A Penney for your thoughts

Join us for a fantastic discussion with Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig! We discuss industry advocacy and interacting with local and national governments. We discuss the future of Iowa agriculture, it's impact on the national stage, and we even get some great insights into sustainability efforts in production agriculture!   See more from A Penney For Your Thoughts 

Dr. Fred Below and Dr. Connor Sible provide us with practical insights into pushing the yield limits on our farms, offering research-backed suggestions accumulated over 40 years of learning.  Tillage practices, fertility timing, fungicide, populations, and more!  Join us for a fantastic episode!   

Join us on the campus of The University of Illinois as we discuss the science behind high-yielding corn and soybeans with Dr. Fred Below and Dr. Connor Sible! Amazing insights into crop physiology, nutrient concentration, timing, and 40 years of understanding corn plants!

Soil Compaction, "often known as the hidden yield-limiting factor," can be minimized through strategic and intentional choices on our farms. Please tune in to hear the research and advice from Dr. John Fulton and his fantastic team at Ohio State University! See more from A Penney For Your Thoughts 

Soil compaction plays a massive role in corn and soybean production. Dr. Fulton provides insight into how these biological, chemical, and physical soil components are affected by soil compaction. We also gain insight into Dr. Fulton and his team's research better to understand this complex aspect of our soil health. See more from A Penney For Your Thoughts 

Episode #2 Live from Commodity Classic inside the Bayer booth!  We are incredibly grateful for our hosts, DEKALB and Asgrow, and these incredible farmers for pushing the envelope on corn and soybean yields!  Hear about their success in 2024 and their plans for the 2025 growing season! See more from A Penney For Your Thoughts 

Hear from Asgrow and Dekalb brand leadership and NCGA Corn winners as we go live from the Bayer Booth at the 2025 Commodity Classic in Denver!

2024 was an incredible year for The Preceon Smart Corn System! Join Andrew and me as we interview growers, FSRs, and the Bayer Launch team - Live from the 2025 GroundBreakers Year End Celebration Event in Tucson, Arizona!

Join Andrew and Sean on a journey with Bayer's exceptional leadership team! We will gain valuable insight into the Preceon Smart Corn System and dive deeper into the science, breeding, research, and development of the world's most innovative agriculture and technology company. It was a truly fantastic experience to hear from this leadership team during the Ground Breakers year-end celebration! 

Dr. Travis Faske and Dr. Daren Mueller help us understand managing southern rust and other complicated diseases as we consider the 2024 growing season and critical takeaways for 2025!

Dr. Travis Faske from Arkansas State University and special guest co-host Dr. Daren Mueller from Iowa State University help us understand southern rust's pathogen and life cycle. Where did it come from, and what can we expect as we learn more about this disease that was so prevalent in 2024?

Dr. Mike Castellano provides insight into managing nitrogen programs and how to manage corn and soybean residue best.

Dr. Mike Castellano gives us an in-depth look at the science behind nitrogen, interactions with our soils, the process for creating ammonia, and the environmental considerations around nitrogen management. We also discuss the impact of residue and critical considerations for your residue management strategy.

Ear rots can lead to mycotoxins, significantly impacting grain quality and livestock. Learn more about managing these infections and the research looking at how the Viptera trait impacts the disease complex!

Ear Rots and Mycotoxins, BT Traits, and Viptera - Science and research at the University of Tennessee help us understand what to look out for and how to manage our corn crop!   Here are the links to the research - https://news.utcrops.com/2024/09/hot-topic-ear-rots-and-mycotoxin-management-in-corn/   Dr. Brown is an extension-research entomologist with the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology in Jackson, TN. Sebe has statewide responsibilities for arthropod pest management in major field crops including corn, cotton, soybean, sorghum and wheat. His educational and applied research programs focus on the most important pests affecting these crops. Dr. Kelly serves as extension-research plant pathologist at The University of Tennessee in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology in Jackson, TN. The majority of her time is concentrated on the control of diseases in cotton, corn, soybean, and wheat. She is responsible for all disease control recommendations of field crops except tobacco for Tennessee. This includes the development of statewide educational programs covering cotton, corn, soybean, and small grains. More information can be found on  

Corn yields continue to climb - that means residue continues to build!  The market is full of "management products," how should we think about residue management and crop physiology?  Join Connor Sible as we take an in-depth look at his research, and he provides insight into best practices for growers!     

Snake Oil or Viper Lipids? Dr. Connor Sible gives us an in-depth review of the biological space, including biostimulants, biological controls, and PGRs!      

Which is more effective?  A plane, drone, or ground rig?  Tune in to discover the research results done over the past two years at Iowa State University!  

Fungicides are evolving to meet the needs of our crops, and application methods are changing to be more timely! How do these new actives respond to varying application methods and results? Join Daren Mueller from Iowa State University and Andrew Penney as we discuss the testing protocols and collection methods to answer these questions!   Research from Crop Protection Network - https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/web-books/fungicide-use-in-field-crops Fungicide Efficacy for Foliar Control in Corn - https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/fungicide-efficacy-for-control-of-corn-diseases      

Bayer launched the Preceon Smart Corn System with a fantastic group of growers in 2023!  These groundbreakers helped pave the way for this exciting innovation in agriculture!  Andrew and I had the pleasure of hearing from several critical leaders within Bayer during the wrap-up event in Arizona.  Join us to listen to insights from these leaders as they discuss the Preceon Smart Corn System and the direction Bayer is headed with their science and technology! 

These emerging diseases are moving further North each growing season! Dr. Tom Allen gives us insight into management strategies and key considerations when/if they hit our growing areas!

Corn diseases, soybean diseases, too many diseases! Dr. Tom Allen dives into the science behind these emerging pathogens affecting corn and soybeans! Curvularia impacts corn similar to eye-spot, and Taproot Decline is easily confused with SDS. Let's learn together so we know how to understand what to expect as these emerging pathogens make their way north!  Click here to view the publication on Taproot Decline - bit.ly/4bsppuR Click here to view the publication on Curvularia - bit.ly/44QHYGm  

Round 2 with Dr. Rodrigo Werle and special co-host Meaghan Anderson - We discuss corn herbicides and critical considerations for 2024 and beyond this time! 

Managing Soybean Herbicides is becoming increasingly complex, and IPM concerns are mounting! Join our great co-host Meaghan Anderson and fellow nozzle head Rodrigo Werle as we discuss the intricacies of managing soybean herbicides in a constantly changing environment! 

Hear from the inaugural group of Bayer Preceon Groundbreakers from 2023 as they discuss their experiences using short-stature hybrids, the management tactics they tried, and their excitement for next season!

Dr. Casteel from Purdue University guides Andrew and me through the research on the impact of high-input management in soybeans.   We discuss the basics of success, including row spacing, timely planting, and fertility, and then go in-depth into the nuances of manipulating the plant with input timing and decisions! 

Dr. Shaun Casteel from Purdue University is back to discuss his research on high-speed planters in soybeans and the results of using digital imagery to analyze canopy and reflectance data to create yield prediction models!

How does high input management affect corn yield?  Dr. Dan Quinn from Purdue University reveals how corn yields are affected by population, fungicide, starter fertilizer, sulfur, micronutrients, tissue sampling, nitrogen, and more!  This jam-packed episode explores the results of the excellent research Purdue and Dr. Dan Quinn are doing!    Click here for the results of the studies referenced in the podcast! - https://t.co/NsrzNyXJQC

Dr. Daniel J Quinn from Purdue University gives us an in-depth look at the science behind his research on high-management corn.  Planting timing, population, fertilizer, application timing, and more are all discussed during this great peek behind the curtains at how a leading agriculture school is approaching high-yield management.    Click here to see his published results - https://bit.ly/DrQuinnResearch

It's an awesome wrap-up episode!  Dr. Shaun Casteel (Purdue University) talks to us about the importance of timely soybean planting.  Root development vs. vegetative growth and the impact of soil fertility!  Dr. Chad Lee (University of Kentucky) helps us understand the unique environment in Kentucky.  Vols, slugs, high-quality wheat, tar-spot, corn yields and more!  The 2023 agronomist episode has been an amazing series!  Give us insight into guests you want to hear for 2024!

Dr. Dan Quinn from Purdue University and Field Extension Specialist Angie Rieck-Hinz from Iowa State University gave us key learnings from their 2023 growing seasons.  There is a ton of great insight in this short podcast!   Never stop learning, keep the faith, red crown rot, Purdue Basketball!  D3 drought, Fertility, Potassium, Sulfur, and more!  Enjoy and thanks for learning with us! 

Drought, Corn Root Worm, Extended Diapause, Dectes Stem Bore, and more... Oh my!  Join Dr. Nick Seiter, University of Illinois, and Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti for great insights from the 2023 challenging growing season and key takeaways as we plan for 2024!

A double dose of Nebraska!  In his year-end review, Nathan Mueller discusses drought conditions, tar spot, gall midge, hybrids, maturity selections in corn and soybeans, and more!  We welcome John Fech as our first arborist on the show!  John talks about the impact of drought on turf and trees and gives us insight into how vital soil conditions are in challenging weather.  

Meaghan discusses tarpot, soybeans, chemical stewardship, and other key takeaways from Iowa in 2023!  Wayne weighs in on tarpot in Missouri, soybean gall midge, and other learnings from the past growing season! 

How we manage our soybeans significantly impacts yield potential and can dramatically affect the complex diseases we face!  Join us as we discuss working with the Diaporthe Complex with one of the industry's leading professionals, Dr. Febina Mathew, from North Dakota State University! 

The Diaporthe complex is... extremely complex!  Join Dr. Febina Mathew as we discuss the science behind this disease family.  We cover stem canker, Diaporthe seed decay (Phomopsis), and pod and stem blight. 

Dr. Mark Westage discusses corn physiology and the effects of heat and drought stress on yield and plant resiliency. Dr. Westgate also discusses critical considerations as we consider plant partitioning and how to manage for the highest results on our own farms! 

Join us as we discuss soybean physiology with Dr. Mark Westgate!  We will discuss the unique characteristics of a C3 soybean plant.  Management considerations and the impact heat and drought have on soybean growth and reproductive development. 

Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti discusses the essential considerations for managing nitrogen in corn and soybeans.  We gain critical insight into the amount of nitrogen we need, methods of applications, and pressing concerns around variability in soil types.  Dr. Ciampitti also discusses nitrogen efficiency, considering the weather over the past few years!  Kansas State Agronomy - https://www.agronomy.k-state.edu/   Learn more about Dr. Ciampitti's Lab - https://ciampittilab.wixsite.com/ciampitti-lab

Nitrogen is a foundational building block for our corn and soybeans.  Dr. Ignacio takes us on a deep dive into the science of why nitrogen is essential, the forms widely available, and how this critical component of fertility interacts with our soil and plants! 

Dr. Steve Whitham joins us to discuss the challenges of plant viruses.  This complex conversation helps us understand key considerations when thinking about corn virus management.   We also discuss RNA interference in agriculture and food production systems.

RNAi is complicated! Join us as we talk with Dr. Steve Whitham from Iowa State about the infection process of plant viruses, the RNAi process, and some ways we use this technology.

In our last episode, we discussed the science behind soil sampling.  This week, Dr. Dorivar Ruiz Diaz helps us understand how to practically apply the information to make the best real-world fertilizer applications.  Andrew and Dr. Dorivar Ruiz Diaz also discuss the challenges of adjusting PH and ensuring our soil is balanced for the high yields we are pursuing!

Dr. Dorivar Ruiz Diaz from Kansas State University gives an in-depth look at soil sciences.  We discuss how to sample and interpret soil samples.  Balanced fertility is critical to our high-yield goals.  Soil science is the basis for understanding how to accomplish our on-farm objectives! 

What is the practical application of the research being done at the University of Wisconsin Madison? How do we apply the learnings of Dr. Conley and his team to our soybean fields?   Join us as we discuss the thoughts around practice changes, planting dates, fertility timing, seed treatment, fungicide and more!   

Shawn Conley is back by popular demand!  Shawn and his team use accurate grower data and predictive analytics to help producers understand the outcomes of practice changes in their soybean production. Increase yield and ROI using precise information from other growers!

Darcy Telenko and Darren Mueller join Andrew and me as we examine the management considerations for this complex disease in the corn! Hybrid reviews, application of fungicide timing, and delivery method are all covered!   Give us a 5-star review, and please share the podcast! 

Darcy Telenko is one of the most respected pathologist and has been on the forefront of this challenging disease since 2018! Join us as special co-host guest Darren Mueller helps us unpack this challenging topic with Darcy Telenko!  In this first episode we take a deep dive into the science of tar-spot including how we first discovered the pathogen and what we have learned about it over the past 4.5 years. 

Dr. Greg Tylka walks us through the tools and management practices we should consider to combat this difficult pest! Rotations, soybean resistance, and new tools on the market! Join us for an in-depth look at soybean cyst nematode management.

Dr. Greg Tylka gives us an in-depth look at soybean cyst nematodes! The science behind their survival in the winter, infection in soybean plants, and the reproductive nature of this pest! We even discuss the science behind corn cyst!  

Join us as we discuss the best management practices for Pythium and Phytophthora with Dr. Santiago Mideros from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.