Ferguson, D., Harder, P. (2023) Soil-moisture management in dry times. The Western Producer. https://www.producer.com/crops/soil-moisture-management-in-dry-times

Small buildups of snow that repeatedly melt and freeze on the surface layer of the soil creates a barrier that reduces the infiltration potential of soils. Soil cores can be used to see if a field has enough moisture reserves to carry a crop, or if fertilizer rates should be cut. Prairie farmers who dealt with drought during the summer are now facing a soil moisture deficit in several areas as they cross their fingers for snowfall needed to help launch next spring’s growing season. Although precipitation this fall boosted soil moisture in some areas, “there’s definitely these pockets that have been extremely dry,” said Phillip Harder, a research associate at the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for Hydrology. “And so, in some ways, things haven’t changed much from those summer conditions.”

https://www.producer.com/crops/soil-moisture-management-in-dry-times