Better Soil Working Conditions

From the start of the #Plant25 season, I have heard many farmers (and agronomists) talk about how the soil seems like it is working up better than it has in some time. With some individuals saying it may be the best seedbed they have seen in their farming careers. Initial credit for our soils “working up” better than in previous years, has been attributed to the late winter/early spring freeze thaw cycle.

Looking back to the fall of 2024, we did have rainfall in many areas prior to freeze up which helped to recharge the soil moisture levels. Maintaining adequate soil moisture is important because water expands as it freezes. For example, when you leave an aluminum can of an unopened beverage in a vehicle overnight, and it gets cold enough for that beverage to freeze, you may witness that this previously unopened beverage has violently opened. Hence, why in certain areas soft drinks are cold “pop” because they “pop” open when frozen and not soda.

Thinking about how things “pop”, a good visualization may be of what happens during a freeze/thaw cycle. As water freezes and thaws, it expands and contracts. This expanding and contracting helps open more soil pore space thus helping reduce compaction in that area of the soil. The more freezing and thawing events that you have, the more compaction in the soil profile is affected. In my experience, these freeze/thaw cycles have more impact on soils in the 2-to-6-inch depth. However, the deeper the frost penetrates the soil profile—and the more frequently the frost goes in and out—the more it does and can reduce compaction deeper within the soil.

Another factor that reduces soil compaction and may have an influence on the soil working up better is the drought-induced soil cracking that we have experienced in many areas the last year or two. As water is reduced in the soil profile, the clay portion of our soil starts to contract. This contraction in the soil creates cracks that go to various depths. This cracking of the soil helps break up compaction, allowing water to get deeper into the soil, and in many instances not pond or run off.

In my experience, drought induced soil cracking tends to help alleviate some surface compaction; however it tends to have more effect on compaction deeper in the soil profile. Whereas the freeze/thaw cycles are more to the soil surface.

By combining soil cracking with numerous freeze/thaw cycles, we break up soil compaction deeper in the soil and closer to the soil surface. As we reduce soil compaction, soils tend to not be as cloddy and work up better thus creating a better seedbed.