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Farmers should make use of tools and resources that are easily available to them, says Elston Solberg, president of Red Deer, Alta.-based Agri-Trend Agrology.

For example, while speaking at the Agri-Trade farm show at Red Deer's Westerner Park, Solberg recommended the use of ground soil probes to track the amount of moisture in the soil.

Agri-Trend agrologist Elston Solberg delivered a presentation on farmers' tools on the Agri-Trade stage. -- Alexis Kienlen photo

"The best time to use this particular tool is in the spring just after the snow has left your fields," he said. "This tool will help you determine how much water is available for crops in the spring time."

The tool was developed in 1957, but fewer than one per cent of farmers actually use it, he said.

The tool consists of a metal rod with a ball bearing. The rod is pushed into the ground and when it doesn't go in any deeper, it's an indicator that the farmer has hit dry soil, he said.

The lack of water is one of the main limiting factors for farming in Western Canada.

"If you know how much water is in your soil and the texture of your soil, you can start to build some reasonable yield goals built on measurements and not just guessing," Solberg said.

"This tool should be in every farmer's toolbox."

Another tool readily available to farmers is the soil survey. Solberg recommended going to an online search engine and typing in "CANSIS." This will take the producer to a website that has compiled all soil surveys done in Western Canada. This information is public -- and free.

Soil surveys help farmers sort out some of the production and yield potential for particular areas of ground, he said.

Solberg encouraged his audience to look at soil surveys and told them not to be afraid of soil surveys that were done in the 1950s.

"This is extremely valuable information," he said.
 
Solberg also encouraged farmers to assess their resources each year. He asked if people had access to compost, manure and other byproducts such as spent lime, which can be used to clean water sources in municipal areas.

Wood ash and beet lime can also be accessed and used by farmers, he said.

-- Alexis Kienlen is a reporter with Alberta Farmer Express in Edmonton.