Northern Soil Compaction Conference

Day 2 - February 10, 2026
- - - Effect / Symptoms of Soil Compaction

2 SW, 0.5 NM CEUs

Effects of Tire Inflation and Equipment Load on Yield

• Mehari Tekeste, Iowa State University-Dr Mehari Zewde Tekeste is an Associate Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), and Director of Soil Machine Dynamics Laboratory (SMDL) https://www.abe.iastate.edu/tekeste/ at Iowa State University (ISU), Ames, Iowa. Dr Tekeste’s research and teaching focus on vehicle-soil interactions, precision soil compaction and tillage, and physical systems simulation and modeling of agricultural machinery systems. At ISU, he coordinates with ISU extension an annual Soil Compaction School program, conducting in-situ soil compaction from modern equipment field trafficking and providing professional services to growers and equipment manufactures on track systems and precision tire-inflation technologies to reduce soil compaction and maximize crop yield potential.

As farm equipment grows larger and heavier, soil compaction from high axle loads can limit crop development and yield. This study evaluates how precision (central) tire inflation systems on tractors and planters influence soil compaction and corn yield by comparing standard road pressures, IF tire pressures, and central inflation settings

How do Soil Management Decisions Affect Soybean Disease Development?

• Wade Webster, North Dakota State University-Dr. Wade Webster is the Extension Soybean Pathologist at NDSU, and he has his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At NDSU, he spends his time on improving disease management of soybeans, focusing on the most economically important issues such as soybean cyst nematode, white mold, and seedling diseases.

How does compaction and tillage impact the development of disease in crops? This can impact both the host crop as well as manipulate the microenvironment in a way that will increase the risk of disease development.

Nutrient Movement in Compacted Soil

• Francisco Arriaga, University of Wisconsin, Extension Madison

Plant root growth is reduced in compacted soils, affecting how they interact with the soil around them. Additionally, water movement and retention are reduced because soil pore space and connectivity are decreased. These factors combined affect biological and chemical activity, and therefore, nutrient cycling in compacted soils.

The Hidden Cost of Compaction

• Peter Johnson, Real Agriculture, Ontario-@WheatPete is the resident agronomist with Real Agriculture, where he posts a weekly podcast, “Wheat Pete’s Word”. Peter spent 30 years as the Ontario Cereal Specialist and loves to talk about anything agriculture. He is a member of the Ontario Compaction Team, among many ag involvements. He is enthusiastic and passionate about agriculture and loves to be challenged by growers. “Have at him”!!!

How does compaction affect yields, lodging, stalk strength, planting issues, harvest efficiencies, uneven germination, maturity, pinch-rows, grain moisture and drying.

Day 3 - February 17, 2026
- - - Soil-Machine Equipment Managment Options

2 SW CEUs

How Tillage Decisions Impact Susceptibility to Soil Compaction

• Jim Boak, retired Salford Group-I have lived an agricultural life. The first half farming and the last 1/2 selling agricultural machinery. I have been blessed to meet and learn from farmers and soil scientists from many countries. Retired from Salford Group in 2019 and since then have been consulting with small, local manufacturers, contributed to a website called Resilient Fields and recently working with Ian McDonald and Colin Elgie at the University of Guelph and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. We have made a start at removing the profit-limiting barriers that have developed through the labelling of soil and crop management practices. Until we learn better, we are calling it the 5R's of Soil Habitat Management.

It's human nature to treat the symptoms, look for cures or solutions in pills or bottles. Maybe it would be more profitable to invest in the prevention of compaction. For that to happen, we need the right tools and knowledge of how to deploy them in the context of what, where, when, why and how to use them.

Tires & Tracks - Understanding Your Choices and Making the Right Decisions

• Nicolas Dubuc, Soucy Track, Quebec
• David Graden, Michelin, Quebec-David brings 18 years of experience with Michelin, including 14 years focused on Michelin Agriculture, and is widely regarded as a subject matter expert in agricultural tire and track systems. He has worked globally with agricultural OEMs and held leadership roles in North American marketing and sales. David shares his expertise through technical contributions to AgTireTalk.com, AgTrackTalk.com, and additional agricultural publications.
• James Tuschner, Ag Tire Talk, TN-James Tuschner has spent 30 years in the tire industry, primarily focused on the agricultural and specialty tire markets. His experience includes time spent at Alliance Tire Americas Inc. and Denman Tire Corp. He started agtiretalk.com in 2016 and www.agtracktalk.com in 2020.

Are Tires or Tracks best for your operation? It depends upon the application! Find out specifics on applications where Tire & Tracks work best, along with how each impacts soil compaction differently.

Choices - What the Data Tells And Why Central Tire Inflation Needs to be a Serious Consideration

• Ian McDonald, OMAFA, Ontario -Ian has been the Crop Innovation Specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Agri Business since 2000. He works on soil compaction, robotics, automation, and tillage systems, among other topics. He encourages people to think critically about their management decisions by identifying problems and exploring solutions that benefit the business.
• Kevin Barnim, Tirecraft, Ontario

Highlighting compaction demonstration results from Ontario and global research, this session will showcase how equipment and tire choices reduce both the incidence and severity of soil compaction. We will also discuss emerging technologies—including tire sensors—and the types of farm equipment that benefit most from Central Tire Inflation Systems (CTIS), as well as how increased industry adoption is shaping the future of CTIS.

Day 4 - February 24, 2026
- - - Avoidance and/or Alleviation of Compaction

2.5 SW CEUs

Building Soil Resiliency to Combat Compaction

• Megan Westphal, Manitoba Agriculture-Megan has recently been appointed as Manitoba Agriculture’s new Soil Health Specialist. In her previous role, she was a Soil Survey Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, where she classified and mapped soils within Manitoba’s agricultural region. She has obtained a BSc in Biology from the University of Winnipeg and an MSc in Soil Science from the University of Manitoba. She has experience working in the government, non-profit, industry, and academia sectors within the agriculture industry. She enjoys volunteering with the Manitoba Soil Science Society and helps organize annual soil-related conferences and field days.

This presentation explores practical strategies for building soil health and resiliency by emphasizing the critical role of organic matter and soil structure. Highlighting how strategic, carefully managed tillage can be used to minimize erosion and degradation while maintaining productivity. Together, these approaches provide guidance for long-term agricultural sustainability and improved crop performance.

Breaking Up Soil Compaction: What Cover Crops Can (and Can’t) Do

• Carlos Pires, North Dakota State University Extension-Dr. Carlos B. Pires is an Assistant Professor of Soil Health at North Dakota State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy from Kansas State University. His research centers on regenerative agriculture, nutrient management, and applied soil biology, emphasizing how practices such as cover cropping, no-till, strip-till, and crop rotations influence soil organisms, structure, and nutrient cycling. Much of his work is conducted on-farm, generating data-driven recommendations to improve soil health and enhance the profitability of agricultural systems.

Soil compaction restricts root growth, water movement, and crop yield. This presentation explores how and when cover crops can help manage compaction, the types of compaction they can influence, and their practical limits. It will highlight integrated management strategies that combine cover crop species selection with equipment choices and timing decisions to reduce compaction risk over time.

Alleviating Compaction with Iron

• Jodi DeJong-Hughes, University of Minnesota Extension-Jodi is an ag and soil educator with 29 years of experience providing farmers with practical, research-based information. As a Regional Educator with the University of Minnesota Extension, she specializes in soil compaction, tillage systems, and improving soil health. Her work focuses on applied solutions that help producers protect their soil while saving time and money.

Using a ripper or subsoiler to alleviate compaction may not be as effective as you think. Jodi will discuss how to identify if the soil needs deep ripping, which implement is best for the job, and what to look out for when creating ruts in the field.

Traffic Management Systems for Improved Soil Sustainability

• Diogenes L. Antille, CSIRO Ag and Food-Dio is a Senior Research Scientist of Soil Physics with CSIRO Agriculture and Food and is based in Canberra, Australia. He has expertise in soil, water and nutrient management and farming systems research. His research interests include conservation agriculture and fertiliser use efficiency.

The presentation will use case-studies to exemplify the traffic footprint caused by different traffic and tillage systems, and the options available to either mitigate or avoid compaction. The relationship between compaction (traffic footprint) and soil-water availability, rainfall-use efficiency, and long-term crop productivity will also be discussed.