Agronomy Highlights

Recorded: 11/13/23 Senior agronomist Kevin Fry shares his take on the 2023 growing season in this episode. Everything from the spring drought and Candian wildfire smoke to soybean white mold and weed escapes in corn were covered in the show. Join us to reflect on the 2023 growing season to help you better prepare for the year ahead! Host: Joseph Akins , Penn State Extension Guest: Kevin Fry, Pione...

Recorded: 11/6/23 Tune in as  tackle the management of winter wheat from two perspectives, general agronomics and soil fertility. From planting dates and seeding rates to nitrogen applications in fall and spring, we go over all the basics of successfully growing a crop of winter wheat. Useful Links: Planting Winter Wheat Nitrogen Management in Winter Wheat Host: Host: Joseph Akins , Penn State Ext...

Recorded: September 1, 2023 In this episode, we are joined again by our resident forage specialist Dr. Guojie Wang to discuss forage quality. We talk about why maintaining high-quality feed is essential for good livestock management and, specifically, how to manage forages properly. We also talk about how forage testing labs analyze samples, how to interpret a forage report, and where listeners ca...

Recorded: 10/13/2023 Joined by Mike Staton from Michigan State, we discuss how farmers can minimize yield loss during the soybean harvest process. Find out how much loss is typically expected during harvest, routes of pre-harvest loss, and what farmers can do regarding equipment management to prevent losses. Useful Links: Pennsylvania Soybeans: Minimize Harvesting Loss and Maximize Cost Per Bushel...

Recorded: 8/25/23 Of all the things that are in a farmer's control to produce a healthy crop, unfortunately, the weather is not one of them. This year, several farms across Pennsylvania encountered hail damage from strong storm systems, and when that happens, it can be challenging to determine what the next best move is. Thankfully, Justin McMechan from the University of Nebraska Extension jo...

Recorded: 9/5/2023 Join us as we sit down with one of our best plant pathologists to discuss some of the most common corn ear rots that afflict our Pennsylvania corn crop. Dr. Murillo-Williams explains what typically causes these ear rots to develop, how to identify them, and what farmers can do to manage them. We also discuss livestock safety issues related to mycotoxin production and which corn...

Recorded: 8/1/23 It takes a tremendous amount of mechanical power to keep a modern farm operation running, and in this episode, we dive into all aspects of farm machinery. We're covering which pieces of equipment are necessary for an operation, the tradeoffs of owning equipment vs. hiring a custom applicator, and how to manage equipment once you have it. A special "thank you" to fel...

Recorded: 7/19/2023 There is certainly no shortage of livestock in Pennsylvania, and ensuring that those valuable farm animals have access to safe feed is of the utmost importance. In this episode, we discuss some of the most common forage toxicity problems and how they can be avoided. Listen in as we discuss everything from nitrate to toxicity, prussic acid to bloat, and toxic fescue. If you are...

Recorded: 7/12/2023 In this episode, we are speaking with Dr. Paul Vincelli from the University of Kentucky on the fascinating and often controversial topic of GMOs. We're discussing the history of genetically modified crops, how things have progressed over time, and the benefits and risks of this technology. Dr. VIncelli is a thoughtful scholar whose perspective on this makes for a balanced,...

Recorded: May 16, 2023 In this episode, we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Debalina Saha from Michigan State University to discuss the fascinating concept of allelopathy. Many plants produce compounds that inhibit the growth of other plants around them, and dissecting how that process works could yield some interesting opportunities moving forward. Tune in if you’re curious about what allelopath...

Recorded: May 1, 2023 Slugs can be a challenging pest to deal with early in the growing season. We sat down with one of our fellow Penn State Extension educator, Anna Hodgson, to discuss what to look for in the field when dealing with slugs. Learn how to manage slugs in row crops as we discuss species you might find to sampling and control methods. Useful Links: Scouting for Slugs in Corn Fields 2...

Recorded: April 21, 2023 In this episode, renowned entomologist Dr. Peter Ellsworth from the University of Arizona joins us to discuss the valuable role beneficial insects play in our cropping systems. We cover the differences between predators and parasitoids, how to scout fields to assess insect populations, as well as interesting, cutting-edge techniques such as beneficial insect releases via d...

Recorded: 3/27/23 Today we are joined by Dr. Jarrod Miller, a scientist from the University of Delaware with a great deal of experience using drones in agriculture. We're discussing the benefits and challenges of using drones in a crop production system and what the future may hold for drone technology. Thinking about flying a quad-copter over your fields? Then tune in now! Useful Links: So Y...

Recorded: 4/12/2023 With the massive number of pesticides, adjuvants, and liquid fertilizers on the market today, it’s no surprise that the list of potential tank mix combinations is simply staggering. In this episode, we discuss the basic do’s and don'ts of tank mixing and how to promote synergy and avoid antagonism. Our guest, Dr. Eric Prostko, is highly versed in this area and delivers a v...

Recorded: 5/25/2023 Nitrogen fertilizer is one of the most critical inputs for a variety of crops and ensuring that it is not lost is essential for maintaining good yields. With so many different N fertilizer sources and N loss prevention products on the market, it can be challenging to make sense of it all and decide what to use. Fortunately, our resident soil fertility expert, Dr. Charlie White,...

Recorded: 6/1/23 The 2023 growing season has been a dry one across the Commonwealth. Hay yields are down, weed control is challenging, and crops everywhere are progressing slowly. In this episode, we are bringing in several team members to discuss the various challenges our farmers are currently facing with this lack of rainfall and what we might do about it.  Useful Links: Thoughts for Drought: F...

Recorded 4/3/23 In this episode, we have the privilege of speaking to author, speaker, and farmer extraordinaire Mr. Joel Salatin. Joel provides a unique perspective on what a farming operation can be and challenges the mentality commonly used to manage the traditional row crop field. This is a longer episode, but it’s very rich with discussion which just might provide you with some interesting id...

Recorded: 3/24/2023 Today we are joined by two true experts, Dr. Guojie Wang and Dr. Shiran Benzeev, to discuss the ancient grain known as Teff. Teff is critically important to nations such as Ethiopia, and could have a lot to offer to farmers here in the U.S. We discuss what conditions Teff performs best under, its inherent forage value, and whether or not folks in Pennsylvania should consider gr...

Recorded: 3/20/23 In this episode we get into all those other important crop nutrients that aren’t represented by the three numbers on a fertilizer bag. Learn how micronutrients are used by crops, what farmers can do to test their micronutrient levels, and the best application methods for micronutrients. If you’ve already covered all your other bases and are going after those last few hard to get...

Recorded: 3/24/23 With planting season just around the corner, there is a great need to reach out to one of our most knowledgeable Penn State Extension educators, Del Voight, to discuss how to get our crops started off right. Good stand establishment tremendously affects final crop yields, so tune in to hear about planting equipment tune-ups, populations, row spacing, and much more. Useful Links:...

Recorded: 3/16/2023 In this episode, two of Penn State’s finest plant pathologists, Dr. Paul Esker and Dr. Alyssa Collins, join us to discuss fungicide-resistant field crop diseases. We cover how resistance develops, which diseases to look out for, and which fungicides to select. We also touch on non-chemical agronomic management practices that growers can employ to help with disease issues. Usefu...

Recorded: 2/9/2023 Listen in as Joey and Dwane sit down with fellow agronomy educator Justin Brackenrich to discuss the ideal pasture. Pastures may be considered simple, but when you try to manage one properly, you’ll find this could not be further from the truth! Learn more as different aspects of species selection, weed control, fertility management, and more are discussed. Anyone that is raisin...

Recorded: 2/6/2023 In this episode, we receive an education on all things weather from Eric Snodgrass of Nutrien Ag Solutions. We start by looking at things from a broad perspective, discussing how the weather we get in the United States comes to be. We then get more specific and get into what we’ve seen so far in 2023 and what may come to pass during the spring planting season. Farmers are always...

Recorded date: 1/9/2023 In this episode, we are focusing on the key differences between managing rented cropland as opposed to owned cropland. We also get into how the trend of fewer farmers managing an increasingly large number of acres has become more prevalent over time. If you’re curious about how much it costs to rent an acre of cropland in PA, we tried to shed some light on that as well!  Us...

Recorded date: January 4, 2023  In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Mike Boehm, Vice President and Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska. Our conversation is wide-ranging and enriching. Dr. Boehm provides a useful breakdown of the valuable role the Cooperative Extension system plays in the United States, as well as great information on the history of...