Purpose <p>This study investigated the agronomic, economic, and environmental effects of variable depth subsoiling (VDS) as a precision agriculture solution to ameliorate spatially variable subsoil compaction, comparing it to traditional uniform depth subsoiling (UDS).</p> Methods <p>The research was conducted in two commercial silage maize fields in Belgium using a strip-trial design. Soil packing density (PD) maps were generated using a multi-sensor penetrometer to guide VDS treatments at varying depths (0, 40, and 50 cm) based on literature-defined compaction thresholds. Data on fuel consumption, carbon emissions, crop yield, and gross margins were collected and statistically analysed.</p> Results <p>Compared to the UDS treatment, VDS reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 75.58%, improved crop yield by 2.04%, and increased gross margins by up to €36.21 ha^-1. VDS reduced subsoil compaction to a degree similar to UDS, while the no-subsoiling (NS) control treatment showed minimal change.</p> Conclusion <p>VDS is a viable and more efficient solution for ameliorating subsoil compaction in fields with variable compaction. It offers clear agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits over conventional methods. Further long-term studies across various crops and soil types are needed to fully validate its widespread applicability. </p>