Soil compaction is a major and growing driver of land degradation worldwide, affecting agricultural, forest and grazing ecosystems. Soil compaction, as a key soil threat, is primarily linked to intensive agricultural traffic, forest harvesting, livestock trampling and industrial activities. These pressures are often worsened by inadequate soil-moisture management, unsustainable land-use practices, and the growing size and weight of agricultural machinery. Soil compaction negatively impacts cropland, grasslands, rangelands and forestland, and it leads to detrimental effects on plant growth, crop and fodder yields and reduces ecosystem goods and services.
The extent of these impacts, and the rate at which soil functions could be recovered, depend on the degree of compaction and the interaction of multiple soil and management factors. Despite advances in science and technology, significant gaps remain in the development, transfer, and harmonization of knowledge across research, farm and pasture management, and policymaking.
Addressing these gaps is the focus of the Global Symposium on Soil Compaction, co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its Global Soil Partnership (GSP), and Aarhus University, The Symposium will be held in Aarhus, Denmark from 21–23 September 2026 and participation is free of charge.
Opportunity for travel grants
The deadline for this opportunity has passed.
Aim and objectives
The objective of the symposium is to advance global understanding, research collaboration, and policy development around soil compaction, its impacts, assessment and mitigation. Through multidisciplinary dialogue, the symposium aims to bridge scientific knowledge, technological innovation, policy and practical application to promote sustainable soil management. Specifically, the objectives of this Symposium are to:
- Discuss advanced scientific understanding of soil compaction and its impacts on soil functions, crop, grassland and rangelands’ performance, ecosystems goods and services, and climate;
- Exchange knowledge on innovative methods, tools, and practices for assessing, preventing, and mitigating soil compaction across different land uses;
- Support dialogue on policy frameworks, regulatory approaches, and harmonized monitoring systems for evidence-based soil protection; and
- Identify socio-economic barriers and opportunities for adopting sustainable soil management practices, and to foster collaboration and cross-sector partnerships.
The outcomes of the symposium are expected to directly inform the development of actionable recommendations, technical briefs, and guidance for countries and stakeholders, and will contribute to FAO’s normative work and global soil and agricultural land management and restoration initiatives.
Main themes
The Symposium will bring science and policy together to review the status and challenges of soil compaction. It will be divided into five main themes:
 | Theme 1: Effects on cropland and pastureland sustainable production and ecosystem functioning.
This theme addresses how the negative alteration of soil structure caused by soil compaction disrupts fluid transport (air and water) through the pore network, restricts root development, reduces crop performance (resilience and productivity) and nutrient use efficiency, reduces soil biodiversity, and generates environmental consequences that undermine ecosystem services.
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 | Theme 2: Machinery–soil interactions and impact of livestock on compaction.
This theme addresses how the interaction between machinery characteristics (e.g., increasing machinery size, axle loads and tyre pressures) and soil properties contributes to soil compaction, while also considering the effects of livestock trampling in grassland systems (e.g., high stocking rates, wet conditions or prolonged grazing).
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 | Theme 3: Assessment, monitoring, and data harmonization.
This theme addresses the different methods for assessing soil compaction and structural changes, as well as approaches to monitoring it and how to harmonize the collected data. This theme intends to cover the use of advanced techniques and traditional lab and field methods, as well as data collection and harmonization to discuss the establishment of national or regional databases on soil compaction, data standardization and reporting mechanisms, and the challenges of global data integration.
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 | Theme 4: Prevention and mitigation strategies and risk assessment.
This theme addresses practices and strategies that prevent and mitigate soil compaction across diverse agroecosystems. The theme intends to cover subtopics such biological approaches, mechanical strategies, management systems, and decision support tools and models that integrate information on soil type, climate and machinery traffic to help predict areas at high risk of compaction.
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 | Theme 5: Barriers and solutions to the adoption of soil compaction prevention and mitigation measures.
This theme addresses the enabling environment (policies, incentives, knowledge and institutional factors) that support the effective prevention and mitigation of soil compaction. Therefore, the theme aims to explore how socioeconomical barriers, perceptions and knowledge may play a critical role in shaping management decisions. Regarding policy support and barriers, the theme aims to assess the support of policies and regional frameworks for the adoption of prevention and mitigation strategies for soil compaction.
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For a full description of the themes, please refer to the Concept Note
Draft agenda
Monday, 21 September
| 08:00–09:30 | Registration and coffee |
| 09:30–10:00 | Opening remarks and welcome
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| 10:00–10:30 | PLENARY KEYNOTE
Fast compaction, slow recovery: the invisible accumulation of soil degradation
Thomas Keller, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (AGROSCOPE) in Sweden, Switzerland |
| 10:30–11:00 | PLENARY KEYNOTE
Soil regulations in Denmark
Sebastian Berg, Agency for Green Transition and Aquatic Environment, Denmark |
| 11:00–11:30 | Posters and coffee |
| 11:30–12:55 | THEME 1
Effects on cropland and pastureland sustainable production and ecosystem functioningKeynote: - Bio-tillage as a sustainable practice to alleviate soil compaction, Xinhua Peng, ITPS member, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
- Assessing the Compaction Footprint of Agricultural Mechanization in Irrigated Vertisols: A Case Study from the Central Ethiopian Highlands, Feto Esimo Berisso, Junior researcher, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Djibouti
- Lidong Ren, Junior researcher, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
View morning presentations ❯
- Trading one problem for another: no-tillage-induced surface compaction in a semi-arid maize-based system on a sandy Plinthic Cambisol of South Africa
Seome Swafo, South Africa - Linking subsoil microbial function to physical properties under persistent subsoil compaction across soil textures
Peter Obour, Ghana
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| 13:00–14:00 | Lunch and posters |
| 14:00–15:30 | Presentations
View afternoon presentations ❯
- Controlled traffic farming and reduced tillage improve soil health
Magdalena Kaczorowska-Dolowy, Harper Adams University, United Kingdom - Soil compaction reduces seed maize yield and seed production without strongly altering irrigation cut-off responses
Pascale Metais, Arvalis, France - A comparative analysis of soil compaction in organic and conventional farming
Oktizalia Pratiwi, University of Molise, Italy - Impacts of long-term controlled traffic on sloping land compaction in the Mollisol region of Northeast China
Wenjuan Zheng, Nanjing Agricultural University, China - Tractor-induced soil compaction increases field-scale nitrous oxide emissions in agricultural systems
Bimantara Dhimas Sigit, Aarhus University, Denmark - Quantification of large-scale impacts of management on soil bulk density and related soil functions: a review
Karin Pepers, Aeres University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
|
| 15:30–16:00 | Posters and coffee |
| 16:00–17:00 | Presentations
View final presentations ❯
- Soil compaction and the soil–vegetation–indigenous practice nexus for sustainable production, ecosystem resilience and hydrological risk management: a review
Panda Subhabrata, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, India - Substantial soil compaction by tractor traffic does not directly decrease crop yield in black soil of Northeast China
Liu Zhipeng, Nanjing Agricultural University, China - Compaction effects on cropland and pastureland sustainable production and ecosystem functioning
Ali Akbar, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Pakistan - Aeration and drainage properties in compacted soils limit crop yield in Québec, Canada
Jean Caron, Université Laval, Canada
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Tuesday, 22 September
| 08:30–10:30 | THEME 2
Machinery–soil interactions and the impact of livestockKeynote: - Francois Pinet, Michelin, R&D Beyond Road Partnerships, Denmark
- Machinery-Soil Interaction and Impact of livestock: Strengthening Conservation Agriculture for resilient agrifood Systems, Mohamed Jadlaoui, Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
Presentations ❯
- Effects of livestock trampling and seasonal machinery use on soil compaction in hill pastures of central Nepal
Kul Bikram Shah, Nepal Environment Development Center, Nepal - Field and laboratory measurements to analyse the impact of grazing on soil compaction in grasslands over volcanic ash soils in southern Chile
José Dörner, Austral University of Chile, Chile - Modelling soil emissions of greenhouse gases as affected by traffic and tillage systems in Central England using DAYCENT
Herbert Kumwenda, Harper Adams University, United Kingdom - Simulation and prediction of soil damage due to compaction caused by animal trampling
Agnieszka Piwowarczyk, University College Dublin, Ireland - Soil displacement, bulk density changes and soil stress distribution as affected by tyre size, inflation pressure and pre-traffic bulk density
Diogenes Antille, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australia
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| 10:30–11:00 | Posters and coffee |
| 11:00–11:45 | Theme 2 continued
Presentations ❯
- Do lightweight autonomous robots reduce soil compaction? Evidence from a multi-site field experiment in Germany
Lina Rohlmann, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany - Effect of strain rate on the stress state in soil
Jaroslaw Pytka, Lublin University of Technology, Poland - Which deformation processes and stability changes occur in soils under static stress and shearing, with consequences for ecological soil functions?
Rainer Horn, Kiel University, Germany
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| 11:45–13:00 | THEME 3
Assessment, monitoring and data harmonizationKeynote: - Panos Panagos, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
Presentations ❯
- Measurements of bulk density using the RhoC sensor
Karin Pepers, Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands - Precision tillage planning: a non-contact soil-properties sensing framework for soil compaction management
Ishmael Amanor, Cape Coast Technical University, Ghana - Indirect detection of post-fire soil compaction using multi-source remote sensing: a case study from İzmir, Türkiye
Orhan Gunduz, Izmir Institute of Technology, Türkiye
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| 13:00–14:00 | Lunch and posters |
| 14:00–15:30 | Presentations
View afternoon presentations ❯
- Visual evaluation of soil structure for rangelands in a semi-arid climate: development of RangelandVESS
Alfredo Pinedo-Alvarez, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Mexico - Expanded VESS method for assessing the agronomic suitability of soils
Rachel Guimarães, Federal University of Technology of Paraná, Brazil - Soil-structure visualization: a key to soil diagnostics and enhanced management strategies
Monika Joschko, Agrarberatung, Germany - Large-scale mapping of subsoil compaction in agricultural soils in Quebec, Canada
Charles Frenette-Vallières, Research and development institute for the agri-environment (IRDA), Canada - GLOSOLAN harmonized standard operating procedures
Presenter TBC - Impact of skid-trail compaction on soil hydraulic properties: monitoring and simulation of soil-water dynamics in forest soils
Lennart Rolfes, Thünen-Institute of Agricultural Technology, Germany
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| 15:30–16:00 | Posters and coffee |
| 16:00–17:00 | Final presentations
Presentations ❯
- Assessing subsoil compaction: field and laboratory indicator sensitivity across soil types and sample volumes
Maliheh Fouladidorhani, Iran - Subsoil physical properties only partially recover during the first decade following compaction
Loraine ten Damme, Aarhus University, Denmark - Unlocking roots’ capacity to penetrate compacted layers through computer-vision phenotyping and genome-wide association studies
Wolfgang Busch, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, United States of America
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Wednesday, 23 September
| 08:30–10:25 | THEME 4
Prevention and mitigation strategies and risk assessmentKeynote: - Soil management strategies to enhance Ferralsols physical quality in Brazil, Karina Cavalieri Polizeli, Soil Science Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
Presentations ❯
- Regenerative grazing as a strategy to mitigate soil compaction in arid rangelands
Mounir Louhaichi, ICARDA - Community-led mechanical and biological mitigation of soil compaction in smallholder agroecosystems of western Nepal
Kharu Gharti, Sustainable Development Campaign (SDC), Nepal - Field-scale controlled traffic farming experiment in Slovakia: synthesis of results from 13 cropping seasons
Jana Galambošová, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic - Rebuilding the Root Zone: Long-term Conservation Agriculture Alleviates Sub-surface Compaction in Cereal Systems
Debashis Chakraborty, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India - A decision-support framework for precision recultivation windows: mitigating subsoil-compaction risks in rainy-season land reclamation in Guangdong, China
Liu Kaihua, Guangdong Institute of Modern Agricultural Equipment, China - National Risk Map of Compaction in Agricultural Soils of Mexico
Carlos Cruz-Gaistardo, International Research Consultant, United States of America
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| 10:25–10:55 | Posters and coffee |
| 10:55–11:35 | Theme 4 continued
Presentations ❯
- Assessing soil-compaction risk and wheel-load carrying capacity at various spatial scales
Michael Kuhwald, Thünen Institute, Germany - Exploring African indigenous regenerative farming practices for mitigating and preventing soil compaction
Gideon Adeyeni, African Way – Association for Cooperation and Sustainable Development - Animal traction: a solution for reducing soil compaction in organic market gardening? Insights from a French transdisciplinary action-research project
Claire Lamine, INRAE Emmah-Ecodéveloppement, France
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| 11:40–13:10 | THEME 5
Barriers and solutions to adopting prevention and mitigation measuresKeynote: - Martin H. Thorsøe, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Presentations ❯
- Digital mobilization and youth advocacy: overcoming socioeconomic barriers to sustainable soil management in north-eastern Nigeria
Sulaiman Umar Abubakar, Gombe State University, Nigeria - Integrated anthropogenic drivers of soil compaction in smallholder farming systems: a community-based conservation-agriculture approach in northern Ghana
Yahaya Bashiru, Keep Project, Ghana - Breaking the surface: socioeconomic barriers and community-based solutions to soil-compaction management in the Nepali mid-hills
Krishna Prasad Upadhaya, Disaster Reduction Nepal (DRN), Nepal - Compact soil sustainable management in semi-arid regions of Algeria: case study of the Oued Touil Valley
Saddek Medjahed, National Institute of Soils, Irrigation and Drainage, Algeria - Overcoming institutional barriers to soil-compaction mitigation through regulatory sandboxes
Evandro da Silva Soares, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Brazil
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| 13:15–13:55 | Lunch and posters |
| 14:00–14:40 | Theme 5 continued
Presentations ❯
- Making soil compaction visible: harmonized monitoring and policy pathways
Waqar Ahmad, The University of Queensland, Australia - Barriers and solutions to adopting soil-compaction prevention and mitigation measures
Frank Wesonga, Kenyatta University, Kenya - The Agro-environmental Soil Sustainability Incentive Programme (SIRSD-S) and decompaction of degraded soils in Chile
Samuel Francke Campaña, Chile
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| 14:45–16:10 | BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Identifying needs and defining the way forward at A global levelView breakout themes ❯
Theme 1: Effects on cropland and pastureland sustainable production and ecosystem functioning on ecosystem functions Theme 2: Machinery–soil interactions and the impact of livestock Theme 3: Assessment, monitoring and data harmonization Theme 4: Prevention and mitigation strategies and risk assessment Theme 5: Barriers and solutions to the adoption of soil compaction prevention and mitigation measures |
| 16:10–16:45 | Plenary session
Summary from the breakout rooms sessions
Student poster awards |
| 16:50–17:00 | Closing remarks |
Keynote speakers
Thomas Keller
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (AGROSCOPE) in Sweden, Switzerland
Speaker insight
Soil compaction is an invisible threat to soil functions. The challenge lies in the mismatch between instantaneous compaction and the slow recovery of soil structure. As recovery is typically incomplete before the next compaction event, degradation accumulates, gradually undermining soil resilience.
SB
Sebastian Berg
Agency for Green Transition and Aquatic Environment, Denmark
Xinhua Peng
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Speaker insight
Soil compaction mainly occurs in farmland and is closely related to food security. With the increasing use of heavier agricultural machinery, soil compaction is expected to become more serious and affect more regions. However, efficient and sustainable measures to prevent and remediate compaction while maintaining crop productivity remain limited.
FE
Feto Esimo Berisso
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Djibouti
Speaker insight
Ethiopia’s drive for wheat self-sufficiency through irrigated production is delivering higher yields, yet the heavy traffic of combine harvesters operating on wet Vertisols risks undermining these gains. Without managing this new machinery regime, the very soils supporting national food security and reduced import dependence may lose their long-term productivity.
Lidong Ren
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China
Speaker insight
Mechanization has reshaped modern agriculture, yet its widespread impact on soil structure, from land preparation and seeding to tillage and harvesting, remains inadequately quantified. A comprehensive, region-specific assessment of soil compaction characteristics and consequences is therefore a central challenge for sustainable modern agriculture.
François Pinet
Michelin, R&D Beyond Road Partnerships, Denmark
Speaker insight
We must help stakeholders understand soil compaction and promote viable solutions for farmers. The key challenge is balancing soil protection, operational feasibility and profitability through evidence-based guidance, innovation and shared commitment.
Karina Maria Vieira Cavalieri Polizeli
Soil Science Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
Speaker insight
A challenge in Brazil is convincing farmers to implement crop rotation in no-tillage systems to avoid soil compaction, rather than performing subsoiling or chiselling across extensive areas.
Panos Panagos
Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC)
Speaker insight
Soil compaction, affecting both topsoil and subsoil, is considered one of the indicators in the Soil Monitoring Law. It decreases agricultural productivity, crop yields and water infiltration while accelerating runoff and soil erosion risk. Compaction varies strongly with land use, weather conditions and the timing of machinery operations.
Martin H. Thorsøe
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Denmark
Speaker insight
Prevention and mitigation of soil compaction depend not only on building knowledge among land users, but also on their ability to change field operations. Although land users are often concerned about soil degradation, their choices are constrained by factors such as timing, contracts, labour, machinery, contractors and economic pressures. Addressing soil compaction therefore requires more than action at the field or farm level; it calls for systemic solutions that engage actors and structures across the agri-food system.
Mohamed Jadlaoui
Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
Speaker insight
Soil compaction is closely linked to how agricultural machinery is used. Promoting appropriate mechanization and conservation agriculture practices is essential to minimize compaction, preserve soil structure, improve water infiltration, and enhance the long-term sustainability and resilience of agricultural production systems.
Participation
The conference will draw from a diverse group of researchers, policymakers, representatives of international organizations, civil society, development practitioners, and the private sector.
Participation in the event is free of charge for both in-person and online attendees. Registration will be conducted through the FAO website, where participants will be able to complete the online registration form and access updated event information.
Organizing and scientific committee
- Blanca Prado Pano (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
- Emmanuel Arthur (Aarhus University)
- Isabelle Verbeke (FAO)
- Josef Kienzle (FAO)
- Lars Munkholm (Aarhus University)
- Mansonia P. Moncada (FAO)
- Mathieu Lamandé (Aarhus University)
- Mogens Greve (Aarhus University)
- Mohamed Jadlaoui (FAO)
- Thorunn Wolfram (FAO)
- Xinhua Peng (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)
- Yi Peng (FAO)
- Yusuf Yigini (FAO)
Scientific committee (abstract panel)
- Bin Zhang (Nanjing Agricultural University)
- Bipin K Pandey (University of Nottingham)
- Diogenes L. Antille (CSIRO)
- Hu Zhou (China Agricultural University)
- Jean Caron (Université Laval)
- José Dörner (Universidad Austral de Chile)
- Joséphine Peigné (Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture Rhône-Alpes)
- Julie Ingram (University of Gloucestershire)
- Laura Alakukku (University of Helsinki)
- Lidong Ren (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
- Loraine ten Damme (Aarhus University)
- Luiz Fernando Pires (State University of Ponta Grossa)
- Martin Thorsøe (Aarhus University)
- Peter Bilson Obour (University of Ghana)
- Rachel Guimarães (Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná)
- Rainer Horn (Kiel University)
- Terese Pinto Correia (University of Evora)
- Thomas Keller (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
- Wei Hu (Bioeconomy Science Institute, Plant and Food Research Lincoln)
- Wim Cornelis (Ghent University)
Co-organizers
Donors
