With the heavy rains last week and over the weekend, soils are very susceptible to compaction and structural degradation, affecting plant growth. Although it may be tempting to get into the field as soon as the rain stops, the long-term consequences to soil structure are hard to fix.
It's important to wait for soils to dry down before working the field. Heavier soils will take longer to dry down. While tillage or land prep is more harmful to soil structure than driving over the field, even driving over a wet field should be avoided if possible.
Refer to this article from last year about soil compaction for more information:
http://cesutter.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Agronomy_Notes75475.pdf
Please call or email your local Farm Advisor with any questions or concerns.