Cornell University

School of Integrative Plant Sciences

Soil Health Manual Series

Fact Sheet Number 16-03
Common Soil Constraints
It is important to recognize soil constraints that limit crop
productivity, farm sustainability, and environmental quality.
Management practices can be adjusted to alleviate these
problems. The following is some of the more common soil
constraints commonly observed in the U.S., along with some
contributing factors and resulting soil conditions.
Soil compaction FIGURE 2. Surface crusting in mid-spring as a result of poor aggregation.
Compaction can occur at the surface and subsurface soil profile.
Be sure that a soil is ready for equipment prior to tilling. Poor aggregation
Contributing factors: Poorly aggregated soils are more susceptible to erosion and
runoff which increases risk of lost productivity. Aggregates are
• Traffic or tillage when soil is wet or ‘plastic’ (Fig. 1)
formed whenever mineral and organic particles clump together.
• Heavy equipment and loads
Contributing factors:
• Uncontrolled traffic patterns • Intensive tillage; low active rooting density
Can result in: • Limited use of soil building crops and soil cover
• Reduced root growth in surface and subsurface soils • Limited duration of root presence during the year
• Limited water infiltration resulting in runoff, erosion, • Limited organic additions
ponding and poor aeration • Low biological activity to stabilize aggregates
• Drought sensitivity due to reduced water storage Can result in:
and rooting • Reduced drought resistance due to crusting and cracking (Fig. 2)
• Reduced nutrient access due to poor root growth • Poor water infiltration and storage during rain events
and restricted water flow • Increased occurrence of erosion and runoff
• Increased pathogen pressure due to poor drainage • Reduced aeration and root growth
and plant stress • Poor seedling emergence and stand establishment
• Increased cost of tillage; lower yields • Few number of and less active microbial communities
Weed Pressure
When plants are unhealthy and “weak” they are less able to
compete against weeds for water and nutrients and defend
themselves against pests.
Contributing factors:
• Inadequate crop rotations and omission of cover crops
• Poor weed management; resistance to herbicides
• Poor timing of management practices
Can result in:
• Poor stand establishment and crop growth
• Poor crop quality and reduced yield
• Increased disease and pest damage
FIGURE 1. Tillage when the soil is too wet (plastic) resulting in • Interference with cultural practices and harvest
clodding and compaction. • Increased cost of weed control
Soil and Crop Sciences Section Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health - soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu 1
 Common Soil Constraints
High pathogen pressure Heavy metal contamination
Root pathogenesis negatively impacts plant growth and Contamination from past human activities, such as high
root effectiveness as well as minimizes contributions from traffic, commercial activity, spills, or pesticide application,
microbiota in proper functioning of important soil processes. can negatively impact soil and plant health.
Contributing factors: Contributing factors:
• Poorly planned crop rotations and low rotational diversity • Common in urban areas and other sites with past use of
• Ineffective residue management; poor sanitary practices contaminants such as lead paint, fertilizers, pesticides
(e.g., lead arsenate use on orchard land)
• Low microbial diversity, reduced pathogen suppression
• Past activities such as high traffic, industrial or commercial
• Poor physical soil functioning, particularly waterlogging,
activity, treated lumber, machine repair, junk vehicles, furniture
or other plant stress-inducing conditions.
refinishing, fires, landfills, or garbage dumps
Can result in: • Naturally occurring high heavy metal concentrations
• Damaged and diseased roots (Fig. 3); uneven and poor growth (generally rare in the Northeast)
• Reduced yields, crop quality and profit
Can result in:
Salinity and sodicity • Higher risks of human exposure
Soil problems can be found in arid and semiarid regions, • Plant toxicity; inhibition of soil biological activity
including soils that are high in salts (saline) and those that • Reduced yield and/or crop quality
have excessive sodium (sodic) (Fig. 4).
Contributing factors:
• Frequently found in semi-arid and arid climates, also under
irrigated systems or closed, irrigated high tunnels and
greenhouses (in the northeast).
Can result in:
• Loss of crop yield and quality
• Loss of aggregation, infiltration and drainage functions

Low water and nutrient retention

Lower organic matter in soils indicates poor structure and
lower water holding capacity. Therefore nutrient mobility
and plant growth will be limited.
FIGURE 4. Saline/sodic soil
Contributing factors:
• Low organic matter and resulting poor structure, water For a more comprehensive overview of soil health concepts
holding capacity and reduced exchange capacity including a guide on conducting in-field qualitative and quan-
titative soil health assessments, please download the Cornell
• Poor retention and biological recycling of nutrients in
Soil Health Manual at bit.ly/SoilHealthTrainingManual.
biomass and soil organic matter
• Excessive tillage, insufficient use of soil building crops Acknowledgement
Can result in: Thanks to the NE Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program,
New York Farm Viability Institute, USDA-NRCS and Cornell Cooperative
• Ground and surface water pollution; Reduced microbial Extension for funding and support of the Cornell Soil Health program.
community, nutrient deficiencies and poor plant growth This fact sheet represents the best professional judgment of the authors and
does not necessarily reflect the views of the funders or reviewers.
For more information contact:
Cornell University
Soil Health Laboratory
bit.ly/SoilHealthContacts
Harold van Es
Robert Schindelbeck
Aaron Ristow, Kirsten Kurtz and
Lindsay Fennell
FIGURE 3. Symptoms of root rot diseases on pea roots. January 2017

2 Soil and Crop Sciences Section Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health - soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu