Tillage implements, as well as wheel traffic, can cause compaction. Small amounts of compaction can improve traction and reduce slip. Subsoiling soils when they are at or above field capacity may create more compaction rather than eliminate it. No-till is a good option for minimizing compaction because it eliminates many field operations and allows more flexibility in required field operations, thus avoiding wheel traffic on wet soils. Medium textured soils having a blend of sand, silt and clay particles are more likely to compact than are soils that are almost pure sand, silt or clay.
Soils are most prone to compaction when the soil water status is near field capacity.
Repeated cycles of freezing and thawing over the winter can be very effective in eliminating surface compaction found in the top 4 inches of soil. Grazing livestock on dry or frozen soil will not create compaction. Cracks which develop when soil is dry serve as channels for root growth and water movement to deeper depths in compacted soil. Compaction is measured in terms of bulk density and soil strength. Soil strength measurements are influenced by soil water content but bulk density measurements are not.