Oklahoma farmers spend plenty of time waiting for rain, but OSU Extension soil and water conservation specialist Daniel Adamson Ph.D. says rainfall is only useful to a crop if the soil can capture it. Speaking from a soil pit at OSU’s Summer Crop Demo Day in Chickasha, Adamson explains how aggregates, cracks and natural channels allow water to infiltrate into the root zone rather than running across the surface. The episode also examines plow pans created by long-term tillage, the differences among clay, sand and loam soils, and management practices that can encourage deeper roots and better soil structure. Producers cannot control when the rain arrives, but they can influence what happens after it hits the field.