Post-Harvest Checklist: 4 Essential Steps to Set Up Next Year’s Success
As harvest wraps up, the busy season begins to quiet, but don’t hang up your boots just yet. Post-harvest is one of the most strategic times of the year for farmers. How you manage the weeks following harvest can directly influence next season’s yields, soil health, equipment readiness, and even your bottom line.
At AgriTec International, we’ve worked with farmers across the country to build high-yield, low-risk programs that start long before seed hits the soil. Whether you’re growing corn, wheat, soybeans, hay, or cotton, your next crop starts now. Here’s your 4-part post-harvest checklist to help you close out the year strong and step confidently into next season.
1. Soil Sampling: The Foundation of Fertility
If there’s one thing you should never skip, it’s post-harvest soil sampling.
Why now? Because after the crop comes off and before winter sets in, your soil is “bare” and offers a clean slate. Sampling during this time gives you the most accurate reading on nutrient levels, microbial activity, and overall soil health without the interference of growing roots or fertilizer carryover.
Benefits of Post-Harvest Soil Sampling:
Reveals current nutrient levels, organic matter, and pH
Helps identify compaction zones or areas of concern
Prevents over-fertilization and wasted input costs
Guides precision application of fertilizers based on real data
For deeper insight, we recommend the Haney Test, which goes beyond conventional soil tests. It measures biological activity and nutrient availability in real-world field conditions, helping you unlock the true potential of your soil.
AgriTec offers affordable soil sampling services and free consultations to help you interpret results and build a fertility plan tailored to your CEC, calcium saturation, and base nutrient levels.
Tip: Ask your AgriTec soil advisor about our liquid calcium options like Pro-Cal and Advanced-Cal, especially if your calcium saturation is below 65%.
2. Crop Residue Management: Set the Stage for Soil Health
After harvest, the field isn’t empty, it’s full of opportunity.
Crop residue, corn stalks, wheat straw, soybean stubble, is more than just “leftovers.” When managed properly, it’s a powerhouse for improving organic matter, enhancing soil structure, reducing erosion, and even controlling weeds and pests.
Best Practices for Residue Management:
Leave residue on the surface to conserve moisture and reduce erosion
Shred and incorporate if using tillage to speed decomposition
Avoid over-tillage, which can break down organic matter too quickly
Healthy residue management sets the stage for a better seedbed next spring. It also promotes a more active microbial population, which is key to long-term soil fertility.
If your soil suffers from low organic matter or compaction, now’s the perfect time to apply AgriTec’s Humic Acid (for organic matter and CEC improvement) or Aerate (for breaking up compaction without heavy machinery). Both can be applied post-harvest and provide lasting benefits into the next season.
3. Equipment Maintenance: Protect Your Investment
When the last load is hauled in, your equipment has likely logged hundreds of hard hours. Delaying maintenance until spring invites breakdowns when time is most precious.
Post-Harvest Maintenance Checklist:
Clean and inspect combines, tractors, planters, sprayers, and implements
Change oil and filters, grease moving parts, and check wear points
Drain water systems and antifreeze, winterize everything that won’t be used
Repair damage or order parts now while lead times are shorter
Winter downtime is the best time to get your fleet field-ready again. Don’t wait for spring surprises, avoid costly downtime with proactive maintenance today. Keep a maintenance log for each machine to track issues year to year.
4. Financial Planning: Build Next Year’s Strategy Now
Financial planning might not be as hands-on as fixing a combine, but it’s just as critical. Fall is the perfect time to analyze your year and begin planning for next season’s success.
What to Focus On:
Evaluate input costs, yields, and ROI from your fertilizer program
Assess equipment upgrades, seed performance, and herbicide strategies
Meet with your CPA or advisor to discuss year-end tax strategies
Explore prepay discounts, financing, and farmer assistance programs
AgriTec works with growers to develop cost-efficient fertility programs that make the most of every dollar. We also offer volume discounts and consulting services to help you plan input purchases ahead of time, so you’re not scrambling when prices spike in the spring.
How Can AgriTec Help?
The off-season is really the “prep-season.” This is your time to rebuild the soil, reset your equipment, and realign your strategy for the year ahead. With AgriTec by your side, you’re not alone in that process.
Here’s how we can support your post-harvest planning:
Service | Description |
Soil Testing Services | Affordable basic and Haney soil tests, with tailored analysis by our expert agronomists |
Free Consultations | Personalized guidance on product selection, application rates, and fertility plans |
Liquid Fertilizer Solutions | From Pro-Cal to 10-20-10+, we offer ready-to-apply, high-efficiency solutions |
Drought or Flood Recovery | Ask about Aerate for compaction and Foliar-Act for crop stress recovery |
Custom Blends | Pre-mixed options tailored to your nutrient needs, skip the DIY guesswork |
Reach Out To AgriTec
If you’re looking for clarity, confidence, and a plan that actually works, call one of our soil experts today. We’re here for you year-round, and we know how to build your program based on soil CEC, calcium saturation, crop goals, and budget. Call 833-247-4832 or visit agritecint.com to get in touch with a soil expert and start marking these off your post-harvest checklist.
Next year’s yield doesn’t begin with planting, it begins right now. Taking action today, sampling your soil, managing residue, tuning your equipment, and planning your finances, sets your farm up for a better spring, a smoother season, and a more profitable harvest. Let AgriTec help you turn this year’s harvest into next year’s success story.