Tillage and traffic on soil organisms

The major part of the research reported in this book was undertaken on a vertosol soil located at the Gatton Campus of The University of Queensland, south-east Queensland. The trial was established five years before measurements commenced, thus allowing sufficient time for stabilization of soil properties. Controlled traffic farming has many benefits including reductions in labour, fuel, fertilizers, and herbicides as well as improved crop yields due, in part, to increased soil water storage. This study has clearly demonstrated that a further benefit is that of increased populations of soil biota which have been shown to improve the nutritional and physical status of the soil. The beneficial effects of zero tillage have been well demonstrated in previous research but this study is the first to report the importance of controlled traffic to soil biota in Australia.