisture-Corrected PSI

250 PSI

CropCorn

Root Restriction Threshold200 PSI

Estimated Yield Impact15%

Within Root ZoneYes

RecommendationDeep tillage or subsoiling recommended

How to Use This Calculator

Enter penetrometer resistance readings in PSI at multiple depths.
Input soil moisture at time of measurement and soil texture class.
Set the crop being grown to load the relevant compaction threshold.
Review the Critical Compaction Depth and the Root Restriction Risk.
Use the Tillage Depth Recommendation to target the compaction layer precisely.

What each input means

Penetrometer Reading: Cone penetrometer reading in PSI at the measurement depth. Readings above 300 PSI restrict most crop roots.
Soil Moisture: Volumetric soil moisture at time of measurement. Dry soils give artificially high readings; ideal is near field capacity (~25%).
Measurement Depth: Depth at which the penetrometer reading was taken. Plow pans typically form at 6–12 inches.
Crop Type: Target crop: 1 = Corn, 2 = Soybean, 3 = Wheat. Different crops have different compaction tolerances.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Penetrometer Reading = 250, Soil Moisture = 25, Measurement Depth = 10, Crop Type = 1 = 4 input(s) provided
Calculate Compaction Rating
Moderate — Root Restriction Likely = Moderate — Root Restriction Likely
Calculate Moisture-Corrected PSI
Moisture-Corrected PSI
250 = 250
Calculate Crop
Crop = crop.name
Corn = Corn
Calculate Root Restriction Threshold
Root Restriction Threshold = crop.restrictionPsi
200 = 200

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