Ag Business & Crop Inc.

03/27/2026

Healthy soil is essential to Canada’s food security, and farmers have been leading the way with practices that protect and rebuild it. It’s great to see that momentum supported through the federal commitment to a National Agricultural Soil Health Strategy.

Thank you to Senator Rob BlackBlack for championing this work (Bill S-230) and helping bring national attention to the importance of soil stewardship. Thanks to the many passionate farmers and others who contributed to the report Critical Ground (https://bit.ly/4dN8ZRF)

Let’s keep the momentum going and support the farmers, researchers, policy makers and partners who are strengthening the soil that sustains us all.

https://www.farms.com/ag-industry-news/canadian-government-commits-to-national-soil-health-strategy-032.aspx

On March 26 Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald announced his department will collaborate with the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) to advance the National Agricultural Soil Health Strategy “to protect this essential resource.”

03/25/2026

𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱‑𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲

𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 — 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.
The window is narrow, and results are only reliable when soils are stable, not saturated, and not freshly fertilized or manured.

When time is limited, focus on fields where nutrient levels swing the most:
• Sandy soils
• High‑removal crops like corn silage and forages
• Fields with variable history or manure
* Don’t mix saline and non‑saline cores. Saline spots are outliers that will skew a composite sample; sample them separately and label them.

If your nitrogen program relies on 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀, consider a spring re‑sample after winters with above‑average rain or snow — moisture can shift N levels more than you think.

Be cautious comparing this year’s results to past years if samples were taken at 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. Timing matters.

📍 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀
Accurate results start with dividing fields by soil type, topography, yield zones, field history, etc
Good zones = good data.

03/03/2026

I came across this excellent resource from MSU Extension specialists regarding winter manure application. While avoiding winter spreading is always the goal, unpredictable weather sometimes leaves us with few options.

This article covers:
✅ Why frozen ground increases runoff risk
✅ How to select the "safest" fields if you must spread
✅ Best practices for protecting water quality

Essential reading for the season:

Applying manure in winter can considerably increase phosphorus loss through tile drainage. Apply after harvest and incorporate or inject to protect water quality.

02/27/2026

Fertilizer recommendations are only as reliable as the data behind them. For agronomists and retailers, the most common threat to data integrity isn't the lab—it’s the field conditions.
When 𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 are hard due to soil texture, low moisture, compaction, or 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻, manual probes/augers often fail to reach the desired depth. This leads to truncated cores, artificially inflated nutrient readings, and flawed $VRT$ maps.
The 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅 lineup, featuring our high-frequency hydraulic hammer, is engineered to eliminate this bottleneck. Across our entire range, the hammer provides the necessary down-force to maintain 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦:
✅ VERSATILITY: Precisely hit your specific program depth—whether that’s topsoil grids or deep-core nitrogen targets—regardless of soil resistance.

✅ STANDARDIZED DATA: Ensure every core in a composite sample is identical in depth, removing the "human fatigue" variable and providing consistent, repeatable results for your clients.

✅ EXTENDED SERVICE WINDOWS: Don’t let soil conditions dictate your schedule. The hydraulic hammer lets you stay in the field even on hard-packed, dry, or frozen ground that would halt traditional sampling.

Check out the video 📽️ to see the difference.

Build your recommendations on a foundation of accurate, repeatable data.

02/23/2026

One aspect of soil sampling that often gets overlooked is how much flexibility you have at the core itself.

With the Wintex 2500, you can choose to:
• split a single core into three precise depth increments, or
• Take a single depth while simultaneously collecting samples for three separate field zones using the independent buckets.

That kind of setup changes the conversation around data quality, repeatability, and time efficiency — especially when you’re managing large-acre or multi-year sampling programs.

How are you deciding when multi-depth data adds value?

02/20/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧?

Now is the time to make it happen! Under the Ontario On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), you can receive up to $30,000 in grant funding.

This 50% cost-share covers eligible drone equipment and spreader attachments, making it easier than ever to get your cover crops established without soil compaction or timing headaches.

Boost your soil health. Lower your costs.

𝑮𝒆𝒕 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚 https://ag-business-and-crop.odoo.com/r/34i

02/20/2026

A client shared that they have put over 85,000 samples through their Wintex 1000
Zero wear plate replacements, a few probes. Still running 'like new'
This stuff makes our day. What's the most reliable piece of equipment in YOUR operation? Let's Celebrate the Workhorses

02/09/2026

Pop Quiz
When you use a traditional auger for soil sampling, why do samples tend to over-represent nutrients from the top layer?
(No Googling! 😉)
Drop your answer below. We'll share the explanation in the comments.

02/04/2026

Rethinking Soil Health: Biochar, Digestate, and the "2% Rule"

I spent some time today with the Iowa Learning Farms webinar featuring Brady Clausen from ISU, and the findings on circular bioeconomy co-products are fascinating. While we often talk about soil health in broad strokes, this greenhouse study on early soybean growth and Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) provided some much-needed nuance.

Key Takeaways:
🌱 The 2% Target: A 'GOOD' benchmark for soil health is 2% Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), which translates to roughly 3.5% Organic Matter. It’s a solid goal for long-term productivity.
🚀 Early Boost: Both biochar (corn/pine) and farm digestate can slightly enhance early growth—improving root length and plant height in first 4–6 week window.
🔬 The SDS Nuance: The results on Sudden Death Syndrome are mixed. Interestingly, the study showed biochar might slightly increase SDS presence, reminding us that "one size fits all" doesn't apply to soil amendments.

Bottom Line: Building soil organic matter is a marathon, not a sprint. While biochar holds promise, its diverse chemical profiles mean its benefits are highly specific to the product and the environment. More research is needed before we can predict consistent field results!
https://ag-business-and-crop.odoo.com/r/Ua6

02/04/2026

Soil samplers: What's the ONE thing that makes you dread spring sampling season?
We're asking because we genuinely want to know what the biggest pain points are out there. Weather? Physical toll? Equipment? Timing pressures?
Drop your answer below 👇

01/28/2026

Which matters most to you in Soil Sampling: Speed or Consistency?
Some say they need to cover their acres fast, due to time constraints and are willing to give up a bit of consistency to get the job done. Perhaps it's fewer cores/sample, or including all cores, although they don't all reach the exact depth. Others argue that inconsistent depth/technique makes the data useless for VR prescriptions.
What's your take? Can you have both, or how to adjust?