Heavy machinery traffic on cropped soils applies different tensions that, combined with high values of soil moisture, can result in soil compaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variation in some physical properties of an Argissolo Amarelo (Ultisol) due to farm tractor traffic with different numbers of passes. The study was conducted at UNIVASF in Petrolina, State of Pernambuco PE, Brazil, in an experiment in strips with two factors: tractors of 2,650, 2,795, and 3,540 kg; and six levels of compaction: zero passes (control) (N0), one pass (N1), two passes (N2), four passes (N4), six passes (N6), and eight passes (N8). We analyzed bulk density, porosity, and penetration resistance of the soil layers at 0.00-0.10, 0.10-0.20, 0.20-0.30, and 0.30-0.40 m. Bulk density and porosity were analyzed by analysis of variance with comparison of means, and by regression analysis, whereas penetration resistance was analyzed using geostatistics. The highest values of bulk density and lowest values of porosity were observed for the tractor with least weight but a smaller contact area and worse load distribution between the axles, which applies the greatest pressures on the soil. The traffic intensities indicated that after the second pass of the machine, the values of bulk density, in general, were near the values of the other passes for the 0.00-0.10 m layer. In contrast, the values of porosity for the 0.00-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m layers decreased with the increase in the number of passes. The maps of soil penetration resistance indicated critical points of resistance, more evident for the tractor of least weight.
machinery traffic; geostatistics; soil physics
