Podcasts about Fertilizer

Don't let a potassium deficiency steal your season (or your yields).   With potassium deficiencies on the rise across North America, we're taking a closer look at how you can address mid-season crop needs. Join Mike Howell and Dr. Bobby Golden as they explore how you can spot, diagnose and solve mid-season potassium deficiencies for greater yields and profitability. From how to diagnose a deficiency to practical tips for correction, this episode explores everything you need to know about mid-season potassium management. Dig into the hidden signs of hunger in your soybean crops and how important it is to catch deficiency ahead of time.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics

Tuesday on AOA, powered by Cenex, we start the show with a look at the latest fertilizer price action and trends with Josh Linville, VP of Fertilizer at StoneX. In Segment Two, we learn about the new book Welts on Your Butt a Calf Could Suck: Reflections on Faith, Family, and a Farm Kid's Life, written by friend of the show Tom Brand. You can buy the book now at RichardsonPress.com and Amazon.   In Segment Three, we cover a number of issues including the latest on legal challenges surrounding Roundup, this week's expected MAHA commission report, CO2 pipeline news and more with DTN Environmental Editor, Todd Neeley. Then we wrap the show in Segment Four with a recap of last week's Kansas wheat tour with Dave Green from the Wheat Quality Council.

We're not sure if he's famous or infamous, but we're glad he's here even though he's bringing a lot of bad news.  Josh Linville returns to join hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Though you may remember him as Jeff's most famous friend, Josh is also the Vice President of Fertilizer at StoneX.Josh, Jeff, and Sal dig into what has caused the fertilizer market to struggle so much this year.  You'll hear about how low inventories, import and export issues, and spring production issues have combined to cause the perfect storm within the industry.  They'll talk specifically about the high Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) prices and why they think there's no reason to anticipate correction before summer.  They'll also discuss the countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizers and why there's reason to believe this won't stay tough forever.  Until that time, like Josh says, “This will be probably the biggest standoff we have ever seen between buyers and sellers…”

We're not sure if he's famous or infamous, but we're glad he's here even though he's bringing a lot of bad news.  Josh Linville returns to join hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for this episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies.  Though you may remember him as Jeff's most famous friend, Josh is also the Vice President of Fertilizer at StoneX.Josh, Jeff, and Sal dig into what has caused the fertilizer market to struggle so much this year.  You'll hear about how low inventories, import and export issues, and spring production issues have combined to cause the perfect storm within the industry.  They'll talk specifically about the high Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) prices and why they think there's no reason to anticipate correction before summer.  They'll also discuss the countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizers and why there's reason to believe this won't stay tough forever.  Until that time, like Josh says, “This will be probably the biggest standoff we have ever seen between buyers and sellers…”

Forecasts of large soybean and corn crops in the 2024-25 cycle strengthen Brazil's position in the export market, especially for countries like China, amid the twists and turns of the United States' tariff policy. However, domestic demand is also expected to increase, intensifying logistical challenges. Learn more about the supply and demand outlook for the South American country's agricultural commodities in this conversation between Nathalia Giannetti, member of the team in charge of the Argus AgriMarkets and Argus Brazil Grains and Fertilizers reports, and Camila Fontana, Argus' Deputy Bureau Chief in Sao Paulo.  

What will the potential impact of tariffs be on fertilizers, particularly those imported from China? Josh Linville is the vice president of Fertilizer for StoneX, and he says the U.S. hasn’t brought in Chinese fertilizer products for several years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet your vineyard night-shift rodent patrol —barn owls. Bob Peak, a dedicated volunteer at Pacific Wildlife Care, shares how these incredible predators consume up to 30 gophers or voles a night. Learn fun facts about their short lifecycle, nesting habits, and how to properly install nest boxes (hint: ventilation and road direction matter!). Discover how you can encourage barn owls to thrive on your land—plus, hear how these owls even foster orphaned chicks. Resources:         REGISTER: 6/6/25 Tailgate | Bird Abatement and Managing Wildlife in the Vineyard 58: Barn Owls 84: Falconry Bird Abatement 118: Managing Rodent Pests in Vineyards with Integrated Pest Management Build Your Own Owl Box Cornell Lab All About Birds National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association Pacific Wildlife Care The Barn Owl Box Company The Barn Owl Trust (UK) UC Davis Raptor Center 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 [00:00:04] Beth Vukmanic: Meet your vineyard, night shift Rodent patrol - barn owls. 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 [00:00:18] In today's podcast, Craig Macmillan critical resource manager at Niner Wine Estates with longtime SIP Certified Vineyard in the first ever SIP Certified winery. Speaks with Bob Peak, a dedicated volunteer at Pacific Wildlife Care. [00:00:34] Bob shares how these incredible predators consume up to 30 gophers or voles a night. Learn fun facts about their short lifecycle nesting habitats, and how to properly install nest boxes, hint, ventilation, and road direction matter. [00:00:50] Discover how you could encourage barn owls to thrive on your land plus. Here how these owls even foster orphaned chicks. [00:00:58] If you love this topic and want to learn even more about barn owls, you won't want to miss the June 6th, 2025 tailgate on bird abatement and managing wildlife in the vineyard. [00:01:09] Hosted at Jackson Family Wines Bar M Vineyard in Los Alamos, California. We'll see a live falconry demonstration and learn the latest barn owl research from California Polytechnic State University, including how changes in vineyard habitat affect foraging behavior. To register, just go to vineyard team.org/events or look for the link in the show notes. [00:01:33] Now, let's listen in. [00:01:38] Craig Macmillan: Our guest today is Bob Peak. He is a volunteer with Pacific Wildlife care in SLO County, California. And today we're gonna talk about barn owls. Thanks for being on the podcast, Bob. [00:01:48] Bob Peak: Thank you very much Craig, and I want to thank you and the Niner Wine Estates for this invitation. I think that this going to be very informative and quite fascinating actually. [00:02:00] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, so I'll give you a little bit of background on that. I met Bob, when he came out to Niner Wine estates, looking for clutches, looking for looking for outlets, and we learned all kinds of fascinating things. And I was like, I have got to talk to this guy on the podcast 'cause there's so much information and interesting things about barn owls that I didn't know, until a couple months ago. [00:02:23] But why don't we start with you telling us a little bit about, pacific wildlife Care. [00:02:28] Bob Peak: Yes. Pacific Wildlife Care was started 41 years ago here in the county by home rehabbers. There was no facility. People did their work in their specialty right out of their home, whether it was raccoons or opossums. We people tended to have a different skill that they were good at, and it started with very humble beginnings. [00:02:51] We finally reached a point where we could afford a facility and we went and occupied part of the PG&E power plant there in Morrow Bay. We are right next door to the Marine Mammal Center, if anyone knows where that is, and we are right now in the process of having to move as they are, also as there are plans coming up for the property. [00:03:17] We currently have had some donors step up and provide us with not only the 10 acres of land on Buckley Road in San Luis Obispo, but we are also very quickly in the process of building a brand new facility out there. [00:03:35] Craig Macmillan: That is really great. There's definitely a need for this. How did you personally become involved in wildlife rehabilitation? [00:03:43] Bob Peak: I needed something to do after I retired and I literally, I saw an ad in the Tribune, a local paper that said that they were looking for volunteers and I had had some experience with the birds of prey as a a child. I have a Native American background and they're a very important part of our culture. [00:04:04] we, we learned about them early on and the opportunity to work around people that were like-minded as far as with the animals in San Luis Bipo County was rather exciting. [00:04:18] Craig Macmillan: And so let's move on. Talk about barn owls specifically. Why is it important to encourage and protect barn owls? [00:04:24] Bob Peak: Ooh, that's a good question. barn owls are a species that really keep things in check. They're the balance to something that could get outta control very quickly. and I think we all see that, whether it's at our houses or at the wineries. And that's these, the rodents and other pests. That not only are harmful to us but they're harmful to our crops and even potential danger to us as well. [00:04:56] They are voracious eaters. They consume anywhere between six to eight voles or gophers a night. And that's each when a parent is feeding the young. That number can go up by times four. You could see that you might be 30 vols taken a night. So they do a tremendous job for the environment. And again, they, they're more of a checks and balances. [00:05:29] I think too that the more barn owls that you have in an area it means that you're basically protected. It's one of those things too where people also think the same way with the, the skunks or opossums and raccoons. They can be nuisances at times, but they serve a very good purpose in eliminating all kinds of pests, insects, and things that you don't want. [00:05:56] Craig Macmillan: What is the lifecycle of a barn owl? [00:06:00] Bob Peak: . I wrote a couple of notes down on this. The lifecycle is rather short for barn owl. The, they're cavity nesters, what happens is the, the barn owl parents make for life, they're monogamous. So they'll stick around they'll find a cavity barn or something that a box where they'll head in and lay anywhere between one and eight eggs. The incubation period is rather quick. [00:06:38] The breeding season is basically between late January and February for about six to eight weeks. , about a week and a half before the female laser eggs, she's nest bound. She's too heavy to fly. She can't even get out of the box. [00:06:53] Another thing that she does at that same time is she picks a little brood patch. On her belly to where she can remove those feathers. And once the young born, 'cause they have no feathers, she will put them right next to that skin of hers for the warmth that they're gonna need. [00:07:15] Incubation is 29 to about 34 days. Again, they could lay between one and eight eggs. And they can do that three times a year. They might just have one clutch of eight. They could have two or maybe even three if the conditions are right. [00:07:33] She'll turn these eggs every so many minutes and then it takes, oh, I would say, you know, like 29 to 34 days, [00:07:44] and then the chick to get out from the shell. The have this little hook on the end of their bill. It's an egg tooth that's on the end of their, bill. And then that will actually break the egg open and it does take a while for, it takes 12 to 36 hours for 'em to get out of that eggshell. Four to seven. [00:08:08] It'll be about four months before they'll see another. But brood, because once they leave, then they'll lay more eggs. [00:08:17] The four months will pass from the egg being laid to the young, gaining independence. That's it. And they pretty much don't receive much training from their parents. It's, they get out of the box and then they're on their own. Where a great horned owl will spend up to a year or more, even longer with their parents. [00:08:37] Craig Macmillan: Hmm. [00:08:39] Bob Peak: A freshly hatched barnells Pink mentioned that know they hatch in sequence of the way that they were laid. [00:08:46] Craig Macmillan: Oh. [00:08:46] Bob Peak: The oldest could be three weeks old when the youngest hatches. So there is a. A challenge for food with that young one because that big one's gonna be going after it. So that's right off the bat. You know, you got some you know, some things working against you. [00:09:03] The downey Plumage starts to show up about three weeks later. They tend to clutch together and for that warmth till then. And then the female again, is taking the food brought by the male. The male is doing all the hunting. And the male will bring it in. The female will grab that food and rip it apart and feed it individually to each of the babies. Very small pieces [00:09:31] about the time they're two weeks old, they can stand on their own and they can actually eat whole prey. And now that's something to see on itself, to watch these little critters take a vole or a small mouse and swallow that you think they're gonna choke. It's quite. For a parent, you know, you're worried, you know [00:09:53] once the, the youngest chick can feed itself, then mom will leave the nest for hunting too. No longer needed to rip food. And then it takes both parents to feed those animals. And because each of the young ones are gonna need three or more mice themselves. On top of mom and dad eating each needing 8, 6, 7, or eight themselves. [00:10:23] Average time to fledge is about nine weeks. Fledgling means they basically are fully feathered and ready to take off to see the world. They can test their wings sometimes, but to do so a lot of times there's no perch. There's just basically the entry and exit hole. That's why we find 'em so many times on the ground. They're curious. They get close to that or sometimes they can get pushed out again. Most of the time when we receive them, it's because they've fallen out of a nest. [00:10:58] , if they are on the ground, they're pretty much doomed because. There's raccoons in your area, Craig. You've got Bobcat, you've got mountain lions, coyotes. We're trying to get them back into that box as soon as we can. [00:11:13] Fledglings will continue to be fed by the parents for about three months, maybe even a little longer. By. Oh, I would say November. The fledglings will have dispersed if they were laid in the summer and they found a territory settled into a new Nest site. But life is hard for the new ones. It's true of owls and it's true of the raptors, hawks, eagles and things. The survival rate is low. The survival rates can average 37 to 65%. [00:11:54] Craig Macmillan: Hmm. [00:11:54] Bob Peak: But the odds improve greatly. If they make it past their first year, they gotta get the skills down. Many young barnells starve to death. Typically, they'll live only another three or four, three years through typical lifespan. [00:12:09] Craig Macmillan: Hmm. [00:12:10] Bob Peak: The barn owls do not typically hunt close to their nest box. They like to leave, they like to go to open fields where they can fly low. Listening for rodents. A lot of times, again, we think of them as using their sight, but they have incredible hearing as well. Just look at those ears on a great horn owl. [00:12:31] The one of the reasons why they get into trouble as well, when they're going close to the ground or just flying after something, they're looking down and they're not looking ahead. That's why they could easily run into the side of a truck. On a side, you know, a highway and you see them very frequently on the side of the road. 'cause that's just what they did. They ran right into the side of it. They can run into power poles, they run into anything that's there in front of them they can run into. So it's, it can be dangerous. About 80% of fatalities are from traffic casualties, 80%. It is really important to keep your nest boxes away from the road and the highway and the entrance hole. Of course, we talked about this, Craig is always facing east and never facing a busy road. [00:13:27] Would you like me to talk about the nest box that we have come to? [00:13:32] Craig Macmillan: Yeah. First of all though, i, you know, you mentioned, mice and voles most of vineyards are interested in gophers. How important are gophers to their diet? [00:13:43] Bob Peak: Oh, extremely. They're, they're just like a vole. Very similar. They're like the, the same thing. They love gophers. I think that you'll find it in in vineyards like yours where you take a more natural approach to things. You're letting much Mother Nature do this work. And the gophers are very delicious for these barn owls they're meaty usually. The mice can be a little smaller, it's very good. That's why they prefer a gopher or a vol. [00:14:18] I know that some of the vineyards around also will spray and we talked about this you know, using no, , insecticides and things like that where yours is a, you know, a kind of a, a free zone and when you're spraying on the ground and things chemicals. Those are picked up by the rodents and things of that nature and transferred to the barn owl. So, another reason to take your approach to vineyard management. Very important step. It's, it keeps everything safe. [00:14:53] Craig Macmillan: Let's talk about barn owl nesting boxes now. You mentioned, you mentioned a couple of things. You said nightmare road. The opening facing east is preferable. Will they not nest if the opening is facing north or west or south? [00:15:08] Bob Peak: They will, but you're gonna expose them to wind and air and possibly rain that will you know, get in there. That's typical. Most of our, our, our weather fronts are coming from west to east, so it gives them a little added protection [00:15:26] also to that sun coming up in the morning. It gives some warmth into the box. Yeah, but those are, those are the, the real key points. [00:15:35] Another one too, craig, is to make sure that the box is well ventilated. It has to have ventilation holes throughout the box. It's best to have 'em on the floor so any liquid that does get in there can go through as well as on the side, so you can get a breeze through there. [00:15:55] Size also is very important. If you can think about having eight of those little barn outlets with two parents in there, you need a big box and for them to really thrive. [00:16:10] The larger the box, the better. The I've seen some boxes that are so small that it just, it gives the owl outlets less of a chance because they feel that they have to fight to survive a little more when there's not enough space. And I've heard of other owletes pushing other owletes out of the box just to increase their chances of survival. You know, it's kind of one of those survival of the fittest things. So the more room they have, the better it is for everyone. [00:16:47] Craig Macmillan: How big is appropriate? [00:16:49] Bob Peak: I would say probably three feet by two feet, to three feet, and probably two to three feet tall. [00:16:58] Craig Macmillan: Oh, okay. That's a lot bigger than most of the boxes. I see. Yeah. [00:17:01] Bob Peak: They are, they're much bigger. We've looked at a lot of other facilities that rescue barn owls. [00:17:08] We've even gone over to England. They have a a, a program with their owls as well. They had one of the more interesting boxes. it had on the outside a platform. Purchase basically. So these young ones can get out there and see the world, test their wings and then get right back inside if they need to. [00:17:29] Much bigger boxes, much heavier to work with. Again, that was the thing that we found. We, it was just a heavy box, but it was exceptional. But it was big. And they need to be cleaned. So any box that's built needs to have an access port to where you can get into it every couple years and clean out the droppings which need to be done very carefully, because again, as you know, some animal droppings can cause us harm. So you wanna make sure you wear a mask. [00:18:01] Craig Macmillan: Right. [00:18:02] Bob Peak: Again there's all kinds of issues and that, or, discussions about having a perch on the outside or ledge on the outside of that box. [00:18:12] It's nice because they can get out there, have a chance of getting out and getting right back in and not falling to the ground. That perch also is a chance for a great horned owl to come over and get itself on there as well, or on any of the little. Ledges that you built. [00:18:32] The key to all of this is the size of that entry hole. That entry hole cannot be bigger than about five and a half inches, really, five to five and a half inches any bigger than that. You're gonna a, a great horned l be able to get in and then, and it's just, it's not good. [00:18:50] Craig Macmillan: Right. So the, horned owl is a predator [00:18:53] my. It is, you wouldn't think, you know, owl to owl stuff like that. But yeah, it is. They are probably one of the more other than traffic fatalities, it's the, great horned owl [00:19:06] They are very aggressive. They know where these things live. They're very smart. The great horned owl, and again. If you get a young one out on a perch and it's there, it's, it could be could be done. [00:19:20] I have seen, 'cause I've been to a lot of vineyards in the area and I've seen a lot of large holes in these boxes and I actually went into one and it, it was occupied by great horned owl. it laid eggs in the box. [00:19:38] Oh wow. [00:19:39] Bob Peak: So. Well that is something too about owls. Is they don't make nests. [00:19:45] , the great horned owl will and barn owl will find a cavity. The great horn owl's, not a cavity nester, but they'll take an old hawks nest or eagle nest or something and make it their own. And then they tend to get into trouble because they're usually using a nest that isn't in that good of a shape. [00:20:04] Craig Macmillan: Hmm. What are some other things about sighting of boxes? We, we know not close to a road. We know the direction of the, the, of the opening. What are some things that will encourage the bar nows to nest there based on their other behavior? [00:20:19] Bob Peak: I, I think that you just have, to know, about approximately how many acres you have and you want to place a box about every five acres. You can actually have more boxes depending on how much food you have for them, but anywhere between five to 10 acres per box. Again, with the parameters of facing these, being the correct size and everything. So if you have a 50 acre property, you're looking at anywhere between oh five to 10 boxes on that property. [00:20:54] Craig Macmillan: And something that. I had heard was that it's good to have them near a tree. So that they have someplace that they can land right away when they come out of the box. Is that true? [00:21:05] Bob Peak: Yeah. I, we, we've experimented with that Absolutely. Again that's a more natural setting for them where they would be in the the hollow of a tree and come out and possibly be on a branch. Absolutely. I like that. I like that better than being on a pole. [00:21:24] As long as you still have access to the clean out and, and isn't too, you know, dangerous for someone to get up there. Yeah. I like that better than being on a pole without a [00:21:34] Craig Macmillan: Well actually having it in a tree. [00:21:37] Bob Peak: yes, [00:21:37] Craig Macmillan: Oh, okay. Because what I had been told was that you'd want to have one because of the horn dial. You have one on a pole, but have it close to a tree where they can just shoot out and land on a branch and look around and see if there's a threat. [00:21:51] But you say, actually put it in the tree [00:21:55] Bob Peak: it in the tree. [00:21:56] Craig Macmillan: fascinating. That's really interesting. [00:21:58] The way that I met you is you were looking. For clutches to, how should we say, transplant? Some some outlets that, That you folks had. And I learned that barn owls are one of the few raptors That will actually foster outlets from other clutches. That's true. [00:22:18] Bob Peak: That that is correct, Craig. Very good. Good research. Yes. We found that the barn owls were exceptional foster parents, which really gives those guys a chance to make it. [00:22:31] We found out that like you mentioned, the hawks and others just really don't do it. In fact, it would be dangerous to even attempt in some of the species. [00:22:41] One of our, original founders of Pacific Wildlife Care, Kelly was very successful in well all. Many of the things that she does for Pacific Wildlife Care, but she was able to get a red shoulder, a female hawk, to foster young red shoulder hawks for many, many, many years, and gave many of those a chance that wouldn't have a chance. The, the quite amazing I lost my train of thought. [00:23:13] Craig Macmillan: Well, we were talking about fostering and what I had learned from you was you were looking at the clutch that we had at niner, and apparently you, you need to match. The foster bird to the family in terms of its age and development, is that correct. [00:23:32] Bob Peak: That that is correct. Do you want to throw that young one in where there's other young and where there aren't adolescents? I. To where it's gonna have a chance to get some food. [00:23:43] Another thing that one of the other parameters for finding a foster box, you know, a barnell box is The number in there. If there's already five in there, it would be hard for me to put a one or possibly two in there and put that much added stress on the parent. To feed it, and we really can't ensure that that young one's gonna get fed with that many in the box. [00:24:11] I look for one that has maybe three, two, or three, and that additional one or two outlets is not going to stress the parents and the other young ones. But yes, you, you try to match up with age and size as well. [00:24:30] Craig Macmillan: You had mentioned that a nesting pair might have multiple clutches during a year and of different sizes, and if I, remember correctly, that has to do with the availability of resources. [00:24:42] Bob Peak: Yeah, absolutely. Craig. I have found over the years you know, we've the living on the central coast, it's feast and famine with the rain as well. [00:24:53] And I've seen years we're going around to different wineries. There might be 15 boxes and 12 or 13 or 14 of 'em are occupied. I've also. Gone around different seasons and hit 30 boxes and only two of them were occupied. That's how bad the food situation was. [00:25:16] Where we get into a pinch with our fostering and the barn owls finding a home for 'em is that we have a lot of farmers and ranchers in the Paso area. And a lot of 'em , get that hay. Some of the best hay you can get is out of Oregon and they bring a lot of that alfalfa and hay down. And when they're in the moving those bales around, after the farmer gets a, a load they discover that there's owl outlets in the hay bales. We receive a lot of outlets through the bales of hay that are shipped to us here. Locally from outta state, and those are the ones that we must have a foster box for because there's no chance of ever reuniting with their original parents. [00:26:07] Craig Macmillan: How do they end up in there? How do they end up in the hay? [00:26:10] Bob Peak: Oh, well, , imagine a big, giant stack of hay, 15 feet tall and you know, it sat there for months they'll, you know, there's little spots where they can get in and. It's quite nice for a nest. The they'll also use, palm trees and things of that nature where they can get in there. Yeah, so it's quite common for 'em to get into hay? bales [00:26:33] Craig Macmillan: What conditions overall, we've talked about a couple of different things, but like in the, in the grand scheme, what are the kinds of conditions that they're gonna be looking for in a, in a nesting box? I. [00:26:45] Bob Peak: as far as the owls and owls [00:26:47] Craig Macmillan: Yeah. So the, So when the nesting pair, is it, does the male find the nest and then attract the female or the other way around? [00:26:55] Or do they call up some kind of a bird, bird box realtor and go look at different, look at look at different spots and say, I like this one better than that one. Or [00:27:04] Bob Peak: that's a good question. I think it's more the female you know, they have that nesting instinct. 'cause they're gonna be laying the eggs. And I think that it's just, it's more like any, any female would tell you it's, it's a feel. it. feels good this place. And they don't tend to wander off very far from when, where they were born. [00:27:28] So this place has felt good to her for a while. A lot of times they'll use the same box over every single year. So that's why, again, it's nice to you know, you could even add boxes depending on, you know, just how many boxes are occupied. You can tell if you, if you've got 15 boxes and 13 or 14 of 'em are occupied, you could probably put more boxes on your property. [00:27:55] Craig Macmillan: In. Interesting. Yeah, I've seen that myself in vineyards where there'll be a one box located in just a spot. Doesn't seem to be very interesting to me or anything special. And the ground below it is just littered with, with pellets and bones and skulls and it is been going on for years, obviously. And then you go down 50 yards and there's nothing like the box doesn't look like the box has ever been in inhabited. [00:28:21] Bob Peak: Very true. [00:28:23] Craig Macmillan: And, it just has to do with kind of where they came from and they like to come back to the same box. I, think that's interesting. [00:28:30] Bob Peak: And, and it's more of a feel too, again of, of what's around, is there a wire that they have to dodge? Is there a tree? They might have seen a great horn owl over there in that other spot. Yeah. There, there, there's no telling what has, but mainly that nesting instinct drives that female to that box. [00:28:51] Craig Macmillan: Are there particular conditions you think that are like big, big red flags? You mentioned the presence of barn ows. You mentioned is there a wire? Are there definitely some situations where if I'm gonna place a box I, can look around and kind of go, yeah, it's probably not the best spot [00:29:05] Bob Peak: I, I think the key is what we, we, we were just talking about with wires, anything that's gonna get them tangled up. Sometimes the I've seen netting in trees. To keep reptiles even out, and you want to avoid placing a box around there. But I think the main thing is again, where most fatalities occur are close to the road. Keep them away from the road. That, that, that, that's really the most important. [00:29:32] Craig Macmillan: Something that I heard that I don't know is true was that when you, there are two things. [00:29:38] One, there's the question of whether you should paint the box or not, [00:29:42] and then two, that they won't come and nest unless the boxes had a chance to weather for a year or so. Are either of those true? [00:29:52] Bob Peak: , we've talked about that the painting on the outside of the box is fine. Throw up some white on there to you know, kind of keep it from getting too hot, but you don't want to paint the inside. The paint is fumey. The chicks could pick at it with their beaks. So there's all kinds of reasons why you wouldn't want it on the inside, but certainly on the outside. Yes. [00:30:17] You also want to avoid wood that has particular odors. There can be some wood that is very, very pungent cedars and things like that. And you want to be careful about that. So just a regular pine or regular fir box. And I think there's one that's preferable to another, but I'm not sure what that is. Pine versus fir. I could find out though. [00:30:44] Craig Macmillan: Well what, what about just basic plywood? [00:30:47] Bob Peak: Yeah. Well that's made out of a, usually a fir or a pine. [00:30:51] Craig Macmillan: Hmm. [00:30:52] Bob Peak: Exactly. [00:30:54] You can run that whitewash on the outside give it the vent holes. That's really the only only parameters. [00:31:03] Craig Macmillan: Are there other things that a grower can do to make an nesting box more attractive? I. [00:31:08] Bob Peak: I, I don't really have a mailbox out front or maybe a, you know, welcome some welcome home [00:31:15] Craig Macmillan: Just supply some gophers right in front of the box. [00:31:18] Bob Peak: yeah, maybe some gophers hanging outside now that might do it. No, not really. I think again, it's just a matter of need and a matter of availability. [00:31:30] Craig Macmillan: Right are there, are there other birds that compete for the nesting habitat, the naturally occurring habitat, [00:31:39] Bob Peak: As far as, [00:31:41] Craig Macmillan: I've heard that kestrels can be a competitor. [00:31:43] Bob Peak: yeah, kestrels are cavity nesters. That's a fact. But I think there's so many more options for them. They're much smaller. I. And there's so many little nooks and crannies and trees and other things like that to where most of the times, , I've not seen in my practice a kestrel in a barn owl box. I have seen great horns in there, but not kestrels. [00:32:10] Craig Macmillan: Got it. Is there one thing that you would tell a grower? One piece of advice that you would tell a grape grower on this topic? [00:32:20] Bob Peak: Let nature watch over your property. [00:32:23] Craig Macmillan: That's good [00:32:23] Bob Peak: It's been doing it since before you got here, and it'll do it after you've gone. That's how it's always worked. And work with it. And not work against it. [00:32:38] Craig Macmillan: It makes, makes a lot of sense. Where can people find out more about you in wildlife? [00:32:44] Bob Peak: Best is to go to our Facebook page or our webpage at pacificwildlifecare.org. Facebook page is great because there's a lot of videos and pictures. If you have children, it's wonderful because we have release videos there. [00:33:03] They can click on different links once they get to our Facebook page, find out ways to get involved. We're always, again, we're a 501(c)3 nonprofit, so like all of those, we're always looking for two things, people and money. So there's gonna be plenty of opportunity for people to get involved in both ways there on our websites. [00:33:26] And we have a lot of really, really wonderful things coming up. With this new facility there we're, really quite excited. [00:33:33] They can also call us at 805-543-WILD. That's really more of a, you know, a rescue line. But if you have general questions and you want to know more, you can please call them and they'll help you out in any way you want. [00:33:51] Craig Macmillan: That's fantastic. And actually I, do have one more question just occurred to me. If I do come along and find some outlets, they're out of the box, clearly they're not able to fly or they're not ready to go. , how do I handle that? [00:34:07] Bob Peak: Excellent. Thank you for bringing that up. That's an excellent question, Craig. [00:34:11] Best thing to do is to realize that. These young little outlets, as young as they look and as innocent as they look, they've got some talons on them. So you always want to avoid getting your hands near, near their, their their talents. [00:34:29] But the most important thing with a young one that falls out is to keep them warm. I would place them inside a box, put some bedding down or something in there to let them get snuggled into it. And call Pacific Wildlife Care, our hotline, and we'll have someone out there asap to get this guy give them a chance, but keep them warm and sheltered. For the night. You might have to hold them overnight, but as long as they're warm they'll be fine. And to not feed there's no need to give the animals any food. [00:35:04] Craig Macmillan: And, we have listeners around the nation and around the world, and I would imagine that there are similar organizations located in every state and the union. And so just do a little research And, find who your local people are. Because I was doing research on this myself preparing for the interview, And, I was really impressed by , the network really of wildlife rehabilitation globally around the world. I think there's actually an international association, if I remember right. [00:35:30] Bob Peak: Yeah. And thanks for bringing that up. We can't do this by ourselves. That's why we need our volunteers. We need other organizations as you mentioned. [00:35:41] We find that so many times when we have gotten in a pinch, we have relied on the Ojai raptor center. They have been invaluable as far as us being able to bring them animals that , we weren't able to take care of, but they are. [00:35:58] So if they can't do it, we can, or vice versa. It's an important network that one way or another we'll get it done. 'cause we have, volunteers that will travel anywhere to take care of these animals. [00:36:12] Craig Macmillan: That's fantastic. [00:36:14] Well. This was a great conversation. I, like I said, I met you when you were looking for a place to foster some owls, and it was just really, really, fascinating to me, having been around this topic for a very, very long time. the barn owl is kind of the mascot of vineyard team. It's on a lot of our, a lot of our stuff. And so we've been, we've been following this for a long time and I learned more from you in about an hour. Then I had learned in the preceding several decades, let's just put it. that way, several decades. And I, And I, really appreciated that. It was really, really great. And I really appreciate you being a guest. [00:36:50] Again, our guest today was Bob Peak. He's a volunteer with Civic Wildlife Care in san Luis Obispo County. And yeah, just thanks for being on the podcast. It's a really real pleasure. [00:37:01] Bob Peak: Thank you Craig. And again, thank you, for this opportunity. Again, please check out Pacific Wildlife Care. you'll love it. [00:37:08] [00:37:12] Beth Vukmanic: Thank you for listening. [00:37:13] Today's podcast was brought to you by Helena Agri Enterprises. Founded in 1957, Helena Agri Enterprises has grown to be one of the nation's foremost agricultural and specialty formulators and distributors In the United States products and services offered include crop protection products. Fertilizer specialized nutrients, seeds, and precision ag services and software. Helena's overriding goal is to help its customers succeed. This is achieved with a unique combination of dedicated and knowledgeable people, unique and useful products, and the latest technical knowledge. The company defines its own success through the success of its customers. [00:37:56] Make sure you check out the show notes. For links to Pacific Wildlife Care, the barn owl Trust in the United Kingdom, UC Davis' Raptor Center, plus Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast episodes 58 barnells 84 Falconry Bird Abatement, and 118 managing rodent pests and vineyards with integrated pest management. [00:38:18] If you liked the show, you can do us a big favor by sharing it with a friend, subscribing and leaving us a review. You can find all of the podcasts at vineyardteam.org/podcast, and you could reach us at podcast@vineyardteam.org. [00:38:31] Until next time, this is Sustainable Wine Growing with the Vineyard team.   Nearly perfect transcription by Descript

This episode, Caitlin is joined by Dr. Yunfei Jiang from Dalhousie's Faculty of Agriculture and MSc student Baillie Lynds to talk about Baillie's masters research. Baillie's project looks at the impact of using enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers on grain corn yield and quality, as well as environmental factors like greenhouse gas emissions. SHOW NOTES:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.perennia.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: Caitlin Congdon, Field Crops SpecialistFollow us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nsperennia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nsperennia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nsperennia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: City of Sun by Mark JulyLogo Created by: Perennia Food and Agriculture CorporationEmail us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@perennia.ca⁠⁠

In this insightful analysis, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, retail experts reveal what Lowe's new AI assistant is really designed to accomplish, beyond the surface-level marketing about leaky faucets and fertilizer choices. Key Moments: 0:02 - Breaking news: Lowe's introduces MyLow Companion AI assistant for store associates 0:10 - Partnership details: Application developed with OpenAI across 1,700+ stores 0:14 - Core functionalities: Product details, project advice, and inventory information access 0:18 - Key benefit: Accelerating the employee onboarding process 0:27 - Scale achievement: "First retailer to successfully implement this type of technology at scale" 0:33 - Technical capabilities: Generative AI with natural conversational prompts and voice-to-text 0:42 - Example use cases: Fertilizer recommendations and home repair guidance 1:14 - Ben Millers's analysis: Why this is "a great use case for AI" in categories requiring expertise 1:38 - Customer service challenge: Associates' varying experience levels and knowledge gaps 1:50 - Consistency benefit: Creating uniform quality of information regardless of associate tenure 2:00 - Comparison to self-checkout: Options for customers who prefer different service models 2:22 - Anne Mezzenga's critique of the media reporting: Overlooking the more significant training use case 2:42 - Inside information: Conversation with a Lowe's executive reveals true onboarding purpose 2:56 - Real examples: New employees quickly learning shipment timing and warranty information 3:03 - Data collection value: Using interaction data to improve future associate training 3:12 - Customer perspective: Why shoppers wouldn't ask a teenage summer employee about complex repairs 3:40 - Chris Walton's agreement: "100% I'd look this up myself" rather than wait for an associate 4:00 - PR criticism 4:20 - Industry impact concern: Creating false expectations about AI tools for retail associates 4:43 - Higher-value application: Supporting complex high-consideration sales like flooring installations 4:54 - Advanced capability: Prompting associates to ask the right questions based on customer responses 5:01 - Integration potential: Connecting to loyalty programs to enhance personalized selling The experts conclude that while Lowe's marketing focuses on answering simple product questions, the real innovation is in employee training, knowledge management, and creating consistency across a large retail workforce. Catch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/BrQ0kfPY4LA #loweshomeimprovement #ai #retailnews #retailtech #retailstrategy #retailtrends

#gardening  #podcast #gardentalk #vegetablegarden  #radio #influencer #gardentip #gardentalkradio #backyardgarden Email your questions to Gardentalkradio@gmail.com Or call 1-800-927-SHOW  Segment 4: Garden questions answered Sponsors of the show for 2025 Phyllom BioProducts of http://www.phyllombioproducts.comPomona pectin of https://pomonapectin.com/Dripworks of https://www.dripworks.com/Walton's Inc of https://www.waltonsinc.com/  Us code grow50 and save 10% off your order of $50 or more 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 15GT25 to save 15% off ordersWind River Chimes of https://windriverchimes.com/Wisconsin Greenhouse Company of https://wisconsingreenhousecompany.com/Mantis of https://mantis.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/Totally tomatos of totallytomato.com/category/talk-gardening use code 15GT25 to save 15% off ordersr.h.shumway https://www.rhshumway.com/category/talk-gardening  use code 15GT25 to save 15% off ordersVermont Bean https://www.vermontbean.com/category/talk-gardening use code 15GT25 to save 15% off ordersEdmunds Roses use code https://www.edmundsroses.com/category/talk-gardening 15GT25 to save 15% off ordersRoot and Rhizomes https://www.rootsrhizomes.com/category/talk-gardeninguse code 15GT25 to save 15% off ordersKarrikaid https://karrikaid.com/ Use Code Radio10 at checkout and get 10% your order  Tarps https://tarps.com/Sunwarrior https://sunwarrior.com/ Use code JOEYHOLLY25” that will get you 25% off all productsat checkout Grow Smart https://www.grosmart.com/  use code “radio” at check out and save 10% on your order Lawn symergy https://lawnsynergy.com/Durable green bed https://durablegreenbed.com/Tree IV https://treeiv.com/Brome Bird Care https://bromebirdcare.com/en/Chip Drop https://getchipdrop.com/For Jars https://forjars.co/Azure https://www.azurestandard.com/ 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.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/Phyllom Bioproducts http://www.phyllombioproducts.com/home.htmlShore and Chore https://shoreandchore.com/Dig Defence of https://digdefence.com/Weed Wrench  https://www.weed-wrench.com/home us code weed at check out to save $10.00 on your order Milk weed balm of https://milkweedbalm.com/ Use code: gardening for 20% off your orderAmazon #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

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Join us as Dr. Bruno Basso, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Michigan State University, shares insight on emerging technologies in nitrogen fertilizer management.  To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here. Check out USFRA's report, “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative.” 

BITG 5.3.25 • The Vegetable Garden Show!!! • By Plant or By Seed? • Soil Prep • Feeding Your Baby Veggies • Placement and Staking • Controlling Disease and Insects • & More! Philadelphia, South Jersey, & Delaware Valley Saturdays at 8am 860am | WWDB-AM Saturday at 6am & 5pm | 93.5FM & 1540am WNWR "The Word".... NYC Tri-State Area Sundays at 8am | 1250 AM "Classic Oldies" WMTR Bloomers in the Garden helps you and your neighbors have more beautiful yards, gardens and landscapes. Len is your “go-to” source for practical information, solid “local” advice that applies to the Delaware Valley. Learn about products and plants you can pronounce that are available at local Independent Garden Centers. Get inspired and confident to try new things, building on our past successful recommendations. Len Schroeder has a rich family heritage of horticulture dating back over 100 years. His own experience spans over 30 years as Owner of Bloomers Home & Garden Center. Bloomers is a Retail Garden Center that caters to the home gardener and the do-it-yourself landscaper. Bloomers prides itself on its staff training. We translate the often confusing gardening information into easy to understand, executable tasks. Len brings a professional lifetime of sorting out plants and products that work when customers get them home. Have a question for us or a topic you like us to discuss? Have a question for us or a topic you like us to discuss? Call the Bloomer's Garden Hotline” at (609)685-1880 to leave your question, your name and the town you're from! You can also write to len@bloomers.com ....

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

There have been a lot of conversations about soil water content and surface hardness (firmness). I discuss some measurements that I have made, and suggest some of the old posts on the ATC website that discuss this topic.Specific posts discussed include:https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/measuring-surface-hardness-on-greens-fairways-and-approaches/https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/relationship-between-soil-water-and-turfgrass-surface-hardness/https://www.asianturfgrass.com/tag/surface-hardness/Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/Listen to the ATC podcast network https://podcasts.asianturfgrass.com/ More about ATC soil tests at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/

In this episode of Maximize Your Hunt, host Jon Teater and Matt Williams (Myco-Habitat) discuss various strategies for improving hunting properties through land management and regenerative agriculture. He emphasizes the importance of soil health, the role of fungi in ecosystems, and the need for sustainable practices in food plot management. The conversation also touches on the significance of local resources, simplifying soil management practices, and the impact of soil biology on fertility. In this conversation, the speakers delve into innovative design concepts for habitat management, emphasizing the importance of nutrition, particularly through fungi, in deer health. They discuss the role of environmental needs, genetic expression, and the significance of biodiversity in soil health. The concept of 'mother trees' and their impact on surrounding ecosystems is explored, alongside the challenges posed by fertilizers in fungal networks. The discussion culminates in the introduction of Myco Habitat, a project focused on utilizing fungi to enhance wildlife habitats and promote sustainable ecosystems. takeaways Creating environments where animals and humans thrive is essential. Soil health is critical for successful land management. Fungi play a foundational role in ecosystem health. Soft harvesting techniques can prevent soil compaction. Soil biology is more important than soil chemistry. Feeding soil with sugars enhances plant growth. Utilizing local resources like wood chips can improve soil health. Simplifying soil management practices makes them more accessible. Regenerative agriculture can lead to abundant food sources for wildlife. Understanding the interconnectedness of soil, plants, and animals is vital. Revolutionary design concepts can change perspectives on habitat management. Understanding environmental needs is crucial for effective design. Nutrition is foundational for deer health and genetic expression. Fungi play a vital role in deer nutrition and ecosystem health. Biodiversity in soil is essential for sustainable habitats. Mother trees influence the health of surrounding plants and trees. Fertilizers can destabilize fungal networks in ecosystems. Jumpstarting the food web can enhance habitat productivity. Utilizing natural structures can promote growth and sustainability. Myco Habitat focuses on integrating fungi into wildlife management.   Social https://myco-habitat.com/ https://www.facebook.com/mycohabitat/ https://whitetaillandscapes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/ https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Maximize Your Hunt, host Jon Teater and Matt Williams (Myco-Habitat) discuss various strategies for improving hunting properties through land management and regenerative agriculture. He emphasizes the importance of soil health, the role of fungi in ecosystems, and the need for sustainable practices in food plot management. The conversation also touches on the significance of local resources, simplifying soil management practices, and the impact of soil biology on fertility. In this conversation, the speakers delve into innovative design concepts for habitat management, emphasizing the importance of nutrition, particularly through fungi, in deer health. They discuss the role of environmental needs, genetic expression, and the significance of biodiversity in soil health. The concept of 'mother trees' and their impact on surrounding ecosystems is explored, alongside the challenges posed by fertilizers in fungal networks. The discussion culminates in the introduction of Myco Habitat, a project focused on utilizing fungi to enhance wildlife habitats and promote sustainable ecosystems.takeawaysCreating environments where animals and humans thrive is essential.Soil health is critical for successful land management.Fungi play a foundational role in ecosystem health.Soft harvesting techniques can prevent soil compaction.Soil biology is more important than soil chemistry.Feeding soil with sugars enhances plant growth.Utilizing local resources like wood chips can improve soil health.Simplifying soil management practices makes them more accessible.Regenerative agriculture can lead to abundant food sources for wildlife.Understanding the interconnectedness of soil, plants, and animals is vital. Revolutionary design concepts can change perspectives on habitat management.Understanding environmental needs is crucial for effective design.Nutrition is foundational for deer health and genetic expression.Fungi play a vital role in deer nutrition and ecosystem health.Biodiversity in soil is essential for sustainable habitats.Mother trees influence the health of surrounding plants and trees.Fertilizers can destabilize fungal networks in ecosystems.Jumpstarting the food web can enhance habitat productivity.Utilizing natural structures can promote growth and sustainability.Myco Habitat focuses on integrating fungi into wildlife management. Socialhttps://myco-habitat.com/https://www.facebook.com/mycohabitat/https://whitetaillandscapes.com/https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en

Long-time friend of the Crop Doctors' Podcast Bobby Golden sat down in the studio in Stoneville to visit with Jason and Tom about nitrogen fertilizer for midsouthern crop production.  Topics include influence of environment on urea and urea-ammonium nitrate, protecting each nitrogen source, and timings of nitrogen fertilizer for corn.  For more episodes from the Crop Doctors, visit our website at http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation #mscrops #MSUext  

Hear Argus' analysis of how freshly announced tariffs on Chinese-built ships could affect US fertilizer imports, how generalized import tariffs have already affected the US fertilizer market and what could possibly be coming in the next few weeks. Join Taylor Zavala, Deputy Editor - Phosphates, Potash and Calder Jett, Editor - North American Fertilizer, as they discuss these topics in the latest episode of Argus' Fertilizer Matters podcast series.   Key topics covered in the podcast: New Chinese ship tariffs - implications on US fertilizer imports Review of the changes in import tariff policies Effect of tariffs on US potash and phosphate markets US Urea, UAN and ammonium sulphate tariff implications Tariffs threatening summer/fall imports and resupply Impact of tariffs on US urea imports for April, May  Related links Request a sample report/trial: Argus North American Fertilizer (price reporting service) More information: Argus North American Fertilizer service More information: Argus fertilizer market intelligence services Free sign up: Argus Fertilizer Market Highlights Fertilizer Matters podcast series

In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."Meet the guest: Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!What you will learn:(00:00) Highlight(00:58) Introduction(02:08) Dr. Nafziger background(07:13) Soil nitrogen variability(10:28) Nitrogen rate strategies(13:08) Root development factors(26:58) MRTN historical changes(31:10) Closing thoughtsThe Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:- S&W Seed Co.- KWS- CNH Reman

Today, we tackle hay, an essential yet often overlooked component of an equine diet.Hay provides most of the calories and nutrition horses need, especially in colder climates. However, it is not always the first place we look when issues arise. Since hay is dried grass with less nutritional value than natural forage, it is not a perfect food, yet it is what most horse owners must rely on. The quality of the hay, the treatments it has undergone, and how it affects your horse are critical factors to consider. That is why it is best to start with a hay analysis to ensure the foundation of their diet supports the health of your horse rather than adding to any hidden problems.What I Focus On FirstWhen analyzing hay, I always start with the macros- the protein, sugar, and fiber levels, as those are crucial for every health condition I have worked with. It is essential to monitor sugar and protein levels. High protein can be as problematic as high sugar. Perfect hay does not exist, so we must balance things wherever possible.Sugar Sensitivity and Hay AnalysisA hay analysis is always essential for sugar-sensitive (prone to laminitis, high insulin, etc.) horses. Removing sugar from their diet is crucial for their recovery, as even on the best metabolic programs, high-sugar hay can completely derail their progress.Fiber and Coarseness: Matching Hay to Your HorseWith coarser hay, horses need to eat more to get enough nutrition, which can be a struggle for some. The fiber in coarser hay is often higher than the recommended level, and although that is generally acceptable, it could impact hard keepers. Coarse hay is better suited for easy keepers, but be cautious if it causes digestive issues.Focus on Your Most Unwell HorseWhen you have a group with mixed needs, prioritize the horse that needs the most help. Pick your hay based on what that horse requires first, as the healthier horses usually find it easier to adapt. This approach will save you time and money and offer better horse health in the long run.Glyphosate and FertilizersI always consider chemical sprays like glyphosate, as it is very toxic and damages the microbiome, which is crucial for immune and digestive health. Older horses and those with compromised livers often struggle with cumulative chemical exposure over their lives. Fertilizers can also trigger health issues like fecal water, especially in aging horses.Balancing Risks and BenefitsSometimes, you may have to choose between low-sugar hay treated with chemicals or untreated hay with higher sugar. You have to prioritize based on the condition of your horse. In many cases, low sugar must win if the horse is at serious metabolic risk.PalatabilityPalatability matters. Some horses refuse to eat coarse, low-sugar hay simply because it is not what they are used to. Others dislike the taste of certain grasses or chemical residues. You can try mixing different types of hay to help them adjust, but watch out for dust, especially if you have horses with respiratory problems.MineralsAlthough many nutritionists focus on balancing minerals to match hay, I do not worry too much about it. I prefer adjusting nutrition to the individual needs of each horse, using high-quality, bioavailable nutrients without any chemical additives.Grass TypesSome horses have intolerances to specific grass types, and if nothing else explains their poor health, consider a grass type change. Common ones I see include Timothy, Teff, Orchard, and Brome. Canary Grass and Fescue are types I usually tend to avoid.If it is Not Working, Change itIf your horse's health does not improve despite your best efforts, do not be afraid to try different hay.

In this episode, Carl Coleman continues his deep dive into the lessons learned from years of soil health experimentation—and how they changed not only his farm but his entire career. Carl shares how the pushback he received from scientists and extension professionals led him to set up a randomized, replicated study on his farm, proving that regenerative practices could reduce inputs without sacrificing yield.We explore some of the biggest surprises from these trials, including how fields with no applied potassium actually maintained or increased soil test levels over five years—completely contradicting conventional wisdom. Carl also discusses the economic and agronomic benefits of cover crops, including how they have helped farmers reduce subsoiling, cut back on herbicide passes, and save thousands in input costs.Carl's transition from farming to the seed business was not planned, but as demand for high-quality, affordable seed grew, he saw an opportunity to help other farmers navigate the complexities of cover cropping. Now, as the owner of Choice Ag, Carl provides tailored cover crop blends based on individual farm needs, ensuring that growers avoid common mistakes and maximize their returns.If you're wondering how real-world farmers are making regenerative agriculture work economically, this episode is packed with practical insights and hard-earned wisdom.

Green Lightning is manufacturing machines that can allow farmers to manufacture some of their nitrogen needs on farm using only energy and water as inputs.

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action established an independent scientific working group to analyze the potential for U.S. agriculture to collectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and possibly achieve a state of negative emissions, or emitting fewer total GHGs than are sequestered. The resulting report, “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to be Greenhouse Gas Negative,” was peer-reviewed and published. In this episode, we dive deeper into one of the key areas of opportunity outlined in the report: the potential for enhancing animal production and management. Join Farm+Food+Facts host Joanna Guza and Dr. Bruno Basso, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Michigan State University, as they discuss how nitrogen management can help improve farmer profitability and reduce emissions. They explore the nitrogen cycle, emerging technologies, precision agriculture and other tools to be successful.  To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here. Check out USFRA's report, “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative.” 

Jason came up with the GvX idea in a flash of inspiration that he describes here. This is the actual growth of the grass compared to the expected growth of the grass, and it has surprising practical implications. We discussed the development and use of the #TurfGvX in this episode.We discussed this blog post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/explaining-gvx/See the GvX screencast video at https://youtu.be/mRJcEhOyxPARead more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/ More about ATC soil tests at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/

How I accidentally manifested Drew Barrymore into my reality, anything is possible–BUT YOU MUST DO THIS FIRST. Tune in and take notes, sweet unicorns!  LOVE YA! TUNE IN AND TAKE NOTES! Thanks for coming to class : )  TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Embracing Worthiness and Manifestation 03:12 The Power of Letting Go and Flow 05:52 Taking Action: The Importance of Systems 09:04 Grounding and Nourishing Our Lives 11:46 The Fertilizer of Life: Learning from Challenges 15:04 Living Authentically and Trusting Yourself 18:06 Manifestation: The Magic of Vision Boards 20:52 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Growth   Keywords:  manifestation, self-worth, personal growth, letting go, systems, authenticity, vision boards, self-discovery, challenges, energy flow   LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:  AG's free grounding meditation: https://aguniversitypod.gumroad.com/l/groundingmeditation?layout=profile   AG's Book Club (book linked here) https://amzn.to/3JxyOEE   AG'S 2025 BALI TRIP: https://trovatrip.com/trip/asia/bali/indonesia-with-anna-grace-newell-jun-21-2025   How To Read The Akashic Records Course:  https://anna-grace-newell.mykajabi.com/offers/PfVmbYFN/checkout   AG's Energetic Protection Courses + Free Shower Prayer! https://aguniversitypod.gumroad.com/   AGU's Course ~ How to Read Angel Cards: AG teaches you how she connects with her oracle deck to pull cards for readings!  https://aguniversitypod.gumroad.com/l/angelcards AG's Energetic Protection Courses: https://aguniversitypod.gumroad.com/   AG's free grounding meditation: https://aguniversitypod.gumroad.com/l/groundingmeditation?layout=profile   —----- AG's newsletter for more info on readings OR submit a question for her to answer LIVE on the podcast: https://www.annagracenewell.com/newsletter   What is AGU? After launching an energy work practice rooted in the Akashic Records, AG uncovered so much information that she needs the world to hear! It's her duty and personal mission to help people get in touch with their intuition and energetic gifts, and ultimately become the brightest and boldest version of themselves! This is your official acceptance letter: WELCOME TO AG UNIVERSITY! AG's Energetic Protection Courses: https://aguniversitypod.gumroad.com/ AG's Book Club: https://www.amazon.com/shop/annagracenewell/list/WD6VUBYE1HFC?ref_=aipsflist_aipsfannagracenewell  Sign up for the newsletter if you are interested in doing a reading with Anna Grace, or learning more about her energy work practice. Sessions will ONLY become available here - her booking link will never be shared on any other platforms: https://www.annagracenewell.com/newsletter If you aren't already - you can connect with AG on Instagram and TikTok: @annagracenewell on all platforms! XO  

Longstanding co-operation between the U.S. and Canada in keeping the Great Lakes safe, clean and healthy is at risk as a result of budget and staffing cuts to federal agencies south of the border. A look at the future of lake research and stewardship between the nations, and the threats that have arisen to them as U.S. support dwindles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Achieving the lowest possible #OM246 total organic material value is not desirable, because the living plant material is part of the OM measured with this method. I discussed this post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/om246-measures-living-om-too/ @keyakeeper469  and I discussed 8 years of OM246 in https://youtu.be/8B3FQhvSIdIOM246 project page https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/om246/Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/Listen to the ATC podcast network https://podcasts.asianturfgrass.com/ More about ATC soil tests at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/

Markets are mixed at midweek with some easing of concern in the outside markets. Fertilizer prices are seen an uptick though. We touch on grains, stocks and fertilizer with Mike Castle from StoneX in our Midday Commentary.

How many crops can actually benefit from stress? Sweet potatoes are in a league of their own.  In fact, they've recently become Mississippi's official state vegetable.   Join Mike Howell and Crop Consultant, Phil McKibben, as they explore the surprising science behind sweet potato production. Explore what makes this crop different, from their resilience under stress to the important role of the mother plant. Dive into everything from soil fertility considerations to harvest management tips on this episode of The Dirt.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com    Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics 

Crop Yield Potential Estimates KFMA: Residual Fertilizer Deductions Warmer Weather Impacts Milk Production   00:01:05 – Crop Yield Potential Estimates: Romulo Lollato, K-State wheat production specialist, kicks off today's show as he explains research he was a part of that worked on a new method for estimating crop yield potentials and gaps. Lollato@ksu.edu 785-532-0397 Romulo Lollato   00:12:05 – KFMA: Residual Fertilizer Deductions: The Kansas Farm Management Association's Chelsea Plummer and Mark Dikeman continue the show as they talk with Kristine Tidgren from Iowa State University about deducting residual fertilizer on their recent KFMA podcast. KFMA Podcast AgManager.info/KMFA   00:23:05 – Warmer Weather Impacts Milk Production: Ending the show is K-State dairy specialist Mike Brouk as he discusses new data from the Federal Milk Marketing order and how warmer weather over the next 90-120 days could impact milk production.     Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu.   Agriculture Today is a daily program featuring Kansas State University agricultural specialists and other experts examining ag issues facing Kansas and the nation. It is hosted by Shelby Varner and distributed to radio stations throughout Kansas and as a daily podcast.   K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan

In this special episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, we're marking International Seed Day, which is celebrated this month. Dr. Anuj Chiluwal from Kentucky State University joins us to talk about the connection between soybean yield and seed quality. He explains why seed protein levels are falling, what that means for growers, and how late-season nitrogen strategies and sustainable practices can help. Tune in now on all major platforms!"Nitrogen limitation during seed fill is the key reason for declining soybean protein levels."Meet the guest: Dr. Anuj Chiluwal earned his B.Sc. in Agriculture from Tribhuvan University, M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Fort Valley State University, and Ph.D. in Agronomy from Kansas State University. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Agronomy at Kentucky State University, focusing on soybean seed quality, nitrogen management, and crop physiology.Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!What you will learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:02) Introduction(06:26) Soybean protein concentration(10:42) Yield vs. quality(14:17) Recommendations for growers(24:27) Fertilizer vs. fixation(29:02) Cultural practices(31:28) Final three questionsThe Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:- CNH Reman- S&W Seed Co.- KWS

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to inform listeners about organic fertilizers for new plants at home. Lou talks about which products to use when transplanting existing trees and shrubs this spring. Lou also answers your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

Former Finance Minister of Pakistan, Miftah Ismail, comes back on TPE for a fiery episode of the podcast where we discuss Pakistan's Economy and how Awam Pakistan will work with the Establishment.In this episode, we discuss Trump's Tariffs, Electricity prices going down, Corruption, Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway, Balochistan, Establishment's influence on politics, Canals, PSDP, NFC, Net Metering and more.The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceTo support the channel:Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912Patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceAnd Please stay in touch:https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperienceThe podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikhFacebook.com/Shehzadghias/Twitter.com/shehzad89Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC44l9XMwecN5nSgIF2Dvivg/joinChapters:0:00 Introduction2:20 Quaid-e-Azam, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Education6:20 Trump's Tariffs on Pakistani exporters9:48 Has the Economy stabilized?11:14 Electricity prices going down13:40 Has PML-N controlled inflation?18:21 Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Tosha Khana22:50 Is there corruption in Khyber Pakhtunkwa?24:30 Is there corruption now in Punjab?26:43 Karachi-Sukkur Motorway kyon nahee ban raha?29:30 Balochistan and the Opposition Conference41:00 Establishment ka influence and Awam Pakistan's position46:50 Canals Issue54:50 Awam Pakistan mai Awam kahan hay?1:00:30 Wheat Pricing1:04:02 Fertilizer companies getting subsidies1:05:40 Give direct subsidies in Balochistan1:08:30 Can we bring any reforms with the Establishment?1:16:30 PSDP vs Defence Budget1:23:30 Working with the Establishment1:27:50 NFC Award and local taxation1:33:30 Provincial Resources1:40:25 Three periods of Imran Khan's political career1:43:12 Net Metering and Solar Panels1:51:00 Audience questions

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to inform listeners about organic fertilizers for new plants at home. Lou talks about which products to use when transplanting existing trees and shrubs this spring. Lou also answers your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to inform listeners about organic fertilizers for new plants at home. Lou talks about which products to use when transplanting existing trees and shrubs this spring. Lou also answers your home improvement questions. Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.

In this episode, Carl Coleman continues his deep dive into the lessons learned from years of soil health experimentation—and how they changed not only his farm but his entire career. Carl shares how the pushback he received from scientists and extension professionals led him to set up a randomized, replicated study on his farm, proving that regenerative practices could reduce inputs without sacrificing yield.We explore some of the biggest surprises from these trials, including how fields with no applied potassium actually maintained or increased soil test levels over five years—completely contradicting conventional wisdom. Carl also discusses the economic and agronomic benefits of cover crops, including how they have helped farmers reduce subsoiling, cut back on herbicide passes, and save thousands in input costs.Carl's transition from farming to the seed business was not planned, but as demand for high-quality, affordable seed grew, he saw an opportunity to help other farmers navigate the complexities of cover cropping. Now, as the owner of Choice Ag, Carl provides tailored cover crop blends based on individual farm needs, ensuring that growers avoid common mistakes and maximize their returns.If you're wondering how real-world farmers are making regenerative agriculture work economically, this episode is packed with practical insights and hard-earned wisdom.

A common way to calculate average daily temperature is to take the sum of the daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures, and to divide by two. A better statistical approximation of the average temperature is to take measurements made every hour and then to find the mean value of those continuous measurements. This blog post shows a comparison of the three methods for 2024 data at three locations: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/calculating-average-daily-temperature/Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/ More about ATC soil tests at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/

Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. What should we be doing to our lawns and gardens right now? Bob has the answers.

Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. What should we be doing to our lawns and gardens right now? Bob has the answers.

Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. What should we be doing to our lawns and gardens right now? Bob has the answers.

Do starter fertilizers really set you up for success? Join Mike Howell and Nutrien Senior Agronomist, Dr. Alan Blaylock, as they uncover the role that starter fertilizer plays in our fields. From early crop growth and root development to stronger yields and earlier maturity, we uncover how you can supercharge your soil with starters.   Tune in to uncover the benefits and potential limitations of starting your season with starter fertilizer. Explore expert insights that can help you sprout success this season—from placement tips to safe application rates.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics

Do starter fertilizers really set you up for success? Join Mike Howell and Nutrien Senior Agronomist, Dr. Alan Blaylock, as they uncover the role that starter fertilizer plays in our fields. From early crop growth and root development to stronger yields and earlier maturity, we uncover how you can supercharge your soil with starters.   Tune in to uncover the benefits and potential limitations of starting your season with starter fertilizer. Explore expert insights that can help you sprout success this season—from placement tips to safe application rates.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics

Do starter fertilizers really set you up for success? Join Mike Howell and Nutrien Senior Agronomist, Dr. Alan Blaylock, as they uncover the role that starter fertilizer plays in our fields. From early crop growth and root development to stronger yields and earlier maturity, we uncover how you can supercharge your soil with starters.   Tune in to uncover the benefits and potential limitations of starting your season with starter fertilizer. Explore expert insights that can help you sprout success this season—from placement tips to safe application rates.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics

You have most likely heard people promoting the idea of deducting excess/residual fertilizer when buying farm ground. So, what does it mean? Is there a deduction available? If so, what documentation do you need? We invited Kristine Tidgren, Director for the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, to discuss and help us understand this popular topic.  Resources: https://www.calt.iastate.edu/blogpost/considering-residual-fertility-deduction    

A nitrogen rate and timing study shows about 70 percent of corn farmers should apply fewer pounds of fertilizer to maximize their incomes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever imagined NOT using fertilizers? What if we don't NEED fertilizers like farmers have been told? What if there's another way? That's what Kelly and DeAnna have been working on for decades, and they've made a breakthrough with simple, 1st principles-based decision making that is worth listening to. I hope you enjoy this very special episode!! Guardian Grains: https://www.guardiangrains.com Learn about IMOS: https://www.guardiangrains.com/imos Sign up for REGENERATIVE SOIL 2025 soon because the New Season begins 5/12: https://matt-powers.mykajabi.com/regenerativesoil

Managing manure may not be glamorous, but it can be a key player in your nutrient management plan. Unpack the nutrient value of manure in this episode of The Dirt. From what your soil says about manure management to the benefits and drawbacks, we explore it all to help you uncover its true value in your fields.   What's the difference between dry and liquid manure? How much manure can you apply? How is manure stored throughout the season? How does composting support manure management? Uncover the dirt truth about manure in this episode of The Dirt featuring Penn State University professors, Robert Meinen and Charles White.   Calculate the economic value of manure today at www.extension.psu.edu/manure-nutrient-value-calculator.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics

Lawrence Mayhew, chemist extraordinaire, is back by popular demand! This time, we explored how microbiology helps buffer toxin buildup in soil, with a strong focus on managing sodium through the soil's microbial biome. As expected, humic substances took center stage in our discussion with a world-renowned expert in the field. Lawrence broke down the physical and biological damage sodium can inflict on soil, reinforcing EarthWorks' long-held belief that sodium and bicarbonates are the first major obstacles to healthy soil and plants. We also dove into his latest R&D efforts and the products he believes will help turf managers combat sodium more effectively. A conversation with Lawrence is always insightful, sometimes reflective, and even a little humorous!Visit EarthWorks at:  https://www.earthworksturf.com Podcasts: https://www.earthworksturf.com/earthworks-podcasts/ 2 Minute Turf Talks: https://www.earthworksturf.com/2-minute-turf-talks/

Today, Saint John's head basketball coach, Rick Pitino, urges you to put the phone away so you can give your undivided attention to others. Leave a lasting impression. You never know who you'll meet.Source: Rick Pitino | Keynote Speaker | 86th National FFA Convention & ExpoHosted by Sean CroxtonFollow me on Instagram