Soil Conditioning & Cropping Systems

Soil erosion and surface water runoff have traditionally been managed with systems that have been designed for the purpose of sealing the soil surface and retaining water where it falls.  These processes use equipment which compact the soil. When a soil is compacted it becomes denser.

Soil Compaction reduces the amount of air, water, and space available to roots and soil organisms having a negative impact on plant growth and soil health.

Soil Consolidation, however, modifies soil structure to increase internal bonding and soil strength as more particle to particle contacts are made.  Tilled soils need to be consolidated to avoid several related problems. Soil consolidation improves soil resistance to soil erosion and water runoff.  It also increases the thermal properties of the soil.  It allows for increased soil particle to soil particle contact and thus the thermal properties of the soil. It also increases soil to seed contact and thus promotes germination.   The effects of soil consolidation are positive rather than negative. Strictly speaking, soil consolidation is managing soil structure for the benefit of the plant and soil health.

The TerraStar is a soil conditioning devise that uses soil consolidation. The geometrically ordered weir system created by the TerraStar not only provides a structure to control water infiltration, but as time passes the imprints fill with topsoil and residue helping to retain soil organic matter which play unique roles in soil health.