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Tag Archives soil compaction

Deep ripping to eliminate a compaction layer should only be done after doing some work to find out exactly how deep that layer goes down in the soil profile.
Equipment, Machinery

Tillage 101: Getting the compaction out

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To till or not to till, that is the question. The question is simple but the answer isn’t. Ask different people for their opinions and you’ll get a variety of answers. The real answer might be “Maybe. But if you do, do it properly.” Grainews spent some time in an Arizona farm field with tillage […] Read more
Les Henry’s stubble soil moisture map, as of Nov. 1, 2018
Columns, Crops

Les Henry’s stubble soil moisture map, as of Nov. 1, 2018

There’s more red ink (dry areas) than we’d like to see on this year’s map

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Each year when I make up this very general map, I keep hoping for a young generation to come along with better technology and smarts to make a better map. I now see a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. My December 12, 2018, article talked about the soil moisture sensor probes […] Read more
Handful of arable soil in hands of responsible farmer, close up, selective focus
Columns, Hart Attacks

Scientists say it’s all about the soil

Farmers and ranchers need to keep society connected to the land

By
So a soil scientist steps up to a conference microphone about to deliver a one-hour talk and my first thought — “is 8:30 in the morning too early for a nap?” But not so. What a great talk given by Henry Janzen, a long-time researcher at the Agriculture Canada Lethbridge Research Centre to open the annual […] Read more
Canadian manufacturer AgriBrink has introduced an aftermarket auto tire inflation system for ag tractors and equipment.
Equipment, Machinery

AgriBrink introduces an auto-inflation system

Aftermarket system allows for auto tire inflation from the cab

By
That big, new aircart that recently arrived on the farm has the widest available radial tires on it, so there’s no need to think about soil compaction, right? Wrong. Choosing the right rubber is only the first step in ensuring equipment does the least possible damage to soil. “Big tires are great, but they’re useless […] Read more
Engineer in training Alex Barrie talks with machinery editor Scott Garvey during Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ontario.
Equipment, Machinery

Engineers study machine-related soil compaction

Ontario team working to establish 
tire inflation guidelines

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It wasn’t all that long ago that many agronomists in Canada weren’t even willing to concede soil compaction might be a problem. The freeze-thaw cycle, many argued, significantly mitigated it. But now with more available data and new thinking, most seem to agree that the seasonal temperature cycle doesn’t fully eliminate the problem. And preventing […] Read more
Most hoping for rain in the forecast
Crops, News, Weather

Most hoping for rain in the forecast

With low soil moisture reserves most Prairie farmers are hoping for snow and rain early this year

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It would be a hard sell to convince Robert Semeniuk of Smoky Lake, Alta., that 2017 was a very dry growing season. He is the only participant in the January 2018 Farmer Panel who, on his northeast Alberta farm, had to fight with too much moisture from seeding through to harvest. In many other regions […] Read more
Different types of soil have different properties. University of Alberta research is focusing on measuring soil quality.
Crops, Features

Controlling traffic to improve your soil

A new test offers another way to test soil quality improvements

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It can be called “fractal hierarchical aggregation” or just “fractal aggregation.” Whatever the moniker, the new method of soil health testing promises to offer an important way to assess soil quality and land stewardship, says Guillermo Hernandez, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. Hernandez is the lead researcher on a suite of projects […] Read more
Measuring soil’s benefits from CTF
Crops, Features

Measuring soil’s benefits from CTF

A new test offers a way to measure improvements from controlled traffic farming

By
It can be called “fractal hierarchical aggregation” or just “fractal aggregation.” Whatever the moniker, the new method of soil health testing promises to offer producers an important metric for assessing soil quality and land stewardship, says Guillermo Hernandez, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. This spring he published a research paper demonstrating that […] Read more
Pat Pfiffner, a farmer and senior technologist with Alberta Agriculture holing a soil penetrometer.
Columns, Crops

Rutted fields and soil compaction

What are the best ways to alleviate damaged fields in the spring?

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Persistent rains with cold, damp conditions in September and October made harvest last fall even more stressful that usual for many farmers. Trucks, grain carts and combines in wet fields have left moderate to severe ruts in fields across the Prairie. Ruts must be fixed before spring planting. Many farmers are also worried about soil […] Read more
Deep tillage can be beneficial under specific soil conditions, but use can also have serious negative effects on soil quality.
Columns, Crops

Understanding soil compaction

Agronomy Management: How to manage each of the three main types of compaction in your fields

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In the last issue of Grainews I wrote about the effects of compaction on soil. Now, I’ll discuss the specific types of soil compaction and the ways each type can be managed. 1. Surface soil crusting This type of compaction is caused by a combination of soil tillage and raindrop impact. Causes: Tillage can bury much of […] Read more

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