LOCATION: CENTENNIAL 6
WEDNESDAY, February 11, 2026 – 2:10pm – 2:50pm
Dr. Crittenden has been a Research Scientist in Soil Health and Nutrient Management at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada in Brandon, MB since 2017. His research aim is to increase agricultural productivity while ensuring the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems through soil health and soil fertility management. He has published on evaluations of the physical state of soil including compaction, water infiltration and retention, and soil health. Steve has sat on committees for Canola Council of Canada, Manitoba Agronomists Conference, and Manitoba Ag Days. He is Associate Editor at the Canadian Journal of Soil Science, is Adjunct Professor in the Soil Science Department at University of Manitoba, and leads trilateral collaborations between the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Combatting Compaction with Controlled Traffic Farming
Soil compaction is easy to do and hard to fix. It is best to avoid compaction where possible. Compact soil can reduce root growth, slow water flow, and limit nutrient supply resulting lower yields. One technique to reduce the risk of soil compaction is to restrict farm equipment traffic to the same lines from year to year to minimize the area exposed to traffic and hopefully compaction. This technique is called Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF). Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, along with University of Manitoba, and in collaboration with Agritruth Research are investigating how CTF can change soil properties and crop yield compared to conventional random traffic. Specifically, measurements include soil compaction, the ability of soil to hold and infiltrate water, the stability of soil aggregates to disturbance from water, and soil organic carbon stocks. Soil water and temperature dynamics to depth will be compared to assess trafficability. An economic cost benefit analysis is being run to compare CTF to random traffic over a 10-yr period to assess profitability. Greenhouse gas emissions are also being compared between CTF and random traffic in collaboration with University of Manitoba. This work is supported by Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Manitoba Crop Alliance, and Manitoba Canola Growers Association.