Current agricultural practices and their impacts on the sustainability of crop production can be evaluated by simple and reliable soil structure assessment tools. The study was conducted to determine the effects of long‐term (2006–2017) tillage systems on structural quality of a clayey soil using the visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) and classical field and laboratory measurements. A field experiment with seven tillage systems, representing both traditional and conservation tillage methods, was conducted on a clayey soil in the Cukurova region, Turkey. Soil samples from 0–10, 10–20 and 20–25 cm depths were analysed for mean weight diameter (MWD), porosity and organic carbon. Penetration resistance (PR) was determined in each treatment plot. The VESS scores (<2) of upper 0–5 cm indicated a good structural quality for all tillage systems. The VESS scores were positively related to PR and MWD and negatively to macroporosity (MaP) and total porosity. In reduced and no‐till systems, poorer soil structures were observed in subsurface layers where firm platy and angular blocky structures were defined. Mean VESS score (3.29) in 20–25 cm depth where PR was 3.01 MPa under no‐till indicated a deterioration of soil structural quality; thus, immediate physical interventions would be needed. Lower VESS scores and PR values under strategic tillage which was created by ploughing half of no‐till plots in November 2015 indicated successful correction of compaction caused by long‐term no‐till. The results suggest that the VESS approach is sensitive and useful in distinguishing compacted layers within the topsoil.

中文翻译：

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使用视觉评估和经典方法评估耕作系统对土壤结构质量的长期影响

当前的农业实践及其对作物生产可持续性的影响可以通过简单可靠的土壤结构评估工具进行评估。该研究旨在使用土壤结构的视觉评估 (VESS) 以及经典的田间和实验室测量来确定长期（2006-2017 年）耕作系统对粘质土壤结构质量的影响。在土耳其 Cukurova 地区的粘土上进行了使用代表传统和保护性耕作方法的七种耕作系统的田间试验。分析了 0-10、10-20 和 20-25 厘米深度的土壤样品的平均重量直径 (MWD)、孔隙度和有机碳。在每个处理小区中确定渗透阻力（PR）。上部 0-5 厘米的 VESS 评分 (<2) 表明所有耕作系统的结构质量良好。VESS 分数与 PR 和 MWD 呈正相关，与大孔隙率 (MaP) 和总孔隙率呈负相关。在减耕和免耕系统中，在定义了坚固的板状和有角块状结构的地下层中观察到较差的土壤结构。20-25 cm 深度的平均 VESS 得分 (3.29)，其中 PR 为 3.01 MPa 免耕表明土壤结构质量恶化；因此，需要立即进行物理干预。通过在 2015 年 11 月耕种一半免耕地块而产生的战略性耕作下较低的 VESS 分数和 PR 值表明成功纠正了长期免耕造成的压实。结果表明，VESS 方法在区分表土内的压实层方面非常敏感且有用。