The present study compares the consequences of soil compaction due to machinery in a selected 13.7 ha plot at Hronské Kosihy (Slovak Republic). The crop was winter wheat, while the changes of selected soil properties (penetration resistance and gravimetric soil water content) were monitored. The experimental plot was divided into 11 zones with different initial status of compaction: one of them was the reference zone without compaction (P1), five zones were out of the track line, four were directly in the track lines, and one was a collection route. The number of passages in each zone was from 0 up to more than 15. The impact of the number of machinery passages on gravimetric soil water content was found significant both in and out of the track lines with an average value of 17.37%. The monitoring of the passage number showed to be important also in the monitoring of soil penetration resistance ( P <0.05). The average value of penetration resistance in the P1 zone was 2.33 MPa. The dependence of soil compaction on passages ( P <0.05) was identified by the assessment and comparison of individual impacts of passages in the track zones (P3, P4, P6, and P7). A similar scenario was found also in case of the dependence of soil compaction on the passages monitored off the track lines (P2, P5). Also, the change of tire pressure was statistically significant, its decrease from 0.19 to 0.15 MPa showed to be beneficial. The highest compaction was monitored in the passages in P11 with an average value of 5.36 MPa, representing 2.3 times higher values than the reference one. The creation of a collection line enables reducing the compaction of the entire plot. The collection line should cover only a very small part of the plot.

Cereals in Europe are mainly grown with intensive management. This often leads to the deterioration of the physical properties of the soil, especially increasing bulk density due to heavy machinery traffic, which causes excessive soil compaction. Controlled traffic farming (CTF) technology has the potential to address these issues, as it should be advantageous technology for growing cereals during climate change. The aim of this study was to compare the yield potential of CTF and standardly used random traffic farming (RTF) technology using yield maps obtained from combine harvester and satellite imagery as a remote sensing method. The experiment was performed on a 16-hectare experimental field with a CTF system established in 2009 (with conversion from a conventional (ploughing) to conservation tillage system). Yield was compared in years when small cereals were grown, a total of 7 years within a 13-year period (2009–2021). The results show that CTF technology was advantageous in dry years. Cereals grown in the years 2016, 2017 and 2019 had significantly higher yields under CTF technology. On the contrary, in years with higher precipitation, RTF technology had slightly better results—up to 4%. This confirms higher productivity when using CTF technology in times of climate change.

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is used to confine soil compaction to the least possible area of the field, thereby achieving economic and environmental benefits. In the context of climate change, soil erosion is one of the most discussed topics, and there is a research gap in understanding the effects of CTF on soil erosion in Central Europe. The aim of this work was to show the potential of CTF to reduce water erosion, in terms of water runoff and soil loss on steep land. A 16 ha experimental field with a CTF technology implemented since 2009 at the Slovak University of Agriculture was used in this research. Three traffic intensity locations were selected and watered using a rainfall simulator. The results showed that the soil which had not been wheeled for 12 years had the lowest water runoff: its intensity after 20 min of simulated rain was 10 times lower compared to the multiple traffic treatment. The soil loss, expressed as the total soil sediments collected after 35 min, in the no traffic area was lower by 70%, compared to the soil with one-pass treatment and only 25% of the loss in the multiple traffic areas. These results show that CTF can significantly reduce soil loss through water runoff on steep land.