Rakesh Maheshwari, Sanwal Singh Meena and Nitin Maurya
Abstract
Soil compaction remains a critical barrier to sustainable agricultural production, primarily due to mechanical stresses imposed by tillage implements, tractor tyres, and repeated passes of machinery. Compaction reduces soil porosity, alters pore size distribution, impedes root penetration, and diminishes infiltration and aeration, ultimately lowering crop yields. Research indicates that topsoil is compacted mainly during the first machinery passes, while subsoil compaction becomes significant with increased axle loads and repeated traffic, particularly on moist clay soils. These effects accumulate over time, contributing to long-term soil degradation and increased energy requirements for field operations as draft force and fuel consumption rise with compaction severity. Mitigation strategies include reducing machine weight, modifying tyre configurations, and employing alternative traction systems such as wider tyres or rubber tracks; however, these measures often offer only partial protection and are limited by practical and economic constraints. Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) effectively reduces the area subjected to compaction but faces adoption challenges in smallholder farming systems. An increasingly recognized approach is the reduction of field passes through combined tillage machinery (Passive-Passive or Active-Passive combinations). The combined tillage reduces fuel use, draft requirements, wheel slip, and operating time while maintaining the seedbed quality. Thus, combined tillage represents a viable, energy-efficient, and sustainable solution for minimizing soil compaction and enhancing long-term soil health.