Podcasts about Biologicals

Dr. Steven Johnson, retired Extension Farm Management Field Specialist at Iowa University, has a broad discussion on planting season, markets and the upcoming growing season during a regular summer visit to Illinois.In part two of Biologicals with Connor, Dr. Connor Sible, research assistant professor at the University of Illinois, covers four questions farmers should ask when they consider what biologicals to use.Joe Camp, Commstock Investments, zeroes in on corn trading and other market movements.

Dr. Katie Gold and Dave Combs from Cornell University join Fritz to unpack one of the most confusing topics facing winegrape growers today: how biological fungicides truly fit into a spray program. Katie explains how the Cornell grape pathology program has expanded rapidly, moving from strictly conventional efficacy trials into extensive work with biologicals as more of these products come out of R&D pipelines. She outlines why growers can't rely on "the next new conventional" anymore and how biologicals are becoming essential tools for sustainable disease management and resistance stewardship. Dave brings decades of field experience and shares how his initial skepticism about biologicals shifted after seeing modern products perform on highly disease‑prone varieties in one of the toughest vineyards for powdery mildew, downy mildew, black rot, and bunch rots. Together, they walk through what "compatibility" really means and why water pH, formulation, and whether an organism is alive or dead matter far more than many growers realize. Listeners learn why mixing biologicals and conventionals in the same tank often provides no added control (and may waste money), where negative interactions can show up, and why tightening intervals and understanding infection periods is critical when working with protectant biologicals.  In this episode, you will hear: Why more new products in the pipeline are biologicals rather than conventional chemistries How Cornell's high‑pressure pathology vineyard reveals the real-world limits and strengths of biologicals Why many biologicals are strictly protectants and must be applied before significant disease is present How tank mixing biologicals with conventionals can reduce cost-effectiveness without improving control Why understanding water chemistry, pH, and product formulation is now an essential spray-program strategy Follow and Review: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

In this Sustainable podcast episode by AgriBusiness Global, Dr. Brendon Neumann, Andermatt Product Portfolio Director, discusses how biologicals fit into resistance management, how companies can educate their grower customers on this strategy, and more.

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Host Juan checks in with three Cornelius Seed District Sales Managers who also farm in their own territories — Brad Grandgeorge (Central Iowa), Joe Braudt (Southwest Wisconsin), and Mike Lund (Southwest Iowa) — for a real-time planting season update. The conversation covers planting progress, field conditions, and the challenges of a cool, wet spring. Topics include soil fitness, crusting concerns, emergence watch-outs, the value of seed treatments in cold conditions, cover crop strategies, biological inputs, and the importance of patience over rushing to beat the neighbors. Each guest shares what good operators are doing right this spring and what agronomic lessons 2026 is already teaching.0:00 – Intro & Welcome0:33 – Brad Grandgeorge | Central Iowa (Wright County)1:35 – Planting progress & field conditions in Central Iowa2:58 – Early emergence & crusting concerns4:21 – What good operators are doing this spring5:16 – Planter prep tips & precision equipment checks8:23 – Joe Braudt | Southwest Wisconsin (Grant County)9:10 – Cold, wet conditions & delayed planting progress10:37 – Cover crops, rye planting, and soil moisture15:58 – Seed treatments & seedling disease watch-outs17:44 – Agronomy lessons from a tough spring start19:52 – Biologicals & non-GMO corn strategy22:01 – Mike Lund | Southwest Iowa (Pottawattamie & Shelby Counties)22:24 – Strong conditions in Southwest Iowa & planting progress26:07 – Final advice: don't rush, stick to the plan

#gardening  #podcast #gardentalk #vegetablegarden  #radio #influencer #gardentip #gardentalkradio #backyardgarden Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com Or call 1-800-927-SHOW Segment 3: Guest Mark Ervin founder &CEO of GreenGro Biologicals of https://thegreengro.com/ Sponsors of the show for 2026Beetlegone of https://beetlegone.com/Pomona pectin of https://pomonapectin.com/Dripworks of https://www.dripworks.com/Natural green products of https://www.natgreenproducts.com/ use promo code freeship4meany size No More Bugs!Rescue of https://rescue.com/Jung Seeds of https://www.jungseed.com/category/talk-gardening use code 15GT26 to save 15% off ordersWind River Chimes of https://windriverchimes.com/Wisconsin Greenhouse Company of https://wisconsingreenhousecompany.com/Summit Chemical of https://summitchemical.com/Iv organics of https://ivorganics.com/  Use radio10 to save 10% off your orderSoilmoist.com of https://www.soilmoist.com/products/soil-moist.phpDavid J Frank of https://davidjfrank.com/ Timber Pro Coatings of https://timberprocoatingsusa.com/products/internal-wood-stabilizer/Azure Standard of  https://www.azurestandard.com/  Use code Use Promo Code: JOEYANDHOLLY15 applied at checkout to get 15% off for new customers who open an account for the first time and place a minimum order of $100 or more, shipped to a drop location of their choice.Durable green bed https://durablegreenbed.com/Corba head hand tools https://www.cobrahead.com/ use code soil for 10% your order at checkout valid once per customer Soil Savvy https://www.mysoilsavvy.com/Weed Wrench  https://www.weed-wrench.com/home us code JOEYat check out to save $10.00 on your order MYRootmaker of https://myrootmaker.com/  Us coupon code Radio26 at checkout and save 10% of your orderHarney & Sons Fine Teas of https://www.harney.com/Soil Diva of https://soildiva.net/ use code Use code radio15 to toget 15% off your order Scrusher of https://www.scrusher.com/ Use code nomoredirt5 to  5% off + Free Shipping at checkoutScrubby soap  of www.scrubbysoap.com Get 10% off your order by using code SOAP at check  outJanco green house of  https://jancogreenhouse.com/index.htmlFleximounts of fleximounts.com Use code “C730” to get $30 on C7MAX chair  Use code "YTE730" for $30 off E7 Pro deckDigzs of https://www.digzgardening.com/Neptunes harvest of https://www.neptunesharvest.com/Rubio Monocoat USA of https://www.rubiomonocoatusa.com/  Get 10% OFF DuroGrit when using code JOEY at checkout The Green Gro of https://thegreengro.com/Brome of https://store.bromebirdcare.com/Mrs. wages of https://www.mrswages.com/Mantis of https://mantis.com/products/tillers/Milkweed balm of https://milkweedbalm.com/ use code Gardening at checkout and get 20% off your order Biogents of https://us-shop.biogents.com mosquito trap systems Use coupon code GARDEN  for $25 off  your first trap at biogents.com (good through October 2026)SPARK-AWAY of https://spark-away.com/Amazon #Influencer page with products we use and trust from gardening to camping, household goods and even cat stuff. Over 500 items list  https://www.amazon.com/shop/thewisconsinvegetablegardener?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

#gardening  #podcast #gardentalk #vegetablegarden  #radio #influencer #gardentip #gardentalkradio #backyardgarden Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com Or call 1-800-927-SHOW Segment 1: food insecurity Segment 2: pros and cons of different garden methods Segment 3: Guest Mark Ervin founder &CEO of GreenGro Biologicals of https://thegreengro.com/Segment 4:Garden questions & answers  Sponsors of the show for 2026Beetlegone of https://beetlegone.com/Pomona pectin of https://pomonapectin.com/Dripworks of https://www.dripworks.com/Natural green products of https://www.natgreenproducts.com/ use promo code freeship4meany size No More Bugs!Rescue of https://rescue.com/Jung Seeds of https://www.jungseed.com/category/talk-gardening use code 15GT26 to save 15% off ordersWind River Chimes of https://windriverchimes.com/Wisconsin Greenhouse Company of https://wisconsingreenhousecompany.com/Summit Chemical of https://summitchemical.com/Iv organics of https://ivorganics.com/  Use radio10 to save 10% off your orderSoilmoist.com of https://www.soilmoist.com/products/soil-moist.phpDavid J Frank of https://davidjfrank.com/ Timber Pro Coatings of https://timberprocoatingsusa.com/products/internal-wood-stabilizer/Azure Standard of  https://www.azurestandard.com/  Use code Use Promo Code: JOEYANDHOLLY15 applied at checkout to get 15% off for new customers who open an account for the first time and place a minimum order of $100 or more, shipped to a drop location of their choice.Durable green bed https://durablegreenbed.com/Corba head hand tools https://www.cobrahead.com/ use code soil for 10% your order at checkout valid once per customer Soil Savvy https://www.mysoilsavvy.com/Weed Wrench  https://www.weed-wrench.com/home us code JOEYat check out to save $10.00 on your order MYRootmaker of https://myrootmaker.com/  Us coupon code Radio26 at checkout and save 10% of your orderHarney & Sons Fine Teas of https://www.harney.com/Soil Diva of https://soildiva.net/ use code Use code radio15 to toget 15% off your order Scrusher of https://www.scrusher.com/ Use code nomoredirt5 to  5% off + Free Shipping at checkoutScrubby soap  of www.scrubbysoap.com Get 10% off your order by using code SOAP at check  outJanco green house of  https://jancogreenhouse.com/index.htmlFleximounts of fleximounts.com Use code “C730” to get $30 on C7MAX chair  Use code "YTE730" for $30 off E7 Pro deckDigzs of https://www.digzgardening.com/Neptunes harvest of https://www.neptunesharvest.com/Rubio Monocoat USA of https://www.rubiomonocoatusa.com/  Get 10% OFF DuroGrit when using code JOEY at checkout The Green Gro of https://thegreengro.com/Brome of https://store.bromebirdcare.com/Mrs. wages of https://www.mrswages.com/Mantis of https://mantis.com/products/tillers/Milkweed balm of https://milkweedbalm.com/ use code Gardening at checkout and get 20% off your order Biogents of https://us-shop.biogents.com mosquito trap systems Use coupon code GARDEN  for $25 off  your first trap at biogents.com (good through October 2026)SPARK-AWAY of https://spark-away.com/Amazon #Influencer page with products we use and trust from gardening to camping, household goods and even cat stuff. Over 500 items list  https://www.amazon.com/shop/thewisconsinvegetablegardener?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

In this episode of the Crop Doctors' Podcast, Brian Arnall from Oklahoma State University joins Tom and Jason to share his firsthand experience evaluating biological products in production agriculture. The conversation dives into just how many products Brian has tested over the years, the wide range of formulations and claims on the market, and the challenges of separating hype from proven performance. They also discuss whether these products can—or should—play a role in real-world farming systems, offering practical insight for growers trying to make informed decisions. Check out Brian's blog at www.osunpk.com and podcast at www.reddirtagronomy.com   https://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation  

Welcome to the next episode of Grow the Future. Today, we explore the evolving landscape of crop nutrition and biologicals with a focus on maximizing plant potential through targeted biostimulant programs.Joining us to share her expertise is Natalie Wood, Yara's Agronomist and Product Manager for YaraVita and Biologicals for the UK and Ireland. Our discussion centers on the YaraAmplix range, with a deep dive into Flostrel—a high-performance biostimulant engineered to optimize reproductive development in key crops, including Oilseed Rape.Natalie provides a technical overview of the product's nutrient profile and application timings, supported by the latest performance data from recent trials. We also look ahead to the upcoming season, evaluating the roles of YaraAmplix Optitrac and Optivi, and discussing how growers can utilize the Tankmix feature within the YaraPlus app to ensure seamless product compatibility and field efficacy.

This week's Tillage Podcast features an interview with a member of the Tirlán grain advisory committee and two chats on biological plant protection products from companies that attended the Crop Tec Show in England. Of course, we look at this week's paper and let you know what to look out for, including an introduction to our new video series Yield Watch. The Tillage Podcast is supported by Bayer Crop Science. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Agronomists, your host for the night Peter Johnson is joined by guests Laura Lindsey of Ohio State University, and Greg Stewart of Syngenta, to discuss the classes of biologicals and their performance, specifically how biostimulants work, and why performance can be difficult to assess. The Agronomists is brought to you... Read More

On this episode of The Agronomists, your host for the night Peter Johnson is joined by guests Laura Lindsey of Ohio State University, and Greg Stewart of Syngenta, to discuss the classes of biologicals and their performance, specifically how biostimulants work, and why performance can be difficult to assess. The Agronomists is brought to you... Read More

Congratulations goes to Indigo Ag and its biotrinsic Nemora FP being named The Scoop’s new product of the year. PJ Smith, Senior Global Product Manager at Indigo Ag, gives insights on how biologicals have grown as a category and as a brand how “when people hear Nemora, they immediately think, no more nematodes.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to episode 352 of Growers Daily! We cover: not transferring a certain potato disease from the tubers, solving big problems little-ly, and it's feedback friday, of course. We are a Non-Profit! 

Fennig Equipment L.L.C. 841 OH-29 Celina, OH 45822 (419) 953-8500 Spring is creeping closer and planter season is right around the corner. In this episode of the Talking Shed Podcast, we break down why planter fertilizer is absolutely booming right now and what growers are really asking for heading into March. Is it back studies? Biologicals? Neighbor influence? Or just proven ROI? We talk through: • Why simple electric pump systems are winning • Risk versus reward when adding technology to your planter • Stainless tubes versus conceal systems • How to build bulletproof fertilizer setups • Shop updates and current planter installs • The cultivator deal recap • Commodity Classic travel plans Planting season is already complex. The last thing you need is a fertilizer system that costs you acres. Our focus is simple: build systems that work, eliminate unnecessary headaches, and keep farmers running. At the end of the day, we do not just sell equipment. We serve customers. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Talking Shed Podcast.

On this episode Scott is joined by Allison Jack of New Leaf Symbiotics to talk about the advancement of biologicals. Buckle up, because we're diving deep!

Thinking about switching to non-GMO or organic seed?

In the third episode of the Grow the Future podcast, Agronomist and Product Manager for Biologicals and YaraVita Natalie Wood takes a deep dive into foliar nutrition. She discusses how current establishment conditions—particularly the recent wet weather—have affected crop performance.Natalie also outlines Yara's foliar nutrition recommendations for cereals and oilseed rape, explains the compatibility of different foliar products, and highlights the Yara Tankmix service available through the YaraPlus app. The episode also touches on current soil temperature trends and offers practical advice for farmers moving into the season.For more information on YaraPlus, visit our websites today. UK- https://uk.yaraplus.comIre- https://ie.yaraplus.com

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/LG6IZqx9XdsOn this episode:

More than 100 research studies show that soybeans typically suffer from a nitrogen gap when yields exceed 60 bu/ac. At that yield level, the combination of soil nitrogen and nodulation often doesn’t provide what the plant requires to achieve higher yields. Could biologicals — including nitrogen-fixing endophytes and biostimulants — fill that “yield gap” and... Read More

In this Sustainable Podcast episode by AgriBusiness Global, Gregory Rogers, Director of Technical Marketing and Communication at Certis Biologicals, outlines what the company does to help growers understand, adopt, and optimize biologicals within integrated crop management programs.

In the Weeds Series 15 Episode 10: MSU Extension educator Monica Jean sits down with Dr. Sarah Lebeis to discuss where biological products may pay off on the farm and where more testing may be needed. 

In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Guillermo Balboa from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln explains how precision agriculture and digital dashboards are reshaping nitrogen management strategies in corn production. He shares data-backed methods to increase efficiency, reduce nitrogen input without sacrificing yield, and evaluate biologicals and sensors in real-world farm settings. Learn how decision tools and farmer benchmarking are guiding sustainable practices. Listen now on all major platforms!"Our dashboards use accurate seasonal forecasts to help predict crop stages and guide nutrient timing decisions."Meet the guest: Dr. Guillermo Balboa earned his Ph.D. in Agronomy and Crop Science from Kansas State University, following an M.S. and B.S. from the National University of Río Cuarto. As a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, he develops nitrogen strategies using precision ag, crop models, and data tools. His work helps optimize nutrient use and sustainability in corn systems. Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!What you will learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:05) Introduction(05:40) Nitrogen strategies(06:42) Sensor and model tools(09:09) Benchmarking field efficiency(18:05) Biologicals field evaluation(23:46) Barriers to tech adoption(26:21) Final three questionsThe Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- KWS

Biological products are becoming an increasingly important tool for enhancing crop performance. Erin Burton, technical sales manager with FMC, explains that combining multiple microbial organisms in a single product can benefit both plant health and, in turn, productivity. According to Burton, combination products support two main areas of crop performance: nutrient acquisition and stress resistance.... Read More

Welcome to today’s edition of RealAg Radio with your host Shaun Haney! Haney kicks off today’s show by unpacking the 2025 Canadian federal budget with Lyndsey Smith and Kelvin Heppner of the RealAg team. Later in the show, Haney is joined by: Trevor Thompson of Blackshirt Feeders to talk about pushing boundaries and looking to... Read More

Welcome to today’s edition of RealAg Radio with your host Shaun Haney! Haney kicks off today’s show by unpacking the 2025 Canadian federal budget with Lyndsey Smith and Kelvin Heppner of the RealAg team. Later in the show, Haney is joined by: Trevor Thompson of Blackshirt Feeders to talk about pushing boundaries and looking to... Read More

11 03 25 Biologicals Products by Ag PhD

The momentum behind biologicals in agriculture is growing. From bioinsecticides to phosphate-solubilizing microbes, biological products are becoming a more strategic part of pulse production, not just for sustainability, but for ROI, says Erin Burton, technical sales manager for biologicals at FMC. Burton joins RealAg Radio's Shaun Haney to break down the biologicals landscape and weigh-in... Read More

What do growers need to know about biologicals to find a fit for them in soybean fields on their farms? On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Nikki Burnett and Matthew Fletcher from Lallemand Plant Care break down what growers should be looking for in biologicals and how they can put the products to... Read More

Biological products are gaining attention as a complementary input in crop production, but their exact role in pulse systems remains a common question. From boosting early root growth to helping crops cope with environmental stress, biologicals are being explored for their potential in improving plant health and productivity. In this episode of the Pulse School,... Read More

In this episode of With Bowl and Spoon, Shelly sits down with Jessica Wilson Graves, founder of Una Biologicals, a Pittsburgh-based botanical beauty and wellness company creating all-natural, plant-based bath and body care. Jess shares how her journey as a plant geek, organic farmer, and mom with sensitive skin grew into a thriving business rooted in community. From pop-ups and farmers markets to a storefront in Lawrenceville and a manufacturing site in Homewood, Una has grown while staying true to its mission: nourishing our bodies and the planet. Tune in for a conversation about wellness, local business, and the power of community.https://unabiologicals.com/

You can also watch the video version of this episode on dvm360.com Alice Jeromin, RPh, DACVD—Before earning her DVM degree from The Ohio State University, Jeromin graduated from the University of Toledo with a BS in Pharmacy and practiced as a hospital pharmacist. She completed her veterinary dermatology residency with Patrick Breen and dermatopathology training at Procter & Gamble, Miami Valley Labs, as well as a fellowship in human dermatology at Metro Health Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio with Bryan Davis. Jeromin is currently an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University, lecturer at Northeast Ohio College of Pharmacy, and former practice owner of Veterinary Allergy & Dermatology, Inc. She is a former member-at-large on AVMA's Council on Biologicals and Therapeutics as chairman of the supplements and compounding committees. Along with publishing in human and veterinary journals, she authored the dermatology chapter in “Pharmacotherapeutics for Veterinary Dispensing”. Her interests include human-animal comparative dermatology and skin lipid research with publications in both areas.  Because of her pharmacist background of counseling patients, she is a strong believer in client education and maintains her website, www.purrfectpet.com, for clients to be educated with evidence-based information as well as an upcoming podcast "Speaking of Pets" The podcast is geared toward pet owners of allergic pets to provide them with accurate, evidence-based information.

What stresses are affecting your yield? Ryan Schnoes is the District Leader for Biologicals at Corteva Agriscience. He tells us about common stresses to our corn and soybean crops, and what the company is aiming to accomplish with their products. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New science could give farmers a more biological option for crop protection.

Season 5: Episode 211As the ag tech sector matures, the industry is finally shifting its focus from flashy innovations to solving real problems on the ground. In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak explores how the ag tech space is becoming more practical, profitable, and proven — especially when it comes to addressing the core issue that keeps most farmers up at night: labor. Joining the conversation from St. Louis, Missouri is Connie Bowen, Founding Partner of Farmhand Ventures, a venture firm focused on the future of work in U.S. agriculture.Connie shares how her background — spanning from engineering to hands-on farm work in Oregon's Willamette Valley — shaped her laser focus on labor as agriculture's most pressing challenge. She discusses how investor enthusiasm surged after high-profile acquisitions like Monsanto's purchase of Climate Corp, but notes the disconnect between capital flowing into ag tech and the slow pace of on-farm adoption. That's where Farmhand Ventures comes in — helping startups build with the farmer, not just for them.Throughout the conversation, Connie breaks down what makes an idea investable in the ag space, why founders must collaborate closely with growers and farmworkers from day one, and how including the voices of those doing the work creates smarter, more successful tools. She explains that while sustainability and climate concerns may attract outside capital, these investors often fail to understand the farmer's “hair-on-fire” problems — like labor shortages and razor-thin margins — which must be addressed first.Connie also talks about mistakes she sees ag tech startups making, including overpromising, chasing the wrong markets, or designing without true farm-level feedback. She emphasizes the importance of field trials, user input, and ongoing proof, comparing startup success to a sports team that has to earn its wins every season. Looking ahead, she predicts robotics will play an increasingly critical role in specialty crops and emphasizes the need for tech to help elevate workers into higher-value roles rather than displacing them.This episode highlights a turning point in ag tech — one where the best solutions come from close collaboration, practical thinking, and a deep respect for the realities of farm work.Learn more about Connie and Farm Ventures at https://www.farmhandventures.com/#agtech #smartfarming #agricultureNorth American Ag is devoted to highlighting the people & companies in agriculture who impact our industry and help feed the world. Subscribe at https://northamericanag.comWant to hear the stories of the ag brands you love and the ag brands you love to hate? Hear them at https://whatcolorisyourtractor.comDon't just thank a farmer, pray for one too!Send us a textAgritechnica in Hannover, Germany is held every other year, this year long-time tech writer & ag journalist Willie Vogt has put together for ag enthusiasts! The Agritechnica tour includes three days at the huge equipment and farm technology event. Learn more - https://agtoursusa.com/agritechnica.htmlSubscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

ANNOUNCEMENT: AgList is now 10x more powerful. Introducting AgList AI. — Tim and Tyler talk to Dr. Keri Carstens, CEO of Jord Bioscience, about all things biologicals. — This episode is presented by PF Partners. Unlock the exclusive AgTech Go-to-Market webinar HERE. — Links Jord Bioscience - https://www.jordbioscience.com   AgList - https://aglist.com 

Despite a persistent sense of uncertainty in the AgTech market lately, we're still seeing startups get acquired– even if information about those acquisitions is opaque. Case in point: Syngenta recently purchased Intrinsyx Bio, a biologicals company, for an undisclosed sum. Why do companies conceal this information? And in this moment when everyone has their eyes peeled for some indication of where the market is headed, what can we learn from exits? Sarah sits down this week with Tenacious Ventures' Matthew Pryor and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights, to do a deep dive into the latest news and discuss what it all means. For more information and resources, visit our website. The information in this post is not investment advice or a recommendation to invest. It is general information only and does not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making an investment decision you should seek financial advice from a professional financial adviser. Whilst we believe the information is correct, we provide no warranty of accuracy, reliability or completeness.

In this episode, Dr. Kate O'Brien, Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals at the World Health Organization (WHO) shares her perspective on the state of global immunization programs halfway through Immunization Agenda 2030; the challenges associated with current measles outbreaks in the United States and around the world; why people who have never seen children die from preventable diseases may seem complacent about vaccines; steps that can be taken to strengthen vaccine confidence while ensuring equitable access to immunization programs; and what's at risk as the United States and other funders cut support for biomedical research and development at a moment when there are numerous promising products to prevent infectious diseases in the research and development pipeline.

Vet Watch: Where what you know today will protect everybody tomorrow. Join us for the premiere of Vet Watch—the new podcast from Dr. Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, designed to bring you real‑world clinical insight. In our first episode, Dr. Lee sits down with board‑certified dermatologist Dr. Alice Jeromin, DVM, RPh, DACVD, to explore how isoxazoline parasiticides have reshaped flea, tick, mite, and other ectoparasite control. Alice Jeromin, RPh, DACVD—Before earning her DVM degree from The Ohio State University, Jeromin graduated from the University of Toledo with a BS in Pharmacy and practiced as a hospital pharmacist. She completed her veterinary dermatology residency with Patrick Breen and dermatopathology training at Procter & Gamble, Miami Valley Labs, as well as a fellowship in human dermatology at Metro Health Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio with Bryan Davis. Jeromin is currently an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University, lecturer at Northeast Ohio College of Pharmacy, and former practice owner of Veterinary Allergy & Dermatology, Inc. She is a former member-at-large on AVMA's Council on Biologicals and Therapeutics as chairman of the supplements and compounding committees. Along with publishing in human and veterinary journals, she authored the dermatology chapter in “Pharmacotherapeutics for Veterinary Dispensing”. Her interests include human-animal comparative dermatology and skin lipid research with publications in both areas.  Because of her pharmacist background of counseling patients, she is a strong believer in client education and maintains her website, www.purrfectpet.com, for clients to be educated with evidence-based information as well as an upcoming podcast "Speaking of Pets" The podcast is geared toward pet owners of allergic pets to provide them with accurate, evidence-based information.

As biological technologies continue to advance, many growers are exploring how best to integrate them into their farming operations. Nevada Smith, Head of Marketing North America, and Robert Blundell, Research Plant Pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group, highlight the role of biological pesticides and biofertilizers in sustainable winegrowing. Biological pesticides, derived from microbial sources or natural products such as plants, fungi, bacteria, or nematodes, play a crucial role in pest management by inhibiting or delaying growth or directly causing pest mortality. Understanding which biological products to use and when to apply them within an integrated pest management system is essential for maximizing their effectiveness. Biofertilizers, which enhance plant health and resilience to abiotic stresses, are another key tool for sustainable viticulture. Nevada and Robert discuss the growing importance of these technologies in improving soil health and supporting long-term agricultural productivity. Resources:         REGISTER: 5/9/25 Biochar Field Day 117: Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light 123: What is Happening in Biologicals for Pest Management and Plant Health 266: Soft Pesticide Trial: Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, Botrytis, and Sour Rot Healthy Soils Playlist Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles ProFarm What are Biopesticides? Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript [00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: As biological technologies continue to advance, many growers are exploring how to best integrate them into their farming operations. [00:00:13] Welcome to Sustainable Wine, growing with Vineyard Team, where we bring you the latest in science and research for the wine industry. I'm Beth Vukmanic, executive director. [00:00:23] In today's podcast, Craig McMillan, critical resource Manager at Niner Wine Estates. With Longtime SIP certified Vineyard in the first ever SIP certified winery speaks with Nevada Smith Head of Marketing North America and Robert Blundell research plant pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group. Together, they highlight the role of biological pesticides and bio fertilizers in sustainable wine. Growing [00:00:49] biological pesticides are derived from microbial sources or natural products such as plants, fungi, bacteria, or nematodes. They play a crucial role in pest management by inhibiting or delaying growth or directly causing pest mortality [00:01:04] Understanding which biological products to use and when to apply them within an integrated pest management system is essential for maximizing their effectiveness. [00:01:13] Bio fertilizers, which enhance plant health and resilience to abiotic stresses are another key tool for sustainable viticulture, Nevada and Robert discussed the growing importance of these technologies and improving soil health and supporting long-term agricultural productivity. [00:01:30] If you're gonna be in Paso Robles, California on May 9th, 2025. Join us at Niner Wine Estates for a Biochar Field day. This interactive morning features live demonstrations and expert discussions on the benefits of biochar for soil health and sustainable farming. Learn how to integrate biochar into your farming operations through practical insights and hands-on experiences. Go to vineyard team.org/events or look for the link in the show notes to get registered. [00:02:00] Now let's listen in.   [00:02:05] Craig Macmillan: My guest today are Nevada Smith. He is Head of Marketing North America and Robert Blundell, who's a research plant pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group. Thank you for being on the podcast [00:02:15] Rob Blundell: Thank you, Craig. [00:02:16] Nevada Smith: Thank you. [00:02:18] Craig Macmillan: Today we're gonna be talking about bio pesticides and we might as well start with the the basics. What is a biological pesticide? Robert, why don't you start? [00:02:26] Rob Blundell: Yeah, that's a good question, Craig. And and you know, honestly, it's. So when I first was kind of thinking about this, it's not as simple explanation as you might think. It's a constantly kind of evolving term and depending on who you are asking, you can get a, a very different answer. And it's, it's really kind of this large umbrella term. [00:02:42] . It's kind of a microbially based product or natural product typically derived from a plant, fungi, bacteria, nematode, you know. That pretty much has the ability to inhibit or delay the growth or, you know, cause the death of a pest. [00:02:56] And you know, with the term biological pesticide, pesticide being extremely broad whether it's, you know, insect, fungi, even rodent, you know, rodent sides, things like that. So yeah, again, it's a very broad term and different, different grooves, different commodities are gonna kind of have their own explanation. [00:03:09] Even the EU has a different, I think definition versus the EPA as well. So it's an evolving, evolving term. [00:03:15] Craig Macmillan: What about you, Nevada? Do you have anything to add to that? [00:03:17] Nevada Smith: I'm kind of with Robert, it's almost like sustainability. What does that mean? It means to me, I get to keep farming every year. But I think for everyone else it might have different definitions. And I think basically the, the premise is, is it's biologically based. It's based on a living organism, something that we can repeat, regrow, and, you know, the societal part of it, bio pesticide, it means it's acting or killing or helping mitigate pest. For proform have a biologically based strategy. And so we, that's what we deliver is those type of tools. [00:03:50] Craig Macmillan: One of the major pets on grapes is powdery mildew. Around the globe. Probably the major pest overall, I would say fungal disease. I have been seeing a lot of increase in the use of bio pesticides specifically for powdery mildew, some in organic systems, some in more traditional sustainability oriented systems. [00:04:09] What kind of mechanisms are there out there in the biological world for managing powdery mildew and how does that, how do they work? Nevada, do you wanna start? [00:04:18] Nevada Smith: Yeah, so for biological pesticides, there's sort of different categories and I'll even. Even throwing some sort of organic pesticides as well into this whole mix. I think as a grower or a wine processor, you have a choice and it's like, either I'm going conventional, I'm looking to maximize my value proposition on my vineyard or my process my wines. And so one of the ways we really think about this is how do you integrate bio pesticides into the overall spray for bio mildew, like our winemaker at our place they always say, Hey, if it's more than 3% power mildew it's a no go. It's a bad day for us. And so for us to take the risk on our farm. For a biologicial pesticide, we had to have some data to really get us excited about it. [00:05:02] Overall, we wanna see performance. We need to see at least seven to 10 days. And I think that's maybe the biggest challenge a powerdy mildew issue is depending on what sort of climate and what variety of grapes you're growing is how long does it take me to get across the vineyard? [00:05:17] It's really what it comes down to. [00:05:18] And you know, maybe from a pathology point of view, Robert has some perspective. [00:05:24] Rob Blundell: The way we want to kind of think about powdery mildew is it's, you know, it's, it's always gonna be there. It's gonna be present. And biologicals, when used in the right way, can be a fantastic you know, tool in the arsenal. For, for growers or farmers against a deadly pathogen like this. [00:05:38] Growers really need to kind of consider the goal of using a biological, because there's so many different mechanisms of action of a biological, I mean, it can be live, it can be live, it can be the, you know, the spent fermentation product of a biological, which is gonna work very differently versus an actual liable organism you're gonna put in your field. [00:05:53] So kind of having a clear mindset from the, from the start is gonna be crucial to knowing. What kind of biological do you use? And also importantly, kind of when to use it as well. Because you can have drastically different outcomes based on like the time of your, you know, the time of venue production and then, and then the time of the season as well. [00:06:09] But yes yeah, ultimately there's broad, broad mechanism of actions. So if we're putting something on there live you know, you know, with something like powder mildew, this, pathogen functions because it attaches onto leaves. So we have these overwintering structures called cassia. [00:06:24] So these are basically the dormant structures that are gonna help powerdy mildew, survive. That's why it's been around for so long. That's why it's, it comes back every year. So it basically shuts down, it's fungal mycelium into these dormant hard structures. And then every year it basically reawakens around spring when we get the rainfall. [00:06:39] So we're gonna get ASCO spores. These are specialized spore structures within that kind of dormant structure. They get released out. So, you know, with the, with the weather coming in this week, that's gonna be, huge out there right now. So we're gonna get the release of those spores. [00:06:51] They're gonna land on that leaf. So really that's kind of our prime target of having protection is when they're gonna be landing and then adhesing to that leaf. So with something like a biological, if we can get that onto that leaf and then, you know, that's kind of our line of defense really. We want to be setting like a line of defense early in the season. [00:07:08] Know we have a product regalia. So that gets on there. It has these antimicrobial compounds, which the first point of contact is gonna. Prevent you know, it's gonna help mitigate that interaction between the leaf and the pathogen acts as kind of that medium layer. And then it's also gonna boost the plant's natural defense. [00:07:24] So how powdery mildew you kind of functions it. Once it gets on that leaf, it has a very specialized structure. Call it, they would call it a whole story or an appium, depending on where you are in the world and specialized structure that will kind of get through that cell wall, under that cell membrane and then sucks out the nutrients from the leaf so we can get a biological on the early to boost that plant defense, boost those, you know, defense fight hormone pathways. [00:07:46] We're gonna kind of mitigate that as a an initial point of contact. And then hopefully that's gonna set us off for a you know, a good season after that. But the time, yeah, the timing is definitely crucial. [00:07:55] Nevada Smith: I think to add to Robert's point is really to start your season off right and clean. So that's why as growers or as winemakers, you choose to use some sulfur to kind of mitigate, which is not necessarily a bio pesticide, but it could be organic, you know, depending on what your source of there. But those tools to me, are foundational for getting a clean start if you start bad, and it's gonna be a hell of a year all year long. [00:08:20] And I think that's the biggest challenge of bio pesticide uses overall is. Where do they fit, what growers they fit in? And it's not a solution for all, for sure. I mean, if you're growing Chardonnay or Pinot Noir on the Sonoma Coast in a foggy bank off of Bodega Bay, tough times, you know? But if you're in Pastor Robles, maybe in the Napa Valley in the valley where it's a little bit drier, you go in cab. Issue. You probably can integrate a nice bio pesticide program into it, and I think that's the secret. [00:08:58] Craig Macmillan: You mentioned regalia. What is the actual ingredient in regalia? What does it come from? [00:09:03] Rob Blundell: Yeah, so for Regalia the active ingredient comes from giant knotweed, so Ray Nectria. So that's a giant knotweed extract essentially that's been procured and then optimized in r and d and then applied typically as a folia spray for, for grape vines. [00:09:17] Craig Macmillan: And then the plant reacts to that, and that's what increases the plant defense mechanism. [00:09:22] Rob Blundell: Yeah, yeah, pretty much. There's kind of a few, few tiers of how, you know, Regilia kind of functions. So yeah, so we do that kind of initial application pretty much as soon as you, you have any green tissue, you know, really that's a great time to kind of get that on there. And then so the plant is gonna respond to that so typically a plant, defence pathway. [00:09:39] We have salicylic acid, so that is a key phyto hormones. So phyto hormones are kind of the driving force behind the plant defense. And this is very, you know, this is typical for all kind of pathogens, all kind of crops really. So you're gonna have a pathogen interact and we'll have its initial interaction with a plant. [00:09:55] And then you're gonna get this initial, like, response straight away from a plan. It's gonna be, Hey, I, my defenses are up. I, I sense this as a foreign agent. Basically I need to, you know, protect myself. So you get this upregulation of fighter hormones. They're very regulated. Pathways that then have these cascading effects to ultimately kind of therefore have longer term defense. [00:10:14] So you have an upregulation of fighter hormones. This is gonna signal to the plant that, Hey, I need to strengthen my cell walls, for example. So I'm gonna send more liening cell lignin being a crucial component a cell. wall . That's something we see upregulated as a result of regalia. So we get that increase in phyto hormones, we'll get lignin sent to the cell wall. [00:10:32] We get an increase in antioxidants as well to kinda help break down the pathogen as well. Limiteds effects we get polyphenols various other kind of antimicrobials as a result. So we have kind of direct effects, but then crucially with regalia, so we're gonna have the plant initially respond to its application, and then when the pathogen does. [00:10:50] Come around for a, an attack. That plan already kind of is, is heightened its responses, it's ready for it, so it's gonna be a faster kind of response time and therefore what we kind of consider more of a, a longer term defense response. [00:11:02] Craig Macmillan: Are there other modes of action, perhaps ones that are live? [00:11:05] Nevada Smith: Yeah. And that, I think that's a great point. Is there, you know, the, the bacillus category has been a big category the last dozen years or so. And this could be anything waiting from a bacillus subtles to bacillus Emli. There's other bacilli out there too. And I think they're more of an integrated approach. [00:11:22] So I conventional our farm vineyards. We're gonna just rotate it in there. So just like if you're straight organic or you're straight bio pesticide, it'd be a regalia, as an example, rotated with a bacillus product. We happen to have one as well, a very nice one called Sargus. But there's other great solutions out there in the marketplace today. There's other living organisms as well. There's some products in the Streptomyces categories as well. They're used in grow rotation, but I think to me as a grower and as a winemaker myself. I'm just looking for integration, IPM strategy all the way along. And depend on how, what your guard rails are for farming that would dictate what your options are overall. [00:12:07] Craig Macmillan: So, , to you, Robert, , how do these actually work? Like bacillus subtilis and things? [00:12:11] How do they actually either prevent or treat powdery mildew in grape. [00:12:15] Rob Blundell: Yeah, good question. So for Bacillus with Star in particular so we're actually not looking to treat powdery mildew kind of outright with this product itself. That's more where regalia is gonna come as a benefit. So actually Bacillus is great for something like botrytis in grapes. So, and this is really, really where we can kind of combine regalia and stargus together for a very effective program. [00:12:34] Kind of a one-two punch. So we, you have a live bacillus product. So we have spores that are gonna colonize a surface. So whether that's being the soil, you know, microbia the leaves or the berries, and with botrytis infecting berries causing damage, necrotic lesions in those berries, that's where something like stargus , a bacillus product can be applied to those berries to effectively colonize it. [00:12:55] And again, kind of creating like a nice. Kind of shield essentially from pretty much all fungal pathogens work the same. They have to attach, then they have to penetrate to essentially, hold on. So if we can kind of form a physical, kind of physical barrier, that's gonna be great. So for a lot of the Bacillus products they produce a suite of antimicrobials. [00:13:13] So star for our company we have a suite of antimicrobials that produces, so we have things like Itur, Phin, these are all really good antimicrobials. They're gonna have a direct effect on it. So those spores will be able to, you know, colonize the berry, for example, and then help Yeah. Prevent prevent powerdy mildew So you have this live culture essentially that's on the grapes and it's producing compounds, and that's where the, the antimicrobial comes in or the antifungal comes in. [00:13:40] Nevada Smith: Yes. And. [00:13:47] So there's two registrations from an EPA standpoint. There's the live bacteria count, which people are familiar with from back in the day when there was bts, right cells ths for worm protection. And so we measure the CFUs, which is a colony forming unit. So the bacteria, and there's a minimum threshold that we have for our product as well as anybody else that registers their bacteria. Just sort of a quality control thing for the grower to know this is the level we produce. What we. Seeing the production for our solution is really around the chemical compounds being created in the fermentation process, this lipopeptides cycle. And so that's what's important to know that there's some differentiation. [00:14:25] And I always use the example, I'm a huge basketball fan and you know, there's a difference between Michael Jordan and myself. I'm not at his level. And so not all bacilli are created equal, but they all do have some performance values for them. And obviously, you know, the more you can look into science and whether it be uc, extension and the Gubler Eskalen models and local trial researchers will give you the value proposition each of these products brings to you. [00:14:50] Craig Macmillan: Now, this is something that I, I don't think I've heard before and I wanna make sure that I heard it correctly. So, some of the protection is actually coming from things that are being produced during the fermentation production of the bacteria themselves. And so these are side things. And then that makes it into the final product. [00:15:05] Nevada Smith: Yeah, that's actually the most important thing on foliar. So holistically for bacillus, and this is a very broad brush here unless you're in a tropical environment like bananas in. Columbia or Costa Rica, you're not growing more spores on the leaf surface. You might have that happen a little bit depending on sort of your micro environments. What you really want is coverage and then that eradicates. [00:15:29] The way that the the bacillus really works, it really pokes holes into the cell wall of power mildew. So that's, and it just kinda leaks out and dies. And so it's botrytis , and or powder mildew. That's the major effects that it has on these pest diseases. [00:15:43] But in those rare examples, I'll tell you, we've seen some results of our products being used in crops and tropical environments. If it can grow, it's creating more value. Now let's talk about something different. You put bacillus. Sargus into the ground in a soil treatment. It has tremendous effects on colonizing around the roots. [00:16:01] And so that's where bacillus is actually known in its natural environment into the soil profile. So that's where we really see that the one two value. Now, that's not what we're using it for in grapes. Grapes, is for foliar control of. And mild diseases. But we have many other crops that we use bacillus for like corn, for root management and prolification around the diseases down there. [00:16:27] Craig Macmillan: Do you have anything to add to that, Robert?  [00:16:29] Rob Blundell: Yeah, so that's, yeah, excellent points from Nevada. So yeah, kind, kind of getting, talking about how we can use bacillus, you know, actually to go into the soil. So something like nematodes, you know, that's, that's a huge issue in grapes always has been. It's where we have, you know, root stocks engineered over the years to have, you know, nematode resistant root stocks. [00:16:43] Again, not, not kind of the primary purpose of what we'd be looking to use stargus, and vineyards, but again, having a soil colonizer is fantastic. You know, a lot of the. The majority of diseases, especially in like the row crops, they're coming from the below ground. You know, you've got the pythium and lettuce. [00:16:57] You've got like sclero, things like that, huge kind of soil-borne pathogens. So again, having something that you can add to the soil, you know, the soil already has its own fantastic suite of, naturally present. You know, bacteria, fungi, that's, you know, like Nevada said, that's what we got ab baus from, stargus from. [00:17:12] So we're just kind of adding to that to kind of help boost the fight. And we can always kind of think of the interaction between pathogens and plants as kind of this arms race. There's a ways, you know, the pathogen kind of gets ahead by evolving slightly, and then you have the ho response from the plant and then the, the microbiome as well. [00:17:27] So we're just trying to kind of tip the scales and our balance is how a good way to kind of think of biologicals as well. And I think as you were mentioning, kind of the, the fermentation process, and that's where we get our microbials from. [00:17:37] Every microbe has primary metabolites. That's what's key to basically the survival of a microbe. But then we have secondary metabolites, and these are very highly specialized products that get produced. For bacillus, during that fermentation process, this is a, you know, these are unique metabolites. You know, metabolites are produced by the majority of. Micros, but the in particular can produce these like fantastic suite of very unique metabolites. So that's where the, a non-life product kind of comes into itself as well. By us able to understand what are those metabolites we're producing same fermentation, can we optimize those? And then do we, do we even need a live product as a result of that? [00:18:12] Craig Macmillan: Um, it sounds like this could have a really dramatic impact or role in fungicide resistance management. I. What is that role? Or are we talking about going over completely to biological for a program or are we including in a rotation with other materials? What about organic growing where we have a, a little smaller suite of things that we can use? [00:18:35] Nevada Smith: , I'll start with that if you don't mind. [00:18:36] I think it's a great question and where I see it fitting is most synthetic pesticides for disease control are really affecting the mitochondria on the inside of the dupo. And where I see it fitting is the sort of one, two, I would say contact plus systemic. That's an a de-risk, your resistance management issues. But B, increase the likelihood that those products work better and longer. [00:19:02] So today we position a product like Sargus other bacillus products in the marketplace to be in combination with a. SDHI chemistry, like Luna would be an example of that, or Pristine. We would see those integrated in the cycle of sprays, which is, it's very similar to why you use sulfur with those products as well. [00:19:23] But I think, you know, as a winemaker, I want less sulfur my crop as possible, but obviously I want, as a farmer too, I want it to be clean as can be. So it's kind of this yin and yang overall. [00:19:33] But for resistance management, I think you have to really think about the whole approach. And once again, back guardrails. Of what your restrictions are for you as a farmer and maybe the winemaker working together with them. How do you really get to the. And, you know, I, it's kind of a joke too, but we talked about earlier the word sustainability be very broad. Stroke. Well, I'm wanna farm into the future years. I wanna have that vineyard for a hundred years and not to replant it. So I'm really trying to keep as clean as possible all the time, especially for the over wintering stuff. And so to me early often protection, control contact plus systemic is the approach that we take at our farm as well. [00:20:10] Craig Macmillan: When we say earlier, are we talking bud break, two inches, four leaves?   [00:20:15] Nevada Smith: For powder. Yeah. But then we could debate, you know, on these opsis issues and can cane issues. [00:20:24] Craig Macmillan: When would I wanna put on a bacillus? [00:20:27] Nevada Smith: I would start with a sulfur spray about bud break here, and then kind of rotate back into the bloom time for the first bloom spray, about 50% bloom, more or less. I kind of time it too, and if it's a little later, I'm okay with that. That would be the major time where I get the first shots on and that we, I would start with regalia, for example, just because it's a different mode of action. And then I'd come back with the bacillus here about seven to 10 days later. [00:20:51] Craig Macmillan: And would you then include synthetic materials as well, I'm assuming. [00:20:55] Nevada Smith: Yeah, on our farm we would typically our biggest issue is getting across the, the vineyard. And so we're looking to start off with a synthetic material first, just so we can get a nice, well, sulfur first, sorry. That probably like A-S-D-H-I chemistry. And then I'd start to think about how can I integrate my approaches to, being softer chemistry based through the rest of the season. [00:21:17] Craig Macmillan: Does that make sense to you, Robert? [00:21:19] Rob Blundell: Yes. And actually I'm just gonna jump back a little bit in our conversation. I just add a few more details kind of on this approach as well. So yeah, a little bit earlier, I kinda mentioned this arms race between the pathogen and the host and, you know, the available treatments that we have and really kind of a huge benefit of. Adding a biological, say, into your conventional program or just introducing more biologicals in general for your, your fungicides is you know, as, as Nata was saying, you know, a lot of the conventional chemistry is targeted in that mitochondria. It's a very specialized kind of function. It's there, it does a great job when it works well, but then. [00:21:51] We get pathogen resistance, obviously. So there's kind of two types of resistance. You get qualitative resistance and quantitative. So qualitative is when there is a kind of sudden or abrupt loss in the ability of say, a fungicide to work. And then you have quantitative where it's kind of more of a gradual decline in effectiveness. [00:22:08] And then you get kind of these varying levels of fungicide sensitivity versus that qualitative where you're having either resistant or a sensitive is isolate. And this. It's great. We're talking about grapes and powerdy mildew, 'cause this is one of like, this is like the classic textbook example. We kind of get taught in pathology about this because powerdy mildew, it has these really quick cycling times, produces a number of generations per season, very easily dispersed. [00:22:28] So this is such a high risk kind of category for this fungicide resistance. So again, if we have just a whole range of availabilities in terms of different fungicide options, you know, chemistry, soft chemistry, biologicals various other options, we're just kind of increasing our chances of really. Just well, and one not having any pathogen resistance. [00:22:49] Because again, as soon as you have that, then you have you, you really lose your options for your chemistries. So again, just, you know, introducing a few biologicals here and there, especially for, you know, grapes on the West coast, which is the amount of sprays we're having to do in other states where you have less sprays, you can kind of get away with kind of not considering your approach a little bit more. [00:23:05] You don't have to kind of. Do your frack checks as much because maybe you're only doing one or two sprays. But here we have to be very, very concerned with our, you know, what products we're using and then at what timing they're using. So again, just having a biological to really kind of take the pressure off some of those chemistries is a, is a huge a huge, valuable source of preserving the life of your chemistry. [00:23:23] And then have, like Nevada said, you know, having sustainable wines for the years to come. [00:23:28] Craig Macmillan: Actually, that made me think of something. Is there a risk of resistance being developed to biological strategies? [00:23:38] Rob Blundell: Yeah, that's, that's a really good question. So yes. [00:23:41] It's kind of a newer question. Yeah. So again, with a lot of these chemistries being very, very site specific function, all you have to do is have a very small mutation in your, say, powerdy mildew, to overcome that. And typically with biologicals, the typically, I say typically the mode of action is a little bit more broad. [00:23:57] So very rarely are you gonna have an extremely like. , so like a lot of the chemistries buy into certain receptors that their job that do that really well. Biologicals don't tend to do that as much. They're more of a broad spectrum. That's why we see a, like for our fungicides, we see a range of control against a lot of different, you know, powerd mildew, we've got ascomiscies,, Presidio, my seeds, they pretty much do well across a range because they are more broad spectrum. [00:24:19] Not to say that in time we're gonna start to see a decline. It's, you know, again, it's kind of really how we consider using them. And we. Whether we wanna like, fully rely on them or hey, that's, let's, let's use more of a, a combined approach. So again, we just really make that sustainable as well. [00:24:33] So kind of to answer your question definitely it comes with risk but kind of inherently due to the more broad spectrum nature of biologicals, we're not too worried about the kind of resistance that we've seen developed as a result of c chemistries in that very, very specific function of a chemistry. [00:24:48] Craig Macmillan: That makes a lot of sense. I know that you had mentioned you're farming in a more traditional fashion, Nevada, but your products, and obviously I know some folks in the organic area. What role do biologicals play in an organic fungicide program? Nevada? [00:25:03] Nevada Smith: I think it's definitely at the core of your foundation of seeing how you are gonna approach powerdy, mildew and botrytus. Is it a typical, you know, seven spray system, which I'd say it's kind of typical for the northern coast markets or the coastal range. Or if you're in the valley floor are you more in that three to five applications for bio pesticides and, and what timing and how you're approaching those things are critical overall to assessing those on the organic. [00:25:30] You don't have to be just organic. You could be, from a theoretical point of view, you can just choose to be this type of farmer, which is, I want to choose softer chemistries. And I think that's the mixed bag that we deal with with customers, a crop and the crop advisors out there. [00:25:44] Rob Blundell: Yeah, and I was gonna say just to kinda add to that as well. So again, regardless whether you're doing organic or chemistry or biologicals, you know. Really key as well. Foundation is just having good cultural control as well. Something we haven't really touched on today, but again, you can really increase the effectiveness of your biological, your chemistry based on what you're doing in, in the vineyard. [00:26:02] So, you know, things like, you know, canopy thinning, so if you're using say, a biological, you wanna try to colonize those berries, you wanna kind of thin out that kind of piece. You're getting a better spray coverage. You're also gonna, you know, reduce the humidity and that kind of pee of things like mildew you know, effective pruning in dry conditions. [00:26:18] Navar was kind of talking about opsis, some of those canker pathogens. So those grapevine trunk diseases, that is still the most effective way to control a grapevine trunk disease is just to prune under the right conditions. 'cause you need that wound, that pruning wound to heal when it's, you're not gonna get a, let's see, you know, we got that ring coming in this week. [00:26:33] So, grapevine trunk disease is dormant on those on the, on the parts of the vine. They're gonna be airborne. So you need to make sure there's a very good dry window. So again, like cultural practice is always, always key to whatever approach or biologicals or chemicals. [00:26:46] Nevada Smith: I think the add to that, one of the biggest things I remember, I wanna say it's like in 2010, I saw Gubler trials, Gubler, uc, Davis, you know, famous for everything. And he had the trial and all he did was pull leaves. On the bunch closures, and I was like, wow, that looked amazing. And I said, what? What spray did you have on there? [00:27:02] And they're like, nothing. We just pulled leaves and just literally that airflow coming across there, drying out, I assume it was just drying out the spores was amazing. I was like, wow. But then I started doing the cost analysis as a grower. I'm like, I can't send a crew there and pull leaves all the time. So, [00:27:19] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, it's true. I mean, and that's why it's a mix of things. I think. It's integrated pest management. You, you know, you do want to get some airflow through there. You will probably do some canopy management, whether you do shoot thinning or leaf removal. Some of that also helps with coverage. [00:27:32] Right. So using a mix of cultural and chemical or pesticide techniques is probably, probably wise. I'm not a pest control advisor, so I probably shouldn't say that. I. But I think I, you, they're not the first folks that have, have reminded me of that. And sometimes I know that, I think we kind of forget. [00:27:49] I wanna change topics a little bit. There's a, I don't wanna say new, but new to me. Area bio fertilizers a totally different kind of strategy for plant nutrition Nevada. What is a bio fertilizer? What, how do they work? What is it and how does it work? [00:28:05] Nevada Smith: So bio fertilizers can be a multitude of things, but once again, back to bio based on living organisms prior living organisms. We happen to have one that we're just launching this year into the grape industry called Illustra. It's based on this unique technology, UBP. Universal biological platform. I'm not trying to be a billboard ad here, but the reason why I'm bringing it up is it, it's really is a platform, which is interesting about it because it's, it's a technology that we can change and manipulate depending on how we go through the production cycle. And so we're creating tools that are more made for abiotic stresses. [00:28:39] And so we're trying to deal with different stresses that. Crop can deal with. And so right now the core market that we've been using these products , for is like soybeans and corn. [00:28:49] But as we think about the permanent crop markets of grapes, tree nuts, citrus, it's a little bit different as far as cycle and how you approach it. And so what we've seen through the data, these bio fertilizers is really trying to mitigate abiotic stresses. So what we're really mitigating is one, like you, you think about herbicide applications. You kind do a banded application near the tree trunk into about a third of the spray row. That herbicide usually hits that tree trunk. [00:29:14] There is a cause and effect on the grapevine itself. What if you could put a tool down that was sprayed on the same time to mitigate that stress or de-stress it from even how much time and pressure it's having? So. Our product is really one of those tools today that's really focused on mitigating biotic stresses. [00:29:30] Other things I can think about as a farmer is like salinity in the soil. The roots are pushing. You have water issues in California. We all talk about that. How do you mitigate the plant that still maximize the yield? So. Choosing the bio fertilizer today that's really focused on that, not just being a typical, you know, can 17 or un 30 twos based nitrogen based products. [00:29:51] This is something else to bring into the marketplace. They're kind of more niche based, depending on what you're dealing with. But there there's several out there. There's, seaweed extracts would be a big one, right? That people use a lot around farms. There's humic, andic acids, organic acids in general. So those are the kind of the buckets of items today that farmers are choosing for bio fertilizers. [00:30:14] Rob Blundell: Hmm. Yeah. And I can yeah, touch a little bit more on the, on the UBP illustrate product as well in terms of kind of how, how that really functions. And as Navar said, it's, you know, helping bounce back after, say, some herbicide damage, promoting that early season boost in biomass. [00:30:27] So, you know, a product like this, this UBP will basically kind of. Inducing cell division. So in you know, increasing mitochondrial activity, more cell division essentially leads to more chlorophyll, more photosynthesis graded by a mass production. And it's actually done by acidifying the cell wall. So we acidify a cell wall. You get more what we have these, there's proton pumps on these cell wall. [00:30:48] We're basically pumping in more protons, increasing the rate of that cell division. So we're basically yeah, boosting that in ocean season biomass. Therefore having that. You know, quicker resilience to say, you know, abiotic stresses like no said, whether it's salinity, salt, drought, water, things like that. [00:31:02] So yeah, numerous, numerous benefits of some of these fertilizers. [00:31:07] Craig Macmillan: Which actually talking about antibiotic stress, that it reminds me of something. I want to apply it to this, but I also want to go back. If you're using a live material, a bacillus or something, or if you have a, a bio fertilizer that may is are there living things in bio fertilizers. [00:31:22] Nevada Smith: There can be, [00:31:24] uh [00:31:24] Craig Macmillan: be. Okay. [00:31:25] Nevada Smith: We don't have anything in ours today, but I think there are, let's call the word impregnated Fertilizers. With living organisms. It could be trico, dermas, it could be other things, bacillus. And those are good, good tools to use. [00:31:39] The hard part is like, you know, now we start to open the can of worms around like compost tea, like what's in there. And I think that's the biggest challenge that growers, those things do work as a whole. But then you start to run into the quality assurance, quality control. And I think that's where companies invest in the bio pesticide industry are really trying to. Tell the story and not just be perceived as snake oils and saying, Hey, replicated work we measure to this level, like CFU content and here's what we expect results to be consistently. [00:32:08] And this is sort of the shelf life issues and we're kind of getting as a, you know, the world evolves. I think there's just this environmental things that people choose to do. And I think, you know, everything works. Just a question of how you integrate it into your own farming systems. [00:32:24] Craig Macmillan: So speaking of environmental factors and antibiotic stress one thing that's occurred to me is that if I have something that's that's out there, either that's living or maybe maybe a fragile compound, how do things like drought and heat affect these materials in the field? [00:32:38] Rob Blundell: Yeah. Yeah, very good question. I think historically that was always kind of. What people thought of the negative of biologicals were like, well, is only gonna work under certain conditions. You know, where, where have you tested it? So yeah, it's, it's a good question as well. [00:32:50] It's , case by case dependent you know, certain extremes and temperatures, various conditions as well are gonna have effects on, you know, the, the longevity of that. But we, you know, we try to test it under. There a variety of conditions. And then for particularly something you know, with our fungicides as well for, for the grape industry, you know, these new be tested on a variety of key varietals as well. [00:33:10] You know, it's, Hey, it might work for Chardonnay but not for Sauvignon Blanc. So that's important to evaluate as well, rather than just bring a product to market that like you, it's only gonna work on very certain aspects of a, of the single industry. [00:33:22] Craig Macmillan: So heat as an example, , you have a fair amount of confidence that I can apply something in the, in the heat if I have a hot, dry condition in the summer that it's not going to. Break down those materials that are there from the fermentation or kill the live organism. We, we think there's a fair amount of resilience here. [00:33:39] Rob Blundell: Yeah, again, definitely gonna be dependent on the, the type of microbe and the type of metabolite that it's producing. But you know, microbes in nature are exposed to these extreme conditions just naturally anyway, you know, so we have epi amplified slipping on the surface of products. So on the surface of. [00:33:54] Structures. So like a grapevine, like a leaf. They're obviously out there and exposed to the elements every single day. And then the soil is a, is a chaotic environment. There's a lot going on in the soil. So microbes are just, you know, extremely resilient in nature themselves. So there's gonna be a, again it's gonna vary depending on, you know, the microbe and, and the product we're using. [00:34:12] But there's good efficacy. [00:34:16] Craig Macmillan: What's the future? What is the future looking like for biological products, living or extra? [00:34:23] Nevada Smith: for the marketing hat on myself, not the farmer side. [00:34:27] It, I think everything's coming down to specialized sprays. And if I had to vision what the features look like to me, it's gonna be about. Seeing robots down the vineyard. They have 18 different things and their little mechanisms and there's, they're just, they're analogizing what's going on in that grape cluster itself. [00:34:44] They're spot spraying three or four things and they're going down the next level. That to me, is where we're gonna get down to the future, where the grapes themselves will naturally grow less chemicals to be used overall. [00:34:54] but if you need to go through and really take care of a problem, you're gonna go through and take care of a problem. And I think that's where it's become very exciting to me. You're gonna put less of a prophylactic spray across all systems, and you're kind of really create some microenvironments where you think that Vine number seven got sprayed a lot. Vine number 21 has not been sprayed all season. Wonder why? Let's go check it out. Let's understand and investigate. [00:35:18] The other big thing I think in grapes that's really interesting from exploratory research and development side for our company is like viruses. Viruses have not been addressed and it's becoming an issue. It's something I want to kind of explore and put on our docket of, you know, assessment stuff and how we can take new technologies to really improve virus transmissions. How do you mitigate once you have a virus? And it still produce that vine for another 10 plus years. So it gets quality and quantity out of it. Those are the kind of things interesting to me. [00:35:50] Craig Macmillan: Robert. [00:35:51] Rob Blundell: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, really good point, Sarah as well. And yeah, viruses in particular is, is something we see about in the grapevine industry. And yeah, often biological companies we're focused on, you know, the, the fungal issues, the bacteria, the, the nematodes. So that's, that's a huge area that really needs some more dedication. [00:36:06] So there's gonna be some great technologies available for that in the future. Yeah, I think to speak to no Nevada's points on kind of the future of it, I think like a really kind of custom tailored approach is gonna be available for those that want it. Particularly from the pathology side of my interest. [00:36:19] I think precision monitoring and detection of disease is just, I. Advancing leaps and bounds. So again, like, you know, going out there and doing scouting, hopefully people are gonna have a lot better tools available, available to 'em in the near future to really kind of understand crucial times in their season where disease is coming in. [00:36:36] And then again, like I. Just having better tools to kind of really actually di inform us of the pathogen as well that's present rather than just again, a lot of, a lot of diseases is hard to pinpoint to an exact pathogen. We're lucky in grapes, powerdy, mildew, and, botrytis are very obvious. We know what those are, we think are some of the row crops. [00:36:52] It could be a whole host of things. We've got nematodes, we've got various sore pathogens that we can't actually see. So I think yeah, improving disease diagnosis and detection, having these precision tools is gonna be a huge part of the future where biologicals can integrate themselves in as well. [00:37:07] Craig Macmillan: That sounds pretty exciting. I wanna thank you both for being on the program. This has been a really great conversation. My guests today we're Nevada Smith. He is the head of Marketing North America and Robert Blande, who's a research plant pathologist, both with Pro Farm Group. Thanks for being on the podcast. [00:37:22] Nevada Smith: Appreciate you. [00:37:23] Rob Blundell: Thank you very much, Craig. It was a pleasure. [00:37:25] Craig Macmillan: And to our listeners, thank you for listening to Sustainable Wine Growing Vineyard team. [00:37:29] Nevada Smith: Craig, one more thing. We gotta just drink more wine.  [00:37:40] Beth Vukmanic: Thank you for listening. [00:37:41] Today's podcast was brought to you by Vineyard Industry Products serving the needs of growers since 1979. Vineyard industry products believes that integrity is vital to building long-term customer, employee, and vendor relationships. And they work hard to provide quality products at the best prices they can find. Vineyard industry products gives back investing in both the community and the industry. [00:38:06] Make sure you check out the show notes for links to Pro Farm, an article titled, what are Bio Pesticides Plus Related Sustainable Wine Growing Podcast episodes. 117 Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light 123. What's happening in biologicals for pest management and plant health? 266 Soft pesticide trial for powdery mildew, downy mildew, botrytis and sour rot, and a healthy soils playlist. [00:38:34] If you'd like the show, do us a big favor by sharing it with a friend, subscribing and leaving us a review. You can find all of the podcasts on vineyard team.org/podcast, and you can reach us at podcast@vineyardteam.org. Until next time, this is Sustainable Wine Growing with the Vineyard team.   Nearly perfect transcription by Descript

Tim and Tyler talk to Bill Brady about his philosophy for building teams, boards, and companies, while also digging into his current company, Kula Bio. — This episode is presented by MyLand. Learn more HERE. — Links Kula Bio - https://www.kulabio.com  Kula Bio on Aglist - https://aglist.com/manufacturer/kula-bio  AgList - https://aglist.com 

We launched Yelp for Biologicals! Check it out at AgList.com. — This month, Tim and Tyler talk with Ariel about her latest Topsoil edition - "The price is right (even when it's low) - A framework for commodity crop prices in agriculture." Ariel Patton is the creator of Topsoil, a newsletter bringing you monthly frameworks to help make sense of agriculture, at just the right depth. Ariel has focused her career on driving digital transformation of agriculture to help farmers manage their businesses more profitably and sustainably at Monsanto, Granular, Corteva, Mineral, and now, Innerplant. — This episode is presented by MyLand. Learn more HERE. — Links Topsoil - https://topsoil.substack.com Ariel on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielpatton/ AgList - https://aglist.com

Tim ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/timnuss/ ) and Tyler ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-nuss/ ) talk to Andrew Duff ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-duff-um-reb2000/ ) about the biological space, why mycorrhizal fungi matters, and why Groundwork BioAg was an early believer in AgList. — This episode is presented by MyLand. Learn more HERE. — Links Groundwork BioAg - https://groundworkbioag.com  Groundwork BioAg on AgList - https://aglist.com/manufacturer/groundwork-bioag AgList: Yelp for Biologicals - https://aglist.com World AgriTech - https://worldagritechusa.com/program/ 

We launched Yelp for Biologicals! Check it out at AgList.com. — A principal with Pinion, Brian leads the firm's Government and Public Affairs service area. With a background in environmental law and regulations, he identifies and educates business owners on how to influence and change political systems for a market advantage. Recent successes include: Saving U.S. farmers an estimated $5 billion, collectively, by initiating the Farmers for Tax Fairness coalition to oppose changes to cash accounting, resulting in an ag exemption in the House tax reform draft bill. Leading an ongoing effort to change tax code to allow thousands of mutual ditch, irrigation, and water companies to access private investment to upgrade aging water infrastructure. Led a coalition instrumental in the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). USMCA is critical for U.S. agriculture and ensures preferential market access for our farmers. Pulling together a partnership of tribes and dairy farmers to develop a biogas facility and turn dairy manure into 450 kilowatts of power. This effort eliminated a lawsuit threat, increased dairy herd size, and enhanced salmon protection. Helping establish a habitat exchange to offset habitat impacts from mineral development by providing incentives to landowner and industry for land and water stewardship. Brian is a founder of Vela Environmental, a consulting firm supporting long-term business sustainability that became part of the firm in 2013. During the past 20 years, he has served as chief of staff, legislative director, and environmental and energy adviser to U.S. Senator Max Baucus. A leader in sustainability, he was awarded the Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and selected as a U.S.-Japan Leadership Foundation Fellow. — This episode is presented by MyLand. Learn more HERE. — Links Pinion - https://www.pinionglobal.com/people/brian-kuehl/ Resources for Affected USA Employees - https://www.linkedin.com/in/constancebowen/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-cain-9734b644/

We launched Yelp for Biologicals! Check it out at AgList.com. — Arun Ohri was Tim's pick for 2024 Ag Person of the Year on our annual Acre Awards. Arun Ohri (Arunohri@hotmail.com) is a farmer who owns both Jubilant Earth Nursery and AAA Land Management. He was raised by a family of farmers who grew peaches on 20 acres in Yuba City.  Thirty-six years ago, they also planted walnut trees in what Ohri describes as really bad conditions – “muck.” Those trees have since adapted to rough conditions. Ohri stresses these aren't genetically modified trees — they have naturally evolved to be able to thrive in poor soil and Jubilant  Earth Nursery now sells them.  Ohri says these seeds are hardier and make going organic more easy. On his own 1600-acre farm, he currently grows walnuts and almonds. About 400 acres are organic, and he's working on transitioning the remaining 1,200 acres. Arun has recently scaled his biological product, Worm Fuel, and also has a DTC nut butter company, Amazing Nut Company. — This episode is presented by MyLand. Learn more HERE. — Links Amazing Nut Company - https://amazingnutcompany.com/ AgList - https://aglist.com

We launched Yelp for Biologicals! Check it out at AgList.com. — This month, Tim and Tyler talk with Ariel about her latest Topsoil edition - "The price is right (even when it's low) - A framework for commodity crop prices in agriculture." Ariel Patton is the creator of Topsoil, a newsletter bringing you monthly frameworks to help make sense of agriculture, at just the right depth. Ariel has focused her career on driving digital transformation of agriculture to help farmers manage their businesses more profitably and sustainably at Monsanto, Granular, Corteva, Mineral, and now, Innerplant. — This episode is presented by MyLand. Learn more HERE. — Links Topsoil - https://topsoil.substack.com Ariel on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielpatton/ AgList - https://aglist.com

We launched Yelp for Biologicals! Check it out at AgList.com. — Jack Richardson is kicking off a new and improved version of The Modern Acre newsletter. After starting his career in venture banking, Jack has spent the last five years in AgTech, first at a food waste startup and now in precision technology at an Ag OEM. He's spent most of his career in strategy roles where he's explored ways to make business models work. Outside of his specific roles, he's written about the space more broadly – you may have come across his prior writing on LinkedIn. In tandem with the contributing to the monthly newsletter, Jack will join us on the podcast every month to break down his latest research and dig into the strategy behind the topic he's covering. This month we dig into breaking down the fascinating business of Erewhon. Check out the newsletter here. — This episode is presented by MyLand. Learn more HERE. — Links AgList - https://aglist.com Newsletter - https://themodernacre.substack.com Tyler on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-nuss/ Tim on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timnuss/

*To see the machinery in action, watch the video HERE.In this Ag Spotlight podcast episode Chrissy Wozniak takes us to FIRA USA 2024 in Woodland, California, a premier event where agricultural technology meets innovation. Chrissy speaks with representatives from several forward-thinking companies showcasing advancements in AI, robotics, automation, and precision agriculture. Learn how these technologies are transforming farming practices and addressing challenges such as labor shortages, efficiency, and sustainability.Featured Topics and Innovations:Selective Harvesting with AIAn advanced robotic system designed to identify and harvest specific crops with precision.Highlights the potential for new technology to shift global agricultural narratives.Precision Spraying for Sustainable FarmingAI-powered sprayers that reduce manual labor and minimize the use of crop protection products.Discusses the rapid adoption of AI within the agricultural sector.Major Investments in Ag Tech InnovationInsights into the latest funding round supporting the growth of advanced robotics.Features a revolutionary tool for weed management and previews upcoming innovations.Automation for Agricultural MachineryExploring how technology is modernizing traditional farming equipment.Highlights solutions that improve efficiency and expand operational possibilities.Data-Driven Farming with Weather TechnologyAdvanced weather stations and sensors providing real-time data on rainfall, soil moisture, frost risk, and more.Integration of mobile technology and multilingual support for global accessibility.Why You Should Listen:This episode offers a deep dive into the cutting-edge solutions shaping the future of agriculture. Whether you're interested in AI-driven automation, precision tools, or data-powered decision-making, this episode provides valuable insights into the industry's latest advancements.Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about FIRA USA at https://fira-usa.com#farm #farming #agricultureNorth American Ag is devoted to highlighting the people & companies in agriculture who impact our industry and help feed the world. Subscribe at https://northamericanag.comWant to hear the stories of the ag brands you love and the ag brands you love to hate? Hear them at https://whatcolorisyourtractor.comDon't just thank a farmer, pray for one too!Send us a textSubscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com