Yara's Crop Nutrition podcast

When we think of pennys, we typically think of copper, but in the last 40 years, Zinc has been the main ingredient in manufacturing US pennys.   In this video podcast, Yara Sales Agronomist Brady Stover , explains the basics of zinc as a fertilizer.

2022 is another challenging year for farms.  Input costs are rising and availability might be limited.  As we look to be more efficient with these inputs, change is critical. Peter DeBoer , Yara Regional Sales Manager for Northern California, helps us understand three strategies to be more efficient with our inputs while ensuring profitability and sustainability.

We recently received a comment and question on our podcast web page that had to do with how Iron (Fe) interacts with turf and how it can help with greening.  Yara's turf team of Neil Mayberry , Crop Manager for T&O, with sales agronomists Brian Grill and Cole McNally address this question and help us all understant the interaction of Fe on Turf. Learn more and sign up for our Optimum Turf Newslett...

Here is a statement that I read on the internet recently, "...while fertilizers make crops grow better and faster, half of the fixed nitrogen we add is lost.  Imagine that--we lose the equivalent of 12 million nitrogen elephants (~165 billion pounds) every year" Dr. Rob Mikkelsen , Yara's Director of Agronomic Services, helps us understand this statement and bust this myth. Submit a comment, quest...

This week, Yara's Sales Agronomist Brady Stover explains how Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel has impacted the availability of sulfur fertilizer and discusses the benefits of an often-overlooked nutrient. If you have a question, comment or suggestion, please go to our podcast webpage and let us know.

Dr. Rob Mikkelsen insists that good science rules the day.  We look at the statement that mineral fertilizers are poisoning the soil and reduce agricultural productivity and is food grown with mineral fertilizers are less nutritious.  He explains that an integrated nutrient management system to acheive the best results. Dr. Rob helps us understand the chemistry, plant physiology and the science-ba...

In Episode 3 of this VIDEO PODCAST, Yara's Sales Agronomist in the Pacific Northwest, Brady Stover , provides insight on the origins of potassium.  He explains potassium's essential roll in plants, its various forms and how to best apply it.

Should we be afraid of sythetic fertiilzers?  Are synthetic fertilizers bad for us? Dr. Rob Mikkelsen, Yara's Director of Agronomic Services, helps us bust some myths about fertilizers and agronomy.  In this episode, Rob takes on the statement that mineral fertilizers are not natural.  There are many different categories/definitions of fertilizers: organic, natural, mineral, sythetic.  Rob helps u...

In our second installment of the video podcast series, Yara's Sales Agronomist in the Pacific Northwest, Brady Stover , tests out an unconventional healing method and breaks down the mystery of phosphorus.

Drought in the western United States will continue to be a problem in 2022.  What are your strategies for improving water productivity?  In this episode, Dr. Karl Wyant discusses how soil microbes can help your soil structure and biology allowing for effective penetration and better infiltration.  Once the water is in the soil, the soil bacteria and fungi produce sticky gluelike substances that bi...

Yara Sales Agronomist, Brady Stover, explains that our air is 78% nitrogen but our plants cannot use it.  Why?  He explains the industrial process that was discovered 110 years ago that allows us to convert this atmospheric N to a form that is usable by plants.  He continues to explain how to effectively use different N sources by using the 4 R's of nutrient stewardship .  

Why are the prices so high and limited availability?   How can we maximize our economic yeilds? Yara's Dr. Rob Mikkelsen and Chris Gallo join to discuss pricing and availability issues.  We look at the 2022 forecast and what growers and their advisors can do to manage.  We talk about Difference between maximum yield and maximum economic yield How to maximize fertilizer use efficiency Role of balan...

In modern farming we need to use synthetic fertilizers in order to grow enough food for our world's population.  Are these fertilizers healthy of our soils or hurting our soils?   Dr. Rob Mikkelsen , Yara North America's Director of Agronomic Services.  Like any tool, we need to use these fertilizers properly.  If we don't, we can harm the soil.  However, if we implement the 4 Rs of nutrient stewa...

Sulfur is a constituent of amino acids in plant proteins and is involved in energy-producing processes in plants.  Sometimes a deficiency can be mistaken for Nitrogen deficiency.  Dr. Rob Mikkelsen helps us understand how a plant uses sulfur and how to diagnose a deficiency.  We also talk about the 4Rs of this nutrient to maximize its efficient use. Find out more about specific crop deficiencies H...

Extremely dry conditions in 2021 at our Saskatoon, Canada incubator farm were looking grim for the research we were conducting.  15% of the average rainfall resulted in poor crop growth on the canola and wheat crops.  But looking at some of the data, we found that the Yara complete nutritional treatments showed that the plants were actually able to use more of the water they did receive resulting...

Dr. Rob Mikkelsen, Yara's Director of Agronomic Services, helps us understand the interdependence of water, soil and nutrients.  Can a better management of these three components improve water use efficiency in a time of drought? We refer to an article he wrote in September 2012 for the International Plant Nutrition Institute called, "What about Water?" Dr. Mikkelsen explains that an important ste...

Nitrogen is a very important nutrient for growing crops and can be one of the most expensive inputs.  Using this valuable input efficiently can help with overall crop health and environmental sustainability.   Dr. Rob Mikkelsen , Yara North America's Director of Agronomic Services, helps us understand The concept of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) The difference between maximizing and optimizing NUE...

There is a connection between microbiomes, soil health/structure, and drought resilience.  Dr. Karl Wyant, VP of Ag Science at Heliae Agriculture helps us understand how to build healthier soils that can mitigate drought stress improve water holding capacity improve erosion resistance improve nutrient use sequester carbon reduce externalities  improve profits Find out more about soil health at the...

Everywhere you turn, you bump into talk about carbon market, carbon footprint, carbon credits, etc.  What does all this mean and why is it important to us in agriculture? Carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent.  Agriculture is responsible for 10% of the greenhouse gas emi...

The Pacific Northwest and many other areas are experiencing record high temperatures.  How does heat stress and water stress affect plants?  What can we do to manage these plants through these stressful times? Jimmy Ridgeway and Kacey Kiehn , Regional Sales Managers, help us grow our knowledge. Learn more from this recent article, "Heat Stress: Let Calcium Help" Download and use Yara's Farm Water...

The days of limitless water are far behind us. Dr. Sebastian Braum joins Yara's Dr. Rob Mikkelsen to discuss how water is the number one driver of growth and yield.  Dr. Braum talks about the improvement in the irrigation equipment being installed and that we now need to improve how we use this equipment.  He also looks into his crystal ball of what farming might look like in 15-20 years. Dr. Brau...

Dr. Tim Ellsworth is a professor at West Hills College in California.  He has many years experience working as a soil scientist with the USDA and over 30 years of teaching experience in agriculture.  He has expertise in soil science, geology and irrigation.  Tim joins us to talk about how irrigation can improve plant health and yield, what effects the drought might have on crops and some golden nu...

Soil structure and health is critical growers to improve crop productivity and sustainability.  Dr. Karl Wyant, VP of Ag Science at Heliae Agriculture helps us understand the importance of soil health and quality in a two part series: Our first episode from Feb 23, 2021, "Don't Treat Your Soil Like Dirt" delt with the physical and chemical components of soil This episode we talk about biological c...

Richard Kreps and Robert Smith , UltraGro , both consult with growers in California but are also growers themselves.  They help uncover some great strategies for the areas that are most affected by the drought and shortage of surface water delivered and ground water. How are you creating your irrigation schedules this year?  Yara's Farm Water Advisor calculates your field specific plant water use...

2021 looks like it might be a continuation of one of the worst geographical droughts in the last 20 years. 80% of the Western U.S. in drought and nearly 1/2 in "extreme" or Exceptional" drought. This series of episodes will be focused on the drought, the challenges and some strategies that might help advisors and grower manage through the drought.  In this episode, William Bourdeau joins us to hel...