The effect of tillage depth and traffic management on soil

9 The management of agricultural soils during crop establishment can affect root development by changes to soil 10 structure. This paper assesses the influence of tillage depth (250 mm, 100 mm & zero) and traffic management 11 (conventional tyre pressure, low tyre pressure & no traffic) on wheat root system architecture during winter wheat 12 (Triticum aestivum L.) tillering and flowering growth stages (GS) on a long-term tillage trial site. The study 13 revealed that zero-tillage systems increased crop yield through significantly greater root biomass, root length 14 density and deeper seminal rooting analysed using X-ray Computed Tomography (CT). In general, conventional 15 pressure trafficking had a significant negative influence on crop yield, root development, bulk density and total 16 soil porosity of deep and shallow tillage conventional pressure systems compared no traffic zero and deep tillage 17 systems. Visual improvements in soil structure under zero tillage may have improved crop rooting in zero tillage 18 treatments through vertical pore fissures (biopores), enhancing water uptake during the crop flowering period. 19 This study highlights the implications of soil structural damage on root system architecture created by compaction 20 in crop production. The constricted root systems found in conventional pressure shallow tillage, zero and deep 21 tillage trafficked regimes emphasizes the importance of using technology to improve soil management and reduce 22 the trafficked areas of agricultural fields. 23