Crusting - Soil Health Nexus

What is Soil Crusting?

photo of corn struggling to break through soil crust

Corn gets a tough start in a field near Warrensburg, Ill. Photo Credit: Ken Eck, Purdue University

Soil crusting is the formation of a hard, compact layer at the soil surface that has reduced porosity and high penetration resistance. This crusting is associated with reduced water infiltration, restricted seedling emergence, and increased erosion.

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Regional Educator ResourcesOther Educator Resources

Title	Source	Resource type and date	Short Summary
Soil crusting	North Dakota State University	Extension Webpage 2014	Soil crusting can lead to increased runoff and erosion potential.
Soil crusting and emergence problems	University of Minnesota	Extension Webpage 2018	How crusting happens and how to break crusts.
Soil Crusts	Soilquality.org – NRCS & others	Webpage Sep 2011	Structural soil crusts are relatively thin, dense, somewhat continuous layers of non-aggregated soil particles on the surface of tilled and exposed soils. Structural crusts develop when a sealed-over soil surface dries out after rainfall or irrigation.
Soil Quality Indicators: Soil Crusts	USDA	NRCS Fact Sheet Jun 2008	Fact Sheet. Structural soil crusts are relatively thin, dense, somewhat continuous layers of non-aggregated soil particles on the surface of tilled and exposed soils. Structural crusts develop when a sealed-over soil surface dries out after rainfall or irrigation.
How to Understand and Interpret Soil Health Tests	Purdue University	Extension Publication Jun 2018	Purdue and CCSI did some research using some commercial soil health tests. This document describes some descriptions and guidelines that came out of doing that work.
Slump test photo	Joe Rorick, Purdue University	Image Not Dated	This picture was taken after a slump demonstration conducted on two soils comparing aggregation between no-till and conventional tillage systems. Photo Credit: Joe Rorick, Purdue University

Title	Source	Resource type and date	Short Summary
Soil Crusting	Penn State	Extension Webpage Sep 2017	Crusting happens due to dispersion of soil particles, reorientation of dispersed particles, drying, and desiccation.

Title

Source

Resource type and date

Short Summary

Soil Crusting

Penn State

Extension Webpage

Sep 2017

Crusting happens due to dispersion of soil particles, reorientation of dispersed particles, drying, and desiccation.

This page reviewed by Liz Schultheis, Joe Rorick, and Walt Sell.

Last reviewed 10/1/19