Development of an In-row Subsoiler Attachment to Reduce Smearing

Hardpans are prevalent throughout the Southeastern United States and frequently cause the depth of crop rooting to be restricted to near the soil surface thus making crops susceptible to short-term droughts. In-row subsoiling has become the tillage tool of choice for alleviation of this compacted soil condition in Coastal Plain soils. However, in many soils with larger amounts of clay, smearing occurs near the bottom of the shank, thus trapping the roots in the subsoiled channel. A novel approach to disturb the bottom of the smeared zone was attempted. Results of multiple experiments involving corn and cotton in multiple soil types indicate that the use of a shank attachment can increase crop yields in fine-textured soils where soil smearing is sometimes noted.