XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

Thinking about cutting back on dry fertilizer applications to save costs? Before you make a decision, tune in to this episode of XtremeAg’s Cutting the Curve. Host Damian Mason sits down with Kelly Garrett and Scott Lay from Agricen to explore how you can reduce your dry fertilizer usage without compromising yield or depleting your soil. Learn how treating your fertilizer can maximize its effectiv...

Crop insurance might not be the most thrilling part of farming, but it’s crucial for long-term success and profitability. In this episode of XtremeAg's Cutting the Curve, Kelly Garrett teams up with financial advisor Jarod Creed of JC Ag Financial Services (Jarod@eliteagins.com) to break down how crop insurance and grain marketing can work hand-in-hand to safeguard your farm’s revenue—even when co...

Could hidden pathogens in your soil be silently robbing your farm of yield? According to Kelly Garrett, the impact of soil-borne diseases on his farm was greater than expected after ramping up disease testing this summer. In this episode, Rebecca Helget from Integrated Ag Solutions joins PatternAg’s Mike Tweedy to explore cutting-edge advancements in soil pathogen testing and treatment. Discover h...

There’s a fallacy still held by some farmers that fertility doesn’t work if it’s not incorporated into the soil. To that end, Damian Mason posed the question to Vern Garrett: Does tillage fix nutrient stratification?  The answer from XtremeAg’s next generation farmer: “Trying to solve nutrient stratification with tillage is kind of like, you stubbed your toe and you decide to cut it off to fix it....

In this episode, Damian sits down with Jordyn Burco, a rising star in agriculture, and Mark Coots from Teva Corporation, to explore the future of farming. Jordyn shares her journey of returning to her family farm and the strides she's made over the past five years. The discussion dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of generational hand-offs, the importance of self-assessment in farmin...

With corn prices dipping below $4, farmers are facing unprecedented challenges. Johnny Verell, who has been trialing various corn strategies over the past five years, joins forces with Brian Adams of Volunteer Ag Service to share how Verell Farms plans to adapt and stay afloat. From innovative approaches to cost-cutting measures, they delve into the tactics that could be the key to surviving—and t...

In this episode, Damian Mason, Chad Henderson and Kevin Matthews dive deep into the "systems approach" to production agriculture, breaking down what this approach entails, starting with the planter and in-furrow practices and carrying them all the way through to harvest. Tune in to learn how this holistic method is revolutionizing the way they manage their crops, leading to greater efficiency and...

Matt Miles and his son Layne reveal the impressive results of their three-year trial on early-planted soybeans . Discover how their February-planted beans achieved a remarkable yield of 90 bushels per acre and learn about the benefits of early harvesting, including a positive price basis. Matt also shares exciting news about their double crop soybeans planted right after the July 22 harvest, predi...

Chances are, you’re planting treated seed. But are your seeds treated with the right products to deliver you maximum yield potential? Seed treatment options have expanded tremendously, as have the quality of inputs available via treatment. XA’s Temple Rhodes, Kelly Garrett and Damian Mason join Corteva Biologicals’ Mario Carillo in a discussion about how farmers can utilize seed treatment to achie...

If you’re not tissue sampling your crops now, you might as well make the jump straight to sap sampling . If you are tissue sampling, it’s time for your crop testing to evolve. That’s the general consensus from Mike Evans of Integrated Ag Solutions. Why sap rather than tissue? Because tissue sampling tells you what’s already happened in the the plant — too late for you to affect it. Sap sampling, o...

It’s no secret, farm revenue will be down in 2024. So, how can you keep your farm finances flush? One method: Adjust your fertility program to a  “just in time” application method, saving on fertility spend while getting greater yields. Temple Rhodes explains how he’s shifting his fertility program, applying nutrients just as the plant needs them. The practice saves a little money, but more import...

In this episode, join host Damian as he dives into the world of agricultural drones with Layne Miles and his father, Matt. Discover how this dynamic duo from Arkansas is embracing cutting-edge technology to revolutionize their farming operations. From the legal hurdles to financial considerations, and the practical to the impractical applications, Layne and Matt share their insights on integrating...

Listen in to this interesting conversation between Kelly Garrett, Matt Miles, Kurt Grimm and Damian Mason on the feasibility of drip irrigation for Matt's farm. Is he actually losing money by not installing drip? Kelly does the math and the results might surprise you! (and Matt too!)

Temple Rhodes has been toying around for years with methods to stunt his soybeans early season in an effort to attain higher yields end of season. He’s used chemistry, various timed applications of plant growth regulators, and now he’s experimenting with fertility to stunt growth. Why would a farmer want to stunt his beans? As Temple says, “We don’t sell biomass, we sell seed. We need to stunt the...

Chad Henderson doesn’t like to skimp on crop inputs. He is, after all, one of the “send it twins” — always ready to push the limits and add an additional application. That’s why we at XA thought it’d be fun to put a throttle governor on Chad. Along with our field day partners at AgroLiquid, we gave Chad three budgets based on three different corn prices — $4, $6, and $8 per bushel.  Some corn plot...

Imagine a field day where the topic isn’t how big or beautiful the corn is, but instead how profitable the field will be. That’s the concept of this year's research plot at Matt Miles’ McGehee, Arkansas farm. Matt is competing with Galynn Beer and Stephanie Zelinko of AgroLiquid as well as Kelly Garrett of XtremeAg. Each of the four engineered a cropping plan with the express purpose of maximizing...

In this episode, we dive deep into the often overlooked world of "mini-micros" – essential trace elements like cobalt, nickel, and molybdenum that could be the missing link in your crop nutrition strategy. Join Kelly Garrett and Mike Evans from Integrated Ag Solutions as they explore the critical role these nutrients play in maximizing yields. They’re joined by Clint Frese of Bio Ag Management for...

Kelly Garrett says only about ten to fifteen percent of America’s farms use planters equipped with in-furrow application technology. That said, more farmers are looking to utilize in-furrow to provide them with a greater range of options and timing for inputs. Damian talk s to Kelly and Mario Carrillo of Corteva Biologicals about the components of a successful in-furrow program perfectly aligned w...

XtremeAg’s Canadian affiliate Sam Coutu is giddy about how spring is shaping up for his Quebec farming operation. Sam went to the fields this year with refurbished planters and a different mindset. The money he’s saving on wasted fertility at time of planting he’s reapportioning to seed and late-season Y-drop fertilizer applications. Sam discusses the positive changes he’s making in 2024 on his mu...

After the corn is planted and emerged, it’s time to plan your next several fertility passes. That is, unless you are flinger of dry fertility using the “one and done” approach, which as it turns out, doesn’t work all that well. Kevin Matthews explains how he maximizes yield and his investment with multiple liquid fertility applications. Kevin is joined by Nachurs’ Tommy Roach. They map out the tim...

Manure can be magical for improving your soil and attaining bigger crops. But, like any fertility source, it can be over-applied creating imbalanced soil fertility. Getting the most from a manure source involves agronomic analysis, testing, and even variable rate application. Paul Beyer of NextGen Fertilizers began working with Colorado dairy and crop farmer, Stratton Kraft three years ago to corr...

Are you reluctant to go no-till because you think you’ll lose yield? Does planting into heavy crop residue concern you? Kelly, Lee, and Kevin explain their methods to attaining high — sometimes record — yields with a no-till systems approach. They cover everything from the combine, to residue breakdown products, to specialized forms of “non-tillage” tillage that resizes fodder, to planter set up t...

Autonomous farm machinery is coming. Before you get excited (or overwhelmed) by the prospect of driverless equipment, understand this: Autonomy is coming in incremental doses, it’s applicable to your existing machinery, it’s affordable, and we’re still a few years away from the technology being completely “hands free.”  AGCO’s Brandon Montgomery and JCA Technologies’ Dinen Subramaniam join Damian...

Change is the heartbeat of progress, and nowhere is this more evident than in the field of agriculture. "The Pace of Change" brings together the fresh minds of XtremeAg's next generation—Layne Miles, Connor Garrett, Danielle Matthews-Venable, Alexander Evans, and Jackson Henderson—for a riveting conversation with host Damian Mason and Teva Corporation's Caleb Coots. They confront the thrilling yet...

Matt Miles can’t catch a break weather-wise as the rains continue to pound his part of the Arkansas delta. Regardless, farming is farming and it’s time to make some adjustments.  Matt has decided it’s too late for replant corn to provide much yield potential. So, he’s reducing his already reduced corn acreage and switching to soybeans via a replant. He explains to Damian the practices and product...