Field, Lab, Earth

In 2008, NASA launched their Phoenix Lander to take measurements on Mars. This episode, Drs. Doug Cobos and Colin Campbell talk about their experiences working with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), what they were measuring, and what their data can tell us about Mars. Tune in to learn: The challenges involved in creating sensors for extraterrestrial environments What measurements NASA wanted...

"Urban food forests in the American Southwest" with Dr. James Allen. Food forests are multi-level polycultures where fruit and nut trees, vegetables, shade trees, mushrooms, aquatic plants, and more can all exist in the same urban or rural space. They're known to have many benefits, both environmentally and socially; however, in more arid climates like the American Southwest, there are a few hurdl...

"Agroforestry at the Landscape Level" with Dr. Sarah Lovell Agroforestry is where trees are grown alongside other crops or livestock. It's an extremely flexible practice that can be adapted to both urban and rural environments and at a variety of scales. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Lovell discusses the various uses and forms of agroforestry, how agroforestry can benefit both farmers and their surro...

"Current understanding of subsurface transport of micro- and nanoplastics in soil" with Yingxue Yu. Microplastics can come from all kinds of sources, including broken down bottles, face and body scrubs, plastic bags, tire tracks, agricultural mulch films, sewage waste, and more. However, for as ubiquitous as these plastics can be, there's still much to be learned about how they move through our so...

Nitrogen is an important nutrient for corn which, when applied as a fertilizer, can increase yields. However, too much nitrogen can lead to negative impacts on human health, water quality, plant health, and the environment. This episode, Carrie discusses her work testing nitrogen rate recommendation tools and how we can best balance profitability, plant health, and the environment. Tune in to lear...

"Review of cool-season turfgrasses for salt-affected roadsides in cold climates" with Dr. Eric Watkins. Salt is commonly spread on roads in colder regions to help keep them clear of dangerous ice. However, salted roads can pose some environmental risks. Roadside turfgrasses can help alleviate some of those problems, but drought, heat, salt, ice, and more can mean a roadside is not always the happi...

"Greenhouse gas fluxes from turfgrass systems: Species, growth rate, clipping management, and environmental effects" with Drs. Quincy Law and Jon Trappe Greenhouse gases are naturally occurring gases that contribute to climate change. These gases, like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, are both absorbed and produced by turfgrasses; however, it is possible that choosing the right grass sp...

Boll weevils are an agricultural pest that feeds primarily on cotton. After their arrival in the 1890s, they caused devastation across the South-Eastern United States, starting a battle that's raged for more than 130 years. This episode, Paul Csomo of the award-winning Varmints! podcast joins us to discuss these creatures, their adaptions, and their agricultural history. Tune in to learn: How many...

"Macadamia intercropping into an inefficient adult coffee plantation is economically advantageous" with Rogério Soratto. Macadamia nuts are a lucrative crop for Brazilian farmers, but long wait times from planting to production can cause financial strain when first planting them. This episode, Rogério Soratto discusses his work researching intercropping coffee and macadamia nuts, which can help ea...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been fighting hunger for more than 75 years. The FAO Strategic Framework 2021-2030 articulates FAO's vision of a sustainable and food secure world for all. Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist for the FAO, joins us to discuss this strategy, the various components and accelerators designed to support it, and the various initiatives...

Harlan's Crops and Man with Drs. Thomas Stalker and Marilyn Warburton Humans and the crops they use have co-evolved across the centuries. This episode, Drs. Thomas Stalker and Marilyn Warburton discuss three major periods of time within this relationship as well as misconceptions we might have about our predecessors and where we're headed next. Tune in to learn: How hunter gatherer societies inter...

When nutrients are taken up in the field, they often find their way into the fruits and vegetables that we enjoy. But once we eat them, how can they get back to the fields for future crops? This episode, Rebecca will discuss her work in returning nutrients from human waste back into the soil. Tune in to learn: How nutrients can be returned back to the soil after human consumption How these systems...

Research is crucial for the advancement of agriculture. However, research solutions must also be feasible for the farmers who will be implementing them. This episode, Heather Hampton+Knodle will discuss her many hats in the worlds of agriculture, policy, and research solutions, as well as her journey as a farmer and research collaborator. Tune in to learn: How getting everyone in the room together...

The Living Soil Handbook with Jesse Frost. Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving soil health by disturbing the soil as little as possible, keeping the ground covered as much as possible, and keeping the ground planted as much as possible. In this episode, farmer Jesse Frost of the No-Till Market Garden podcast walks us through these three tenets, how they can help farmers, and how research...

Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a system by which pests are controlled using informed decision-making techniques. Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that focuses on soil health and environmental recovery. In this episode, Tom Green finishes out our five part mini-series on IPM by walking us through how these two systems can work together to improve soil health, reduce pests,...

"Assessing the Effects of Lake-Dredged Sediments on Soil Health: Agricultural and Environmental Implications on Northwestern Ohio" with Angélica Vázquez-Ortega and Russell Brigham Shipping accounts for a large portion of the Ohio economy. Channels therefore need regular dredging to keep shipping channels clear. In the past, such sediments were often released back into Lake Erie. However, as this c...

Happy birthday, everybody! Today is our third birthday, and we couldn't be happier. We're so grateful to all of our guests and to you, dear listener! Whether you're brand new or have been with us since the beginning, we're so grateful for all of your listening and support over the years. Thank you for listening! Please note, we've also put together a brief listener survey, located here . Tell us a...

"Earthworm density differences over time among a native tallgrass prairie and chronosequence of tallgrass prairie restorations in the Ozark Highlands" and "Seasonal earthworm density differences among mound positions and soil moisture regimes in native tallgrass prairies in the Ozark Highlands" with Dr. Kristofor Brye Earthworms are praised as environmental engineers and their health can be tightl...

Fieldwork Ready with Dr. Sara Vero. Fieldwork and lab work are two sides of the same scientific coin. However, when preparing for fieldwork, there are many things to consider that don't come up in a lab. This episode, we talk with Dr. Sara Vero about her new book, Fieldwork Ready , which covers anything from the practical ins and outs of common fieldwork processes and equipment, health and safety...

Sustainable farming systems are critical for all of us, from producers to consumers. It's therefore important for the full supply chain–from food companies and ingredient suppliers, to farm service providers, to CCAs, and farmers–to support sustainable agriculture practices, many of which can have a beneficial impact on pest management. This episode, we dive into the partnerships and work being do...

"Varietal Timelines and Leadership Challenges Affecting the Legacy of Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov" with Dr. Joel Cohen Nikolai Vavilov was an agronomist and seed collector whose life spanned the regimes of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. These were years plagued by extreme famine, especially in the Ukraine. Vavilov strove to follow Mendelian science and practices to improve plant breeding programs...

Seed banks are collections of seeds that researchers use to protect valuable genetic resources both for breeding and conservation purposes. But where did they get started and how have they become what they are today? On this episode, Dr. Helen Anne Curry will guide us through the history of seed banks, including their origins, the various phases of their development, and their ongoing role today....

"IPM Toolkit Preservation" with Dr. Bryan Ulmer. Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a system by which pests are controlled using informed decision-making techniques. These techniques are many are varied, but so are the threats to their continued use. This episode, for the third episode in our IPM miniseries, Bryan will walk us through the types of tools in the IPM toolkit, the kinds of threats...

"The Impact of pH and Ion Exchange on 133Cs Adsorption on Vermiculite" with Dr. Dan Ferreira. On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami led to the explosion of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The explosions resulted in radioactive particles being released into the air, which eventually settled on neighboring soils. Dr. Ferreira has been working for ha...

"Using Cover Crops as an IPM Tool for Managing Hard-to-Control Weeds" with Dr. Christopher Proctor. Cover crops are crops grown between cash crops like corn, wheat, and soybean that provide valuable ecosystem services—or ecosystem benefits—to the surrounding crops and soils. With the rise of herbicide resistant weeds, however, cover crops are also finding new uses in the field of weed suppression....