ce que j'ai trouvé de plus approchant

I found a gardening reference which gives the synonym "compact" for "batten." Spinning off from that, I tried various combinations until I found another reference which supported that general idea. It's possible that 'soil crusting' or 'soil surface crusting' may also work.

C'est la maniere dont s'agrégatent les elements qui constituent le sol.
Sans calcium les sol argileux ou limono-argileux deviennent compact (on
dit aussi battant).
http://groups.google.com/group/fr.rec.jardinage/msg/113f13fb...

Abstract: Agricultural subsurface drainage increases the evacuation of infiltrated water and reduces surface runoff generated by soil profile saturation. However, other factors may contribute to surface runoff generation: e.g. limitation of drainage network capacity, **soil surface sealing or compaction** due to wheel tracks. The objective of this study is to identify the processes involved in the surface runoff occurrences observed on a tile drained field. Such knowledge aims at improving the efficiency of solutions implemented to control the surface runoff.
Résumé : Le drainage des terres agricoles par tuyaux enterrés favorise l’évacuation des eaux infiltrées et réduit d’autant les épisodes de ruissellement provoqués par l’affleurement de la nappe superficielle… D’autre part, nous avons observé que le ruissellement généré par les affleurements de la nappe drainée peut conduire à l’apparition d’une croûte sédimentaire pour des sols battants, limitant l’infiltrabilité du sol en fin d’hiver.
http://www.cemagref.fr/informations/presse/InfMedia/im71/01a...

Les sols du plateau sont homogènes ; toutes les parcelles étudiées ici présentent une texture limoneuse (teneurs en argile comprises entre 11,5 et 14 p. 100) dont résulte un comportement
extrêmement battant.
Boiffin J., 1986. Stages and time-dependency of soil crusting
Boiffin J., Monnier M., 1986. Infiltration rate as affected by soil surface crusting caused by rainfall, 210-217. In F. Callebaut, G. Gabriels, M. de Boodt. Assessment of soil surlace sealing and crusting.
http://www.agronomy-journal.org/index.php?option=article&acc...

terre battante = slaked earth
battance = soil slaking

a/c to Dictionnaire de Science du Sol, Lozet & Mathieu

Definitions available if necessary but I'm just off on a few errands ...


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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-07-19 15:59:01 GMT)
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An awful lot of the ghits for "slaked soil" are Australian, so there may well be another term, unless it is simply a particularly prevalent phenomenon in Oz.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-07-19 16:00:36 GMT)
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Slaking is a mechanical process and occurs when the soil structure is weak. When a dry soil is wet rapidly (e.g. with rapid rain), water moves into the pores within the aggregate and forces air out. If the aggregate is weak, the force of the escaping air causes the aggregate to burst. If the aggregate is strong, then it resists the force of the escaping air and holds together. (Raindrops falling on to the soil surface can also cause weak aggregates to fall apart).
Water moving into an aggregate forces the air out. If the aggregate is weak, the force of the escaping air causes it to burst and slake. The slaked soil particles are washed into the soil and block soil pores and form a CRUST on the soil surface.
http://www.reec.nsw.edu.AU/2002/teachers/texttch/pdf/soil st...

Results are expressed on a scale of 1 to 10, with a freshly tilled soil rated. as 10 and a completely slaked soil rated as 1. Soil surface shear strength ...
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(199608)10:8%3C1061::AID-HYP411%3E3.0.CO;2-V

Slaked soil tends to set very hard when dry, particularly when. accompanied by dispersion. One way of reducing slaking in loamy soil is to reduce the rate ...
www.ojdinfo.nsw.gov.AU/reader/dlsp-quickhelp/dlsp-c4.pdf

Cultivation used to break up the crusted or slaked soil surface layer and to control weeds makes hollows and hills. ...
kaos.erin.gov.AU/search.php?query=Weeds&s=&theme=all&p=472

within minutes of the soil becoming wet. When a slaked soil dries,. crusting (hardsetting) of the soil can occur. This limits water infiltration ...
www.dairyextension.com.AU/documents/manuals/sandf/sfch04.pd...