Soil compaction (SC) is one of the most damaging degradation processes. The effects of compaction are closely related to crop losses and GHG emissions due to additional fuel use. It is therefore important not only to correctly monitor the condition of the soil and the restoration of damaged soil but also to understand the costs of excessive exploitation of soil and individual risks in different countries and continents. A model of equations has been developed to assess the effects of compaction that can be used on a national or even single farm scale. However, for its further application, more data should be collected. Based on the data available in the public domain, the damage caused by compaction was compared between Ukrainian (UA) and Lithuanian (LT) scenarios as these countries have a similar situation but different levels of soil resource management. Soil characteristics, such as soil types and predisposition to compaction, depending on its type, were assessed in both countries. The main parameters used to estimate the damage due to SC were: yield loss; additional fuel consumption; losses of N, P, K fertilizers, water pollution, and flooding; erosion; and GHG emissions. The results reveal potential annual losses due to compaction of around EUR 27 million for Lithuania and around EUR 1.6 billion for Ukraine. Expected potential average losses per hectare of arable land are about EUR 49 ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for Ukraine (33.9 million ha or 56.76% of the total area) and about EUR 13 ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for Lithuania (2.11 million ha or 33.77%). Potential crop losses are one of the costliest consequences of compaction. They could cost about EUR 1 billion annually for Ukraine and about EUR 10.7 million for Lithuania. Moreover, the additional use of fuel and the associated GHG emissions can probably take away EUR 180 million (UA) and about EUR 4 million (LT) each year.

Soil compaction by agricultural machinery in general by and tractors in particular is an important problem in modern agricultural production. Such compaction destroys the soil structure, creates unfavorable physical parameters of the soil, and as a result, reduces crop yields. Therefore, it is important to clearly establish how the tractor wheels affect the soil. The experiments were conducted on the sandy loam soil by using CLAAS Xerion 5000 tractor with TRELLEBORG IF 900/60 R42 tires with internal pressures varying from 0.08 to 0.24 MPa in 0.04 MPa increments. To determine the stress propagation a developed simulation model was adapted to the parameters of the tractor in use. The iterative method was used for the numerical determination of the soil stress state. The impact of soil compaction starting from a 40 cm depth is not noticeable following the tractor’s pass. In fact, from a depth of 40 cm, the normal stresses reach equilibration according to the developed mathematical model. From a depth of 20 cm, the soil compaction pattern is similar for all tire widths tested. Tires with a width up to 10 cm, 0.92 m wide tires compact the soil 25.4% less on average than tires with a width up 0.872 m wide tires. To the depth of 20 cm, tires with a width up the 0.92 m wide tires compact the soil 18.9% less on average than the tires with a width up 0.872 m, and to a depth of 30 cm – only 5.1% less. The tractor with a working tire width of 0.92 m and an axle load of 119.5 kN generate contact stresses on the field surface of up to 150 kPa, which is a permissible load for soil structure safety. Thus, the suggested simulation model of the soil stress state is suitable for use, and studies and modeling advance the idea that using wider tires results in a more equitable distribution of loads. The proposed model for analyzing stress propagation in soil enables to estimate the potential adverse impacts of wheeled or tracked agricultural machinery on soil structure by assessing stress levels that may disrupt or damage soil integrity, with the stresses varying according to the specific physical and chemical properties of each soil type.

Graph-analytical optimization of the transverse vertical cross-section of a contact zone between soil and an elastic wheeled mover