A Penney For Your Thoughts

Sean and Andrew are back with the University of Kentucky’s Dr. Chad Lee to chat about all things cover crops and how you can best manage them to improve soil health, water quality and yield potential. The crew discusses: ✅ How to get started using cover crops on your acres ✅ What ideal cover crop biomass looks like ✅ Implementing biologicals within cover cropping systems ✅ Managing erosion, wa...

Sean and Andrew are joined by a long-awaited guest, the University of Kentucky’s Dr. Chad Lee, to talk about all nitrogen needs, the practicality of cover crops and high-quality corn demands across Kentucky.    The crew discusses: ✅ The intricacy of cropping systems in Kentucky ✅ The high-quality corn needed to meet Kentucky’s demands ✅ Ideal nitrogen applications when using cover crops ✅ Effo...

Sean and Andrew are finishing up their conversation about nitrogen with Iowa State University’s Dr. Mike Castellano and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Dr. Andrew Margenot. This time, they’re focusing on how you can manage nitrogen on your acres to achieve high yields, reduce environmental impact and improve your bottom line.   The crew discusses: ✅ How to be stewards of the land wh...

Sean and Andrew are back with two of the leading nitrogen experts in the field, Iowa State University’s Dr. Mike Castellano and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Dr. Andrew Margenot, to dig into the science of nitrogen in row crop systems.   The crew discusses: ✅ The relationship between nitrogen and phosphorus ✅ Trials used to evaluate nitrogen use and loss ✅ How nutrients are lost...

Sean and Andrew are back with Iowa State University’s Dr. Sotirios Archontoulis to continue their conversation about nitrogen. The conversation digs into how breeders, agronomists and growers can work together to optimize nitrogen use.   The crew discusses: ✅ Achieving high harvest indexes ✅ Whole system nitrogen management ✅ Nontraditional high yield indicators  ✅ The relationship between bre...

Sean and Andrew are joined by Iowa State University’s Dr. Sotirios Archontoulis to discuss his research on the relationship between different generations of corn hybrids and nitrogen variability.   The crew discusses: ✅ Managing the impacts of weather during the growing season ✅ Old era vs. new era hybrid research and data collection  ✅ Yield efficiency compared to physiological efficiency ✅ N...

Sean and Andrew round out their conversations at Purdue University with five of the best and brightest agronomy graduate students. This episode is a look into the future of agronomy, as we hear about research currently being conducted at one of the top ag universities.   The crew discusses: ✅ Target site vs. non-target site weed resistance ✅ How adjuvants can make or break the success of an appl...

Sean and Andrew are back with Purdue's Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti to learn how nitrogen management and digital innovations research can be translated into practical solutions for growers.    The crew discusses: ✅ The reality of nitrogen management ✅ What most growers are doing wrong when it comes to nitrogen ✅ How growers can make more informed decisions ✅ Turning formal research into practical man...

You know ‘em, you love ‘em, and you’ve listened to ‘em for 99 episodes and counting. Sean and Andrew are sitting down for their 100th episode to reflect on the podcast they have built, the valuable insights they have gained, the professionals they have met along the way and to ask each other a few heartfelt questions.    A Penney for Your Thoughts is hosted by Sean Blomgren, agronomist and owner o...

Sean and Andrew are sitting down with Purdue’s Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti for a conversation about revolutions happening in the people, plants and processes involved in row crop systems.    The crew discusses: ✅ The changing dynamic of agronomy professionals ✅ The ins and outs of nitrogen mineralization in corn and soybeans ✅ What makes successful ag innovations ✅ The transition from traditional ag...

Sean and Andrew sit down with Purdue’s Dr. Tommy Butts to dig into the nitty-gritty of weed control in corn and soybeans.    The crew discusses: ✅ The top weed control issues across the Corn Belt  ✅ The evolution of weed resistance ✅ Optimal herbicide formulations, application timing and method ✅ Recommendations for spray drone applications and adoption ✅ The impact of speed on herbicide and...

Sean and Andrew sit down with Purdue’s Dr. Tommy Butts to dig into the nitty-gritty of weed control in corn and soybeans.    The crew discusses: ✅ Weather variability’s impact on weed management ✅ Overlapping residuals ✅ Planting soybeans before corn ✅ Weed resistance ✅ Ground vs. drone herbicide applications   🌱Meet the Guests: Dr. Tommy Butts is a Clinical Assistant Professor, Extension We...

Sean and Andrew are back with Purdue University’s Dr. Daniel Quinn to discuss the importance of keeping the fundamentals as the foundation when growing high-yield corn.   The crew discusses: ✅ The importance of the fundamentals of growing corn ✅ Interactions between genetics, inputs and management practices ✅ Trends in nutrients and fertilizers ✅ How to keep plants healthy late into the season...

Sean and Andrew sit down with Purdue University’s Dr. Daniel Quinn to talk about what takes corn from average to high-yielding.   The crew discusses: ✅ The diversity of Purdue’s corn research efforts ✅ Using variable rate technology for optimal corn planting depth ✅ How weather conditions impact young corn plants ✅ Pros and cons of cover crops ✅ The biggest factors for corn success  ✅ The im...

Sean and Andrew are back with another episode LIVE from Commodity Classic 2026, and this time, we’re talking with NCGA’s high-yield growers. In this edition of Our Two Cents, we’re exploring how these growers are pushing the limits of modern agriculture and advancing their yields.   The crew discusses: ✅ Reasons behind getting involved in yield contests ✅ The risk of over-fertilizing ✅ The bala...

Sean and Andrew are back with another episode LIVE from Commodity Classic 2026, and this time, we’re talking with NCGA’s high-yield growers. In this edition of Our Two Cents, we’re exploring how these growers are pushing the limits of modern agriculture and advancing their yields.   The crew discusses: ✅ The value of soil sampling and pH management ✅ Top-performing seed varieties ✅ A high-yield...

Sean and Andrew are kicking off our 2026 LIVE from Commodity Classic series with the Bayer team. In this edition of Our Two Cents, we’re exploring products, concepts and science that are driving the agriculture industry forward.   The crew discusses: ✅ Expected corn rootworm pressure in 2026 and the impact of extended diapause ✅ The state of technology and traits to protect against rootworm ✅ W...

Sean and Andrew are back with Jim Ippolito from The Ohio State University to cover all things soil health management.   The crew discusses: ✅ Impact of cover crops on soil health ✅ Balancing short-term economics with long-term farm impacts ✅ What biochar is, and how it affects soil health ✅ What to do with the increased residue from increased corn yields ✅ How much pH impacts nutrient availab...

Sean and Andrew are joined by Jim Ippolito from The Ohio State University to dig into the science of soil health and fertility.   The crew discusses: ✅ How to define soil health ✅ What factors determine soil health ✅ The importance of soil respiration rates ✅ The effects of anaerobic soils and pH ✅ Fungal/bacterial ratios ✅ pH’s role in soil fertility and nutrient availability   Meet the Gue...

Sean and Andrew are back at Purdue University with resident tar spot expert Darcy Telenko.    The crew discusses: ✅ Efficacy of fungicide application for tar spot and southern rust ✅ Taking the emotion out of management decisions ✅ Most effective fungicide application timing for a one-pass program ✅ How drones are changing fungicide applications ✅ The yield impact of tar spot disease ✅ How t...

Sean and Andrew are back at Purdue University with resident tar spot expert Darcy Telenko.    The crew discusses: ✅ The changes we’ve seen in tar spot since our last conversation with Darcy ✅ Optimal temperature and moisture conditions for tar spot disease ✅ The latency period between tar spot infection and visible signs of disease ✅ How tar spot disease correlates with southern rust ✅ A prev...

Sean and Andrew are back at Purdue University with soybean expert Shaun Casteel, talking about what makes the difference between traditional and high-yield soybean management, and how you can take your crop to the next level.   The crew discusses: ✅ Planting soybeans before corn ✅ The maturity-moisture connection ✅ The importance of fungicide seed treatment in timely planting ✅ Soybean plantin...

Sean and Andrew are at Purdue University to talk to soybean expert Shaun Casteel about the science of soybean production from seed to harvest.    The crew discusses: ✅ The research being conducted by Purdue’s applied soybean research team ✅ The viability of early planting dates ✅ Optimal soybean plant height and population ✅ Drills vs. planters, and why it might be time to invest ✅ What “goin...

Sean and Andrew are back with Daren “Dr. Know-It-All” Mueller and Alison Robertson at Iowa State University to hear their two cents on the intense disease pressure we saw in corn and soybean fields this season.    The crew discusses: ✅ Application timing for disease management ✅ A new mindset on ROI and yield  ✅ The realities of active ingredients in fungicides ✅ The rain/disease connection ✅...

Sean and Andrew sit down with Daren “Dr. Know-It-All” Mueller and Alison Robertson at Iowa State University to hear their two cents on disease pressure facing corn and soybean fields.    The crew discusses: ✅ The research happening in ISU extension agronomy labs  ✅ The expanding potential of technology in agriculture ✅ A deep dive into southern rust and why it was so prevalent this season ✅ Ne...