Farmers have been advised to lower tyre pressures, use wider tyres and focus on lighter loads because of current field conditions.

According to Dr. Veronica Nyhan, Soil and Plant Nutrition Specialist at Teagasc “it’s understandable that people are eager to get moving again” following the recent spell of wet weather.

However, she adds, “this is exactly the kind of spring where a rushed decision can do more harm than good”.

While fields can look passable from the gate, she said: “Many soils remain weak below the surface.

Dr. Nyhan said that soil trafficability isn’t about the date or how dry the top looks, but “whether the soil can actually carry machinery weight”.

“When soils are saturated, pore spaces fill with water rather than air, reducing their load-bearing strength,” she said.

“One pass with heavy equipment can compress soil layers, creating compaction that restricts rooting, slows drainage and limits nutrient uptake.

"Relatively small reductions in soil porosity can lead to yield losses of 15-20%, and the effects can persist beyond one year.”

Shedding water

Dr. Nyhan added that another problem with compacted soils is that they “shed water instead of absorbing it, increasing runoff, erosion risk and nutrient loss to drains and waterways. That’s money lost as well as an environmental risk”.

“The danger period is now, in the coming week, when the first dry and warmer days give a false sense of improvement while deeper layers remain plastic,” she said.

Dr. Nyhan said that a spade “remains one of the best tools available”.

“Waiting a few days can make a huge difference," she added.

If travel cannot be avoided, Dr. Nyhan suggests that farmers “lower tyre pressures, use wider tyres, stick to tramlines and carry lighter loads where possible”.

She added: “Good decisions now protect soil structure, crop performance and profitability for the rest of the year.”