Assessment of the state of soil compaction in Slovakia

Soil compaction problems are important from an agricultural point of view and for the environment as a whole. Soil compaction influences all components of environment through acceleration of the other processes, e.g. soil erosion, river pollution by fertilisers, etc. From this point of view it is a global problem. Soils with different properties according to textural category and morphological unit react differently on soil compaction processes. The most fertile soils in Slovakia are medium heavy loamy soils without a horizon of significant clay accumulation i.e. Chernozems, Mollic Fluvisol, and Haplic Luvisol. These soils incline to secondary, man-made compaction by intensive agricultural exploitation, crop rotation with root crops, large fields and heavy machinery. Heavy, clayey soils as well as soils with a horizon of significant clay accumulation, argillic horizon, tend directly to compaction. This type of compaction as result of soil conditions is called primary compaction and such soils are difficult to cultivate. These soils require suitable soil moisture content for cultivation, which must be in the interval between field capacity and point of decreased water availability in the whole profile during cultivation or harvesting. This moisture interval is very important in prevention of additional compaction. Coarse and medium textured soils without argillic horizon are not compacted primarily. In conditions of intensive agricultural utilisation they are often compacted by human activity. We indicate this type of compaction as secondary, man made. Soil compaction detection, assessment of its state (primary, secondary, combined) and its monitoring are objectives of the research. This research is focused on agricultural soils. In this article the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB, 1994) is used (in Morphogenetic classification system of Slovakian soils).