Paul Brown Probes
 
You can't expect to know what's going on in your soil if you don't have the proper tools. One of these tools is the Paul Brown probe, a simple metal tube with a metal bearing on the end that keeps the probe from penetrating dry soil. By probing at various places in an irrigated field, producers can get a representative idea of how much moisture they have in the soil profile and manage that moisture more efficiently. You can direct order a Paul Brown Probe from:

Art's Manufacturing & Supply, Inc.
    Phone: 208-226-2017
    Brown Moisture Probe

Bucket Augers
Another helpful tool is the bucket auger, which functions much like a post hole digger, creating a hole about 3" in diameter from which samples can be collected for analysis or assessed for moisture content. Ben Meadows and Gemplers both sells bucket augers, as well as a wide variety of other helpful agricultural tools.

Helpful Literature
The 9th edition of the "Western Fertilizer Handbook," published by the California Fertilizer Association, is available through most major bookstores.

The "Wheat Health Management Guidebook," by R.J. Cook and R.J. Veseth is available from APS Press.