Episode 31: Understanding the Soil Factors Limiting Yield
Season 5
Episode 31
September 29, 2026
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Show Notes
Soil fertility isn’t always the yield-limiting factor. Compaction, salinity, soil acidity and water management can all affect how well crops grow and how effectively they access nutrients.
In this episode, Lyle Cowell is joined by Marla Riekman, Soil Fertility Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, to explore some of the other factors that can hold back crop performance and productivity. They discuss how salinity and compaction are connected to water management, how soil acidity can affect crop growth and what growers and agronomists can look for when diagnosing underperforming areas of a field.
They also explore practical approaches to managing and minimizing the impacts of soil salinity and compaction, along with how growers can think about soil health, field variability and the factors they can influence to support crop growth.
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“Crop yield is an indicator of soil health.”
About the Guest
Marla Riekman
Soil Fertility Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture
Marla Riekman is a Soil Fertility Specialist at Manitoba Agriculture. She grew up on a family farm in Saskatchewan, has a bachelor’s degree in agroecology and a master’s degree in soil science from the University of Manitoba, and she has a passion and dedication for soil health, soil conservation and sustainable land management. Previously, she has served as Manager of the Manitoba Zero-Till Research Farm, Soil Conservationist with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration and Land Management Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. She has performed instrumental research on soil management and soil health and is frequently cited and interviewed in ag publications contributing her expertise on soil erosion, tillage, sulfur needs, soil compaction causes and management and more. In 2025, she received the L.B. Thomson Conversation Award for her outstanding soil care work and advocacy.
