We break down soil orders like a field guide, linking what you see in a soil profile to how soils behave and how to manage them. From prairie-black mollisols to red-dirt ultisols, we share traits, regions, and practical tips growers can use today.

• soil taxonomy as a practical framework
• mollisols and their dark, organic-rich surface
• vertisols with shrink–swell clays and timing risks
• spodosols in conifer forests with leached E horizons
• alfisols, clay accumulation, and hardpan concerns
• histosols in peat bogs with high organic matter
• ultisols in the South, iron oxides, and low-activity clays
• regional patterns across the Upper Midwest to the Southeast
• field tips for digging, observing, and managing horizons

Tune in next time for a Tiny Byte of knowledge from GK Technology, where we have a map and an app for that!

https://gktechinc.com/

Catch the first part of this episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2297340/episodes/17664422

In part two of introducing Surface Shaping, Kelly walks us through how to turn a watershed map into a buildable surface shaping plan that automatically controls a scraper. Kelly also shares the ADMS tools, soil insights, controller details, and timing tips that make smarter water movement practical and profitable.

• farmer input on outlets, trouble spots, directionality will be important
• ADMS Surface Shaping tools: build wall, cut‑fill hills, morph
• logistics of dirt sourcing and yardage
• fill percentage to counter soil settling and swell
• Surface Shaping controller needs a prescription map to run
• SD Surface release timing and ditching toggle
• RTK, slope sensors, hardware compatibility
• prep early for support and uptime
• water management ROI across acres

Good water management pays!

*At the time of recording this episode, the original plan was for release of SD Surface mid-September, but we are still doing some tests, so stay tuned for a later release!  

Matt Kruger joins us to share the fascinating story of creating the world's largest corn maze spanning 121 acres with over 20 miles of pathways using precision agriculture technology. We explore how advanced planting techniques, boundary files, and ADMS technology transformed a traditional corn maze operation into a record-breaking agricultural attraction.

• Valley Corn Maize east of East Grand Forks, MN opens August 23rd through October 19th, celebrating its 10th year of operation
• The main maze covers 121 acres with five different difficulty levels and pathways totaling over 20 miles
• Matt used ADMS software, JD Operations Center, and John Deere planting technology to create his family's corn maze instead of mowing paths.
• For the detailed 15-acre section, Matt used "crisscross" planting at 40,000 seeds per acre for thicker corn (no cheating here!)
• Converting the maze design to a highly detailed boundary file required high-resolution mapping
• The maze offers QR codes for visitors to navigate using their phones and see their location
• Additional attractions include a giant straw pyramid slide, corn boxes, a zipline, and various activities for kids and adults of all ages.
• Educational elements teach visitors about agriculture
• The corn maze is a family operation with a focus on agritainment and agricultural education
• Admission is $12.50 per person, kids  <36" tall are free, with special events throughout the season

Help Matt and his family reach their goal of 10,000 visitors this fall and plan your trip at www.valleycornmaize.com or search Valley Corn Maize on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok). You won't want to miss visiting the World's Largest Corn Maze!

https://gktechinc.com/

GK Technology introduces Surface Shaping and SD Surface (in conjunction with Rust Sales) which offers land managers an innovative approach to field design. Surface Shaping allows for advanced drainage design, giving farmers the ability to design intentional water flow and directionality, above and beyond normal ditching and "land leveling." Kelly Sharpe explains how this new technology preserves valuable topsoil while eliminating problematic water-holding areas through advanced design and precision implementation.

• Surface Shaping differs from land leveling by focusing on water direction rather than just creating flat surfaces
• Surface maps are created within ADMS, producing cut/fill maps showing where soil should be removed and where it should be added (the controller will move the blade to do exactly what the map calls for)
• Preserves agronomic integrity by allowing farmers to limit topsoil removal to prevent exposing clay subsoil
• Implements precise design plans where equipment operators follow color-coded maps until areas turn green
• Requires less technical expertise from equipment operators since the plan guides the entire process
• Focus applications include: Red River Valley field surface modifications, irrigation grade preparation, terrace building, and construction site preparation
• Requires farmer input during mapping stage to ensure the design meets specific field needs
• Can reduce fuel and labor costs by eliminating unnecessary passes across the field

Contact GK Technology to learn more about how Surface Shaping can transform your field's drainage and productivity.

SD Surface will not be available fall 2025, but we will keep you updated on the official release date!

https://gktechinc.com/

Soil is more than just what we see on the surface, on average consisting of 45% mineral components, 5% organic matter, 25% water, and 25% air, with bulk density measuring how much dry soil weighs per volume. 

• Bulk density indicates the space available in soil for air and water
• Sandy soils counterintuitively have higher bulk density than clay soils
• Clay soils typically contain more organic matter which contributes to greater pore spaces
• Bulk density increases as you go deeper into the soil profile
• Tillage initially reduces bulk density but destroys aggregate structure
• No-till transitions require time for new aggregate formation
• Compacted soils with high bulk density limit root exploration
• The ideal soil provides adequate pore space for root growth
• Calculating total nutrients requires understanding soil bulk density

More on measuring bulk density and bulk density as a soil health indicator: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/Soil%20Quality-Indicators-Bulk%20Density.pdf

Join us for our next Tiny Bytes! 

https://gktechinc.com/

Sarah and Jodi continue their conversation about common precision agriculture issues encountered during spring planting, focusing on field boundaries, controller settings, and troubleshooting variable rate applications.

• Field boundaries matter critically for prescription applications – without proper mapping, sections of equipment may shut off unexpectedly
• Prairie Pothole regions require special boundary considerations since water levels change frequently
• Use buffer tools to expand tight boundaries and prevent equipment sections from shutting off at field edges
• Out-of-boundary rates must be set in controllers, not prescriptions, since prescriptions only work with GPS coordinates
• Controllers need specific settings for GPS signal loss, especially important during solar flare events
• YouTube is an excellent resource for finding controller-specific instructions
• Some monitors require purchasing additional unlocks to enable variable rate capabilities
• Unusual issues like mice chewing wires can cause mysterious prescription failures

Visit our website at www.gktechinc.com to access our Q&A forum, where you can ask specific precision ag questions if you are a GK Technology, Inc. customer.

NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetative Index) helps farmers detect how green and/or productive different areas of their fields are by measuring the ratio of near-infrared to red light reflected from plant canopies. This technology creates reliable productivity zone maps when analyzed consistently over multiple growing seasons, enabling targeted input management across variable field conditions.

In this Tiny Byte Sarah and Jodi cover:
• NDVI measures plant canopy density by comparing near-infrared light reflection to red light absorption
• Chlorophyll absorbs visible light while plant cell structures reflect near-infrared light
• NDVI values range from -1 to 1 (or ~0-100 in ADMS) with higher values indicating denser vegetation
• Creating reliable management zones requires multiple years of imagery, not just single snapshots
• Best imagery comes from periods when crop canopy is developing or starting to senesce
• NDVI data often correlates with yield potential and can identify consistently productive field areas
• Zone management allows targeted input application based on productivity potential
• The most valuable NDVI images show variation in greenness rather than complete saturation

Check out our backlog episode "Choosing Quality Imagery" in Season 1 for more information on selecting the best imagery for creating management zones. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2297340/episodes/16135793

https://gktechinc.com/

Sarah and Jodi reflect on the fast-paced spring planting season of 2025, sharing their experiences supporting customers with ADMS software and troubleshooting common prescription issues while managing rapidly changing field conditions.

Situations and questions they cover: 
• When to dissolve prescriptions during the export process to optimize controller compatibility
• Understanding the difference between hard breaks and interpolation in prescription maps
• Why you should never dissolve a fully interpolated map without applying rate increments first
• How controller limitations affect prescription exports and formatting requirements
• The importance of creating test prescriptions before heading to the field
• Setting appropriate minimum and maximum rates for fertilizer applications
• Tips for managing controller-specific requirements like single shapefile exports
• How to maintain prescription integrity while meeting equipment limitations

Join us next time for the second half of our conversation about common spring questions here on Ag Geek Speak.

https://gktechinc.com/

Using the correct UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) zone is crucial when working with GIS data mapped to a UTM zone. We explain how projections work to translate locations from Earth's spherical surface to flat maps, and why UTM zones are critical for accurate agricultural mapping.

• UTM divides Earth into 60 zones, each six degrees of longitude wide
• UTM choice errors cause maps to appear in completely wrong locations, like oceans
• Creating maps in the wrong UTM zone leads to unusable prescriptions for field operations
• Maps created in one UTM zone but opened in another will show incorrect positions
• Farms located on UTM zone boundaries may encounter projection issues more frequently
• Always verify your UTM zone settings when working in mapping software
• Turn on background maps to confirm your fields are projecting in the correct location
• Reprojection tools in ADMS can help fix UTM errors

Avoid the sharks and floaties, check your UTM!

https://gktechinc.com/

Travis Yeik joins us for part two of our deep dive into the interaction of artificial intelligence and humans in agriculture, exploring current applications and future possibilities of this transformative technology in farming.

We chat about... 

• Weather forecasting is already utilizing AI to provide crucial planning information to farmers
• Precision agriculture applications include weed identification, disease monitoring, and targeted spraying
• Livestock operations benefit from AI monitoring of animal health, feed consumption, and production metrics
• Irrigation management systems use AI to optimize water usage and placement
• Biogenetics represents a revolutionary frontier where AI is accelerating crop development
• Protein structure mapping has advanced from mapping dozens to millions of proteins in just years
• Future AI applications could include profit maximization planning and automated stand count analysis
• Adoption challenges mirror previous farm technology introductions like auto-steer systems
• Data collection remains a critical challenge for AI implementation in agriculture
• Human oversight will remain essential even as AI capabilities continue to advance

Join us as we continue exploring how technology is transforming agriculture and what it means for the future of farming.

https://gktechinc.com/