I’ve collection some fall soil samples to prepare for next year’s crop. I hope you’re doing the same. One thing that has been ever increasing this fall is the difficulty to soil sample due to dry conditions that render the soil hard. Looking at the drought monitor, approximately 70% of the state is experience some sort of droughty conditions. Lubricating a soil probe can reduce the strain of pushing down into the hard ground.

WD-40, PAM, Dove dishwashing liquid, Motor oil, and Silicone have shown to improve soil probe insertion, yet not impact soil organic matter, nitrate, phosphorus, or potassium (Figure 1). However, some micronutrients can be impacted by the aforementioned lubricants. For more information on this and other soil sampling questions, please feel free to reach out to me or consult Soil Sampling as a Basis for Fertilizer Application available at: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/sites/default/files/2023-09/sf990.pdf

Good luck with the rest of your harvest and don’t forget to soil sample now to better plan for next year’s crop.