The Syngenta Thrive Podcast

In the final episode of the Thrive podcast series from Syngenta, we look toward 2023 and what growers can do at planting to manage risk. Managing risk starts with the seed purchase. Dale Ireland, corn and soybean seed treatment technical product lead at Syngenta, shares the advantages of using a seed treatment to promote a healthy stand that is resilient under spring weather conditions and helps deliver on crop performance expectations.

Optimizing profit and maximizing yield in your field largely depends on how efficiently you dispatch tough weeds, such as Palmer amaranth and waterhemp. In this show we talk about how to start clean and stay clean – and that process starts after harvest.

Supply chain issues have become an increasingly higher hurdle for consumers, businesses, and growers alike. Top of mind for those in the industry is delivering crop protection products to growers efficiently and in a timely manner. Kevin Duhe, head of supply chain for North America at Syngenta Crop Protection, shares his insight on current challenges and how Syngenta is helping customers succeed in this environment.

As corn and soybean harvest approaches, growers are faced with challenging decisions that can heavily influence their bottom line. Growers must decide whether treating for pests and diseases late in the season creates an earnings opportunity. Zach Trower, Syngenta agronomic service representative in Iowa, shares his insight on how growers can make informed agronomic decisions that deliver a positive impact on profit opportunity.

Building a weed management strategy is not as simple as selecting a herbicide. Herbicide-resistant weeds make this strategy a bit more complex. Growers must follow a weed control program customized to their fields to maximize the quality and quantity of their yield. Agronomic service representative, Tripp Walker joins us to share key trends seen in weeds this season and discusses how growers can create a multi-faceted approach to combat challenging weeds in 2023.

From weed pressures to difficult pests, growers have to face a multitude of challenges every season. Alfalfa weevil, extreme weather conditions, marestail and more can be devastating if not controlled. Planning ahead to face these difficulties is key for keeping your crop healthy through the season and ultimately maximizing your bottom line at harvest. Syngenta Agronomic Service Representative Wally West joins us to talk about top challenges he has seen in the field and how growers can combat them.

With several years of drought affecting the West, tree nut and citrus growers are now seeing an underground issue: Phytophthora root rot. This disease infects the tissue of plants, affecting overall plant health. With decreased irrigation intensity, orchards decline and tree death may begin to increase. Syngenta Agronomic Service Manager Chris Clemens joins us to talk about management tactics available for growers, including the Syngenta Soil Pathogen Assessment (SPA), a program that assesses Phytophthora infections on a field-by-field basis.

The question for peanut farmers in the Southeast isn't whether disease will be an issue each season, but when the disease will show up and how heavy the pressure will be. Forty years ago, those peanut farmers weren't sure whether their industry would survive an onslaught from tomato spotted wilt virus. A concerted, collaborative industry effort found a way to manage that disease. University of Georgia Plant Pathologist Bob Kemerait is one of the Extension specialists who helped find the answer. He joins us to recall that effort, talk about Peanut Rx and the way forward for peanut farmers who are anticipating some heavy disease pressure this season.

Colorado potato beetle is a crucial pest of potatoes. It's aggressive and comes back year after year. It can destroy a crop. But the key challenge with this pest is its ability to develop resistance to many different chemistries, making them ineffective. What can growers do about it? What options do they have? Tune in for insight from the field.

Each season brings its own challenges, many of which occur year after year, like Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, soybean aphids and beetles. Now, growers have some new tools and can take a new approach to an old story. Tune in to hear how registered products containing multiple modes of action effectively tackle these predictable, yet difficult to control, pests.

In today's digital age, we're consuming more information than ever before. How can we discern the information we're consuming, determine biases and make well-informed decisions? Tim Pastoor, President of the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute and Founder of Pastoor Science Communications, LLC, joins us to talk about just that. Then we hear from David Widmar, co-founder of Agricultural Economic Insights to give us the low down on how to choose between agronomic or economic decision-making on an operation. 

Recent policy shifts impacting agricultural trade between the US and Mexico raise questions and concerns for farmers. Syngenta Senior Manager for Federal and Industry Relations, Mary Kay Thatcher, joins Host Kaity Lloyd to discuss the effects it may cause in the future. Then Farmer and American Soybean Association board member Wayne Fredericks explains how conservation tillage can increase profit potential alongside its environmental benefits.

With the season quickly approaching, now is the time to plan your attack against weeds and diseases. University of Georgia Weed Scientist Stanley Culpepper joins Host Kaity Lloyd to talk about the benefit of premix herbicides as part of an integrated management program. Then Syngenta agronomists Kevin Scholl and Sarah Gehant give our listeners key information on combatting potentially devastating corn diseases, like tar spot and southern rust.

Foundational practices set up your crop for success season after season. Many factors are in play, but soil health is the foundation for your crop. Syngenta Environmental Safety Expert Doug Wolf talks about why soil health matters and what growers can do to build up their fields. We also hear from Independent Crop Consultant Chuck Farr who knows all too well the challenge resistant weeds pose to a field – and what growers can do to take back their yield.

Three words: billion-dollar pest. In this episode, we hear from Syngenta Insecticide Product Lead Meade McDonald and Kyle Van Bogart, a grower who has dealt with corn rootworm firsthand, on how to combat and manage this invasive pest with a multi-year plan. We also speak with AgriEdge® Specialist Jeremy Jelinek on how growers can manage their operations with profitability in mind, record-keeping tools that can streamline the process and what they should consider when planning.

Syngenta digital ag expert Peyton Merriam and seedcare expert Dale Ireland join Kaity on this month's episode to offer their insight on ways growers can mitigate some of the risks of extreme weather patterns and early-season soybean challenges that may result. Stay tuned for an exciting #RootedinAg Contest announcement from Thrive TV's Adam Bakst. 

On this month's Thrive Podcast episode Kaity and Adam discuss various programs applicators can enroll in for CEU credits. We also chat with Syngenta Agronomy Service Manager, Leon Hunter, who breaks down insights from this season and offers a few tips for the 2022 season. Plus, Eric Miller and Joe Bollman with Syngenta NK Seeds drop in to offer a glimpse of what NK Seeds has in store – both now and in the future.

Virtual events stole the show over the past year, but we're finally starting to see some events transitioning back to traditional environments. Jami Loecker, west heartland agronomy service manager, and Ann Vail, customer event and tradeshow lead, from Syngenta join us to talk about some in-person events for growers and retailers, including Grow More Experience sites and tradeshows, and the unique value each provides for on-farm decision making. Also tune in for updates on the Syngenta Accelerating a Generation Scholarship and the #RootedinAg Contest.