Podcasts about growers

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In this episode of Vineyard Underground, host Fritz Westover welcomes Dr. Katie Gold, Assistant Professor of Grape Pathology at Cornell University, for a deep dive into how research drives informed spray program decisions in the vineyard. Dr. Gold brings her extensive expertise in grape disease management to the conversation, shedding light on how growers can use scientific data and field research to refine their fungicide strategies and protect their crops more effectively. Fritz and Katie explore the critical role of disease forecasting models, including how they are developed and validated, and why it's important for growers to go beyond the “calendar-based” approach to spraying. Dr. Gold emphasizes the value of using weather-based decision support tools and highlights ongoing research aimed at improving the precision and sustainability of vineyard disease management. Listeners will gain a better understanding of how academic research translates into real-world applications, from identifying pathogen resistance patterns to making timely fungicide applications. Katie also discusses the impact of underutilized research, how misinformation can spread in farming communities, and why continuous learning and outreach are essential for successful vineyard operations. In this episode, you will hear: Research-based spray programs outperform calendar-based models Disease forecasting tools help optimize fungicide timing and efficiency Growers should verify the reliability of sources when seeking vineyard advice Understanding fungicide resistance is key to long-term vineyard health Practical research translation is essential for sustainable vineyard practices Follow and Review: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more listeners.

This week host @Jackgreenstalk (aka @Jack_Greenstalk on X/instagram backup account) [or contact via email: JackGreenstalk47@gmail.com] is joined by panel with @spartangrown on instagram or X f.k.a. Twitter at https://x.com/grown43626 or email spartangrown@gmail.com for contacting spartan outside social media, any alternate profiles on other social medias using spartan's name, and photos are not actually spartan grown be aware, @TheAmericanOne on youtube aka @theamericanone_with_achenes on instagram who's amy aces can be found at amyaces.com . This week we missed @NoahtheeGrowa on instagram, @Rust.Brandon of @Bokashi Earthworks who's products can be found at bokashiearthworks.com , Matthew Gates aka @SynchAngel on instagram and twitter @Zenthanol on youtube who offers IPM direct chat for $1 a month on patreon.com/zenthanol , @drmjcoco from cocoforcannabis.com as well as youtube where he tests and reviews grow lights and has grow tutorials and @drmjcoco on instagram, and and @ATG Acres Aaron The Grower aka @atgacres his products can be found at atgacres.com and now has product commercially available in select locations in OK, view his instagram to find out details about drops!

Skip To Conspiracy Theories 50:12 Sponsor The Shane Dawson Podcast: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/the-shane-dawson-podcast KIKOFF!!! Get your first month for just a dollar at https://GetKikoff.com/grower HARRYS!!! Get the trial kit for just $5! at https://www.harrys.com/DAWSON SQUARESPACE!!! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/GROWER to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GROWER Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as Dr. Elizabeth Ellis of Colorado State University shares her insights about how farmers are increasing soil carbon storage with practices already in place.  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.” 

The Carrier family has been growing cut flowers and plants for more than 40 years, raising their three children with a love for flowers, and keeping the business in the family as it transitions into the hands of the next generation. Plant Masters, the specialty cut flower farm owned by Leon and Carol Carrier, and […] The post Episode 717: The future of Plant Masters, with legacy growers Leon and Carol Carrier, and their son Lee, next generation flower farmer now leading the family business appeared first on Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing.

https://youtu.be/_FFUS8tb-b4 Michael E. Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited and over 35 other books, is driven by a mission to transform the state of small business, entrepreneurship, and economic development worldwide. We explore Michael's origin story and the moment that sparked the E-Myth movement, including his revelation that most business owners don't understand their own businesses. He shares how his intuitive and soul-driven approach led to the creation of the first business operating system and the now-iconic principle of “working on your business, not in it.” Michael introduces his Eightfold Path Framework, built on the eight discrete personalities of an entrepreneur: The Dreamer, Thinker, Storyteller, Leader, Designer, Builder, Launcher, and Grower. We also discuss his Dreaming Room methodology, the Radical You 5-year entrepreneurial school, and how AI is enabling the creation of 199 vertical-market E-Myth books. --- Awaken Your Inner Entrepreneur with Michael E. Gerber Good day, dear listeners. So guess who I have here as my guest today. After five years, we finally got to the day when I can interview Michael E. Gerber, who is the author of the E-Myth Revisited, E-Myth Mastery and 35 other best-selling books that have sold over 5 million copies in 30 languages and 150 countries. Michael was the original mastermind behind the concept of the first business operating system back in 1986. And he coined the idea of Working On Your Business, Rather Than In Your Business, which idea touched at least 100 million entrepreneurs worldwide. So Michael is also currently the founder at age 88, almost 89. He is the founder and CEO of the Michael E. Gerber companies, owning programs including Gerber Works, Radical You, Become The One, and The Dreaming Room most recently, and he owns the rights to 35 E-Myth books. So Michael, without further ado, welcome to the Management Blueprint Podcast. I'm delighted to be here. Thank you, Steve. I'm so excited because really, I read your book back in the early 2000s. I got immediately smitten. I actually started a side business trying to implement your system without any training from you, which unfortunately was not successful. So I had to close down my side business, but we definitely implemented it in my own business. And I was just very enamored. I also got a dog-eared copy of E-Myth Mastery, which is like a big volume, and I kind of went through all the ideas there. And finally, to have you be a guest is a great honor, and it's a very exciting day. I'm delighted to be here. Thank you. So, Michael, I'm going to start with my favorite question, even though you are like a super guest here, but tell me about your personal “Why” and how it influenced your life and how it got you where you are at age 88, almost 89, still going strong, still being an entrepreneur. So, what was that “Why” that you had and have? Well, I have said it so many times, it's to transform the state of small business worldwide. To transform the state of small business worldwide. I can almost dance to it because that is what I've been working on all these years. And in the heart of that is to transform the state of entrepreneurship worldwide. And in the process of accomplishing each of those to transform the state of economic development worldwide. Because were I capable of doing the first in order to do the second, I would absolutely achieve that result, economic development worldwide.Share on X And within that resides the spirit of all that, but you know all about that. Well, I mean, I know as much as you've written down and as much as you told me, I definitely know that part. I don't know what's going on in your mind because you're still being creative. You're still developing programs, which is amazing to me. I like to be like you when I get to your age. It's definitely awesome. So tell me about the beginning. What prompted you to write the E-Myth?

Encountering an illegal grow or trafficking operation is one of the most dangerous things that can happen in the great outdoors. We have several terrifying tales to share including one that happened near the legendary "Murder Mountain" made famous by the Netflix reality series. Plus, a savage trained killer dog sent to attack a hiker who found a growing area. *A serial killer who turned himself in with a breast in a bag *Held at gunpoint on a deer lease  *A special defense segment with Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, FL.  

Each spring, Midwesterners head to the woods to find morel mushrooms. But some in the region are developing methods to reliably farm the delicacy.

Rain, hail, heat…must mean summer is on the way. Warm temperatures bring all sorts of weather conditions to the field, and the agents are discussing some of the issues that have come from them. Excessive moisture has put an end to some strawberry production, while others are seeing a second flush in their season. Join the discussion on what the determining factors are in moving forward or moving on. Andy and Zack join us “live from the field”, Phillip, Sarah and Justin share updates from around the midlands, and we hear about our May “Grower Spotlight”. Listen to the end to catch Zack's dad joke.

This week host @Jackgreenstalk (aka @Jack_Greenstalk on X/instagram backup account) [or contact via email: JackGreenstalk47@gmail.com] is joined by panel with @spartangrown on instagram or X f.k.a. Twitter at https://x.com/grown43626 or email spartangrown@gmail.com for contacting spartan outside social media, any alternate profiles on other social medias using spartan's name, and photos are not actually spartan grown be aware, @TheAmericanOne on youtube aka @theamericanone_with_achenes on instagram who's amy aces can be found at amyaces.com and @NoahtheeGrowa on instagram.. This week we missed @Rust.Brandon of @Bokashi Earthworks who's products can be found at bokashiearthworks.com , Matthew Gates aka @SynchAngel on instagram and twitter @Zenthanol on youtube who offers IPM direct chat for $1 a month on patreon.com/zenthanol , @drmjcoco from cocoforcannabis.com as well as youtube where he tests and reviews grow lights and has grow tutorials and @drmjcoco on instagram, and and @ATG Acres Aaron The Grower aka @atgacres his products can be found at atgacres.com and now has product commercially available in select locations in OK, view his instagram to find out details about drops!

Growers have until May 22 to return their Almond Board election ballots. Meanwhile, USDA forecasts a strong 2025 crop—up 3% from last year.

Growers are hoping the recent rollout of a new U.S. trade deal with the United Kingdom is a sign of things to come. The agreement is the first trade pact with a new trading partner since 2012. And amid tariff uncertainty and unsettled markets, the presidential administration is signaling its desire to make trade deals with new countries a top priority. In particular, discussions are ongoing to open up new markets for corn in India and Vietnam, representing a potentially huge boost for the American corn industry. So in this episode of the Cobcast, we're talking to two top experts on international trade: Andrew Brandt, the Director of Trade Policy at the U.S. Grains Council; and Nancy Martinez, the Director of Public Policy, Trade and Biotechnology at the National Corn Growers Association. Together, we'll answer many of the distinct trade questions on growers' minds at this moment, like what are some other possible destinations for corn exports? What could potential deals look like with these new countries? And what does it all mean for folks who are just getting a crop in the ground?

On this episode, Anna Sara interviews the newly retired Dr. Gilbert Miller. You may recognize him from a previous podcast, drip irrigation workshop or most notably, his work with watermelon research. Join us to learn about Dr. Miller's career with Clemson as an agent and researcher spanning 45 years of service. Anna Sara chats with ‘Gilbert' about his early career and the path that led him to this profession. Learn more about his research and career accomplishments, as well as his personal background and retirement plans. Thank you, Dr. Miller, for your years of service and congratulations on your retirement. We know your contributions to agents and growers are not ending, and we'll keep an eye out for that festive watermelon shirt out in the field!

On this week's MyAgLife in Walnuts episode, UC Berkeley Entomologist Emeritus Bob Van Steenwyk discusses a new pheromone lure now available to California walnut growers that helps target walnut husk fly earlier in the season, reducing reliance on pesticides. Supporting the People who Support AgricultureThank you to this month's sponsors who makes it possible to get you your daily news. Please feel free to visit their website.The California Walnut Board - https://walnuts.org/2025 Crop Consultant Conference - https://myaglife.com/crop-consultant-conference/

This week host @Jackgreenstalk (aka @Jack_Greenstalk on X/instagram backup account) [or contact via email: JackGreenstalk47@gmail.com] is joined by panel with @spartangrown on instagram or X f.k.a. Twitter at https://x.com/grown43626 or email spartangrown@gmail.com for contacting spartan outside social media, any alternate profiles on other social medias using spartan's name, and photos are not actually spartan grown be aware, @TheAmericanOne on youtube aka @theamericanone_with_achenes on instagram who's amy aces can be found at amyaces.com and @Rust.Brandon of @Bokashi Earthworks who's products can be found at bokashiearthworks.com ... This week we missed @NoahtheeGrowa on instagram, Matthew Gates aka @SynchAngel on instagram and twitter @Zenthanol on youtube who offers IPM direct chat for $1 a month on patreon.com/zenthanol , @drmjcoco from cocoforcannabis.com as well as youtube where he tests and reviews grow lights and has grow tutorials and @drmjcoco on instagram, and and @ATG Acres Aaron The Grower aka @atgacres his products can be found at atgacres.com and now has product commercially available in select locations in OK, view his instagram to find out details about drops!

Evidence shows that SOYLEIC non-GMO soybeans create excellent dairy cow rations, which bodes well for both SOYLEIC soybean growers and dairy producers. The high oleic SOYLEIC soybeans were developed with the support of Soybean Checkoff by Missouri Soybeans. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

05/09/25: Joel Heitkamp has Dan Wogsland, former Executive Director of the North Dakota Grain Growers, filling in for him. Dan is joined by Brenda Elmer, the Executive Director for the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, in the KFGO studio. She joined the Association in 2020, and talks with Dan about spring planting. (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greenhouse growers are frustrated with gas prices and availability, and hope geothermal heat can be a replacement. 

Sunkist Growers, Inc. v. Intrastate Distributors, Inc.

In this episode of Dish the Dirt, we speak with Olivia from Pemberley of Malmsbury about her third year participating in the Main Central floral installation at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. After winning a Gold Medal and People's Choice Award in 2023, and a Bronze Award last year, Olivia returns with even more passion—this time celebrating community, collaboration, and local blooms.We dive into how Olivia and her fellow micro flower farmers from the Macedon Ranges joined forces to create large-scale installations that not only wowed judges and audiences, but also highlighted the power of working together. These growers donate their flowers to community events like the Kyneton Agricultural Show, creating beauty and impact beyond the industry.

This week host @Jackgreenstalk (aka @Jack_Greenstalk on X/instagram backup account) [or contact via email: JackGreenstalk47@gmail.com] is joined by panel with @spartangrown on instagram or X f.k.a. Twitter at https://x.com/grown43626 or email spartangrown@gmail.com for contacting spartan outside social media, any alternate profiles on other social medias using spartan's name, and photos are not actually spartan grown be aware, @TheAmericanOne on youtube aka @theamericanone_with_achenes on instagram who's amy aces can be found at amyaces.com and @NoahtheeGrowa on instagram, @Rust.Brandon of @Bokashi Earthworks who's products can be found at bokashiearthworks.com ... This week we missed Matthew Gates aka @SynchAngel on instagram and twitter @Zenthanol on youtube who offers IPM direct chat for $1 a month on patreon.com/zenthanol , @drmjcoco from cocoforcannabis.com as well as youtube where he tests and reviews grow lights and has grow tutorials and @drmjcoco on instagram, and and @ATG Acres Aaron The Grower aka @atgacres his products can be found at atgacres.com and now has product commercially available in select locations in OK, view his instagram to find out details about drops!

Agents from all regions of the state share a report from the field this week. We've said it before, but this time we mean it…Things are getting busy! Peaches are coming to harvest, strawberries are plentiful, and vegetables are ready…With the busy season comes plenty of opportunity for pest issues. Agents bring up issues that growers should be scouting for, and discuss the crazy weather some areas got last week. Sarah and Justin cover the question of the week, and Zack gets us ready for the week with a dad joke. Tune in!

This week's Open Mic guest is Dr. Rob Johansson, Director of Economics and Policy Analysis for the American Sugar Alliance. Johansson says sugar growers are facing the same economic headwinds of high input costs and marginal commodity prices. Growers hope for a new farm bill with updates in crop insurance and marketing loan prices reflective of current market conditions. Johansson says growers still satisfy a majority of domestic sugar demand and support sound science regarding dietary guidance coming from Washington.

In this episode of Hort Culture, we explore the topic of branding for farms and businesses. After chatting about spring rains, gardening chores, and Kentucky's unpredictable late frosts, we shift to a lively discussion with Brett from the Center for Crop Diversification (CCD) about their "Marketing for All" project. We emphasize that marketing—especially branding—is essential for selling crops and not just growing them. Branding involves defining the core message and values of a business, guiding all marketing activities. The CCD team offers a brand builder worksheet to help farmers clarify their identity across several spectrums (e.g., personable vs. professional, modern vs. classic). We also discuss differences between price-driven and credence markets, customer behavior at markets, and how different types of farms might approach marketing. Key tips include using consistent imagery, breaking tasks into simple steps, and leveraging email as a powerful, underused tool. Listeners are encouraged to check out CCD resources and reach out with questions.Marketing for AllCenter for Crop DiversificationQuestions/Comments/Feedback/Suggestions for Topics: hortculturepodcast@l.uky.eduCheck us out on Instagram!

RealDGC.com

Spraying for powdery mildew can be ~25% of the cost of farming a vineyard and be one of the key elements of a grower's carbon footprint. Sarah Placella, Founder and CEO of Root Applied Sciences, has taken her deep research in microbes and created a data-driven solution to monitor the air for mildew and spray only when needed. Root can cut ~5 sprays per season, and growers have an average 5x ROI using the system.  Detailed Show Notes: Root Applied Sciences (“Root”) - airborne pathogen monitoring for farmers, like an “early warning system”Founded in 2018, 1st work with/ growers in 2021Powdery mildew (“PM”) is a big problem for vineyards in CA (March - August)Currently only markets to vineyards, done work with/ strawberries, leafy greens, can do anything with/ DNA and small insectsNapa, Sonoma, Central Coast todayHW enabled SaaS model - Root owns and maintains devicesDevice in the field, just above the canopySend data (battery status, device status, temp, humidity) to the cloud over LTEM connectionSW to see the dataThe grower collects samples from devices 2x/week and sends them to the labGrowers can share data with/ each otherHas an automated prototype in processWill not need a grower to collect and send samplesFundraising “seed” round for an automated system~25% of operational costs are spent managing PM6-16 pesticide applications/seasonConventional growers have fewer applications, but spend more for each oneOrganic may be spraying every weekPM takes 7-10 days to enter plants. See 2 peaks of PM before growers can see it, once PM exists, it's hard to controlRoot can cut 20-80% of sprays (~5 sprays/season), lengthens spray intervals when low risk~$100/acre spray cost per application, ~$300/acre if need to spray by hand (e.g., steep slopes)2024 - saw PM on Mar 29 in Carneros, growers planned 1st spray 4/16, moved up 1st spray to 4/2; cut sprays and more clean fruitRoot data enables more biological sprays (have shorter efficacy windows, are more environmentally friendly, and data gives more confidence to try them)Other benefits of RootClean fruit - faster fermentation (5 days faster), higher quality, possible increase in yieldsEnvironmental (less sprays, tractor use) - less diesel use, lower soil compaction; for 1 grower, 1 spray is a 13% reduction in carbon footprintFarmworker health - fewer chemicals in the airPricing$3,000/season/monitoring station all-inAvg grower has 4 stations, 1 every ~30-50 acresPrecision growers or rolling hills, 1 station every ~10 acres~5x ROIBarriers to adoptionRisk aversionNo access to a carrier to send samplesGrape prices down (budgets)More adaptive sprays can make operational scheduling harder for vineyard management companiesOther PM solutions“Spray and pray” (~90% of growers) - calendar-based systemWeather-based tools don't work well and may be impacted by climate changeSpore trapping tools (e.g., spinning rods, roto rods) have sticky material that reduces sample size and efficacy, UV light exposure degrades PMImage-based analysis (new) - lots of data to send, samples ~2L air/min vs 400L air/min Root, does not specify type of PM present (~40 types)Product roadmap - more power efficiency, integrating a solar panelHas done work with/ downy mildew, botrytis, vine mealybug, and can detect them, but does not add a lot of valueExcited about growth in microbial mildewcides (biologicals) Get access to library episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Whanganui farming couple Clare and Grant Adkins are growing plant protein alongside their animals proteins. You can find photos and read more about this episode on our webpage, here.You can learn more about Summer Hill Seeds, here.If you want to hear from the Welches back in 2019, you can catch the previous episode, here.In this episode:0:14 - Meet Clare and Grant2:50 - A different kind of pumpkin7:25 - Processing the seeds13:55 - 'Grand old lady'18:00 - The colour graderWith thanks to:Clare and Grant AdkinsMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Want to chat to us or find out more about RNZ Podcasts? Join the RNZ Podcasts Discussion Facebook group where we share behind the scenes info about our series, and invite you to share feedback, recommendations and ask us questions.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Crafting Cannabis Episode #72 - BGG is back to help us keep this ball rolling! Today we're announcing a new collab set being released by BGG and Back9Bandit - healing salve and seeds so you can carry the work forward. More details can be found at their IG pages. Don't miss this episode, we went deep! We also got to catch up with Paranoid about his new venture HAWT which has been stealing the scene. It's good to be back on the mic, thanks for sticking with us!----------------------------------Use code "craftingcannabispodcast" for 7% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://grovebags.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://craftingcannabispodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/craftingcannabispodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@craftingcannabispodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@earlybird_autogrows⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blackwatergrows⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ruderalister⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Growers in San Joaquin County are navigating a season of mixed signals—adequate moisture, but a stagnant market. According to the California Farm Bureau, concerns over vineyard removals, shifting consumer habits, and tariff impacts are creating plenty of unknowns in the months ahead.

In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, chats with Douglas Forest, a plant expert of Armstrong Growers. The conversation highlights Armstrong Growers' unique structure as an employee-owned company that prioritizes partnerships with independent garden centers. Listen in as these two plant experts talk about the process of trialing new plant varieties before bringing them to market and touch on essential planting advice.Listen to Mountain Gardener on Cast11: https://cast11.com/mountain-gardener-with-ken-lain-gardening-podcast/Follow Cast11 on Facebook: https://Facebook.com/CAST11AZFollow Cast11 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cast11_podcast_network/

SaVon and Alex are back in studio and begin by explaining their most recent absence and sharing some show and life updates (0:00). Next, the guys put together some of the 100 man team to beat a gorilla (30:00), **TRIGGER WARNING** breakdown Shannon Sharpe's sexual assault lawsuits (51:21), and make sense of Bill Belichick's relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend (1:14:25). They also discuss Blue Origin's all-women flight crew to space (1:18:23), why the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef still has legs (1:24:03), their attachment styles (1:31:01), Ryan Coogler's ‘Sinners' in the context of Black film (1:41:06), early analysis of Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé's tours and the state of touring (2:00:40), and much more! Visit https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-need-to-know-network and use the code NEEDTOKNOW to sign up for Underdog Fantasy and receive up to $1,000 in bonus cash when you make your first deposit. Book your next podcast recording at Need to Know Studios TODAY -https://needtoknowstudios.com/ Join our Twitter/X Community to chop it up with us about all things Need to Know -https://twitter.com/i/communities/1777442897001910433 The Need To Know Podcast https://www.instagram.com/needtoknowpod/ https://twitter.com/NeedToKnowPod https://www.tiktok.com/needtoknowpod SaVon https://www.instagram.com/savonslvter/ https://twitter.com/SavonSlvter Alex https://www.instagram.com/balltillwefall/ https://twitter.com/balltillwefall

We have the pleasure of chatting with our good friend Marco Thomas from Microbes by Marco during his visit to Las Vegas! Marco has been on the show many times before, and we always have a great conversation with him and learn so much about growing. In this interview, we talk about his recent TV show, the concept of “living water” that he uses with his living soil, and how he keeps his own rabbits, using their poop as fertiliser for his plants! So much great information from a good friend of the show and a highly respected cannabis grower. I hope you enjoy the episode! If you have any suggestions for guest to be on our cannabis podcast then please feel free to contact us on our website, Discord server, or any of your favourite social networks. Visit our website for links.  Website: https://highonhomegrown.com Discord: https://discord.gg/sqYGkF4xyQ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/highonhomegrown Thank you for downloading and listening to our cannabis podcast! 

On this week's MyAgLife in Walnuts episode, California Walnut Board and Commission' Billy Ng provides updates on FSMA compliance, pesticide use regulations and free sustainability workshops to support walnut growers in California. Supporting the People who Support AgricultureThank you to this month's sponsors who makes it possible to get you your daily news. Please feel free to visit their website.The California Walnut Board - https://walnuts.org/Deerpoint Group, Inc. - https://deerpointgroup.com/

Join Tim Duel from Riesterer & Schnell and Brad Garner from Weekly Farms in Plainfield, Wisconsin, as they delve into the transformative world of John Deere technology for vegetable farms. In this episode, they explore how John Deere AutoPath, Guidance Lines, and the Operations Center have revolutionized efficiencies on Weekly Farms' operation. Learn how these tools enhance farm efficiency, optimize crop management, and drive sustainable farming practices for crops like potatoes, peas, sweet corn, green beans, and field corn. Whether you're a seasoned farmer or just curious about the future of agriculture, this podcast offers valuable insights and practical tips to help you leap forward in your farming journey.➡️ Let's ConnectTikTokInstagramFacebookLinkedInTwitterWhy Riesterer & Schnell?Riesterer & Schnell, a progressive locally-owned John Deere dealership, has proudly been serving Wisconsin communities since 1931. Because you are committed to your land, we are determined to provide you with the very best in equipment and service. Our specialties are tractors, farm equipment, zero turns, riding lawn mowers, precision farming technology, parts and service.www.rands.com

This week host @Jackgreenstalk (aka @Jack_Greenstalk on X/instagram backup account) [or contact via email: JackGreenstalk47@gmail.com] is joined by panel with @spartangrown on instagram or X f.k.a. Twitter at https://x.com/grown43626 or email spartangrown@gmail.com for contacting spartan outside social media, any alternate profiles on other social medias using spartan's name, and photos are not actually spartan grown be aware, @TheAmericanOne on youtube aka @theamericanone_with_achenes on instagram who's amy aces can be found at amyaces.com and @NoahtheeGrowa on instagram, ... This week we missed @Rust.Brandon of @Bokashi Earthworks who's products can be found at bokashiearthworks.com Matthew Gates aka @SynchAngel on instagram and twitter @Zenthanol on youtube who offers IPM direct chat for $1 a month on patreon.com/zenthanol , @drmjcoco from cocoforcannabis.com as well as youtube where he tests and reviews grow lights and has grow tutorials and @drmjcoco on instagram, and and @ATG Acres Aaron The Grower aka @atgacres his products can be found at atgacres.com and now has product commercially available in select locations in OK, view his instagram to find out details about drops!

Visit AC Infinity. Use code IRIEARMY. https://www.acinfinity.com/ref=RASTAJEFF&utm_campaign=affiliate_promotions&utm_medium=social&utm_source=affiliate Welcome back to the Grow From Your Heart Podcast with your host Rasta Jeff! In this episode, I'm dropping knowledge on some essential cultivation and breeding techniques to level up your grow. Topics we cover: The best time and method for defoliation in early flower How to preserve a line in seed form to keep those genetics alive and thriving Why and how to use silicates for stronger plant structure and better resistance Grower talk, breeding insights, and listener Q&A This episode is for the serious home grower, the up-and-coming breeder, and anyone passionate about understanding the plant on a deeper level. Follow @irie_genetics on Instagram for grow updates, breeding drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Support the show: Like what you hear? Smash that LIKE, hit SUBSCRIBE, and share this with your grower crew. You can support the podcast directly on Patreon at: www.patreon.com/growfromyourheart!

KIKOFF!!! Get your first month for just a dollar at https://GetKikoff.com/grower HARRYS!!! Get the trial kit for just $3! at https://www.harrys.com/DAWSON DRAFT KINGS CASINO!! Download the app and sign up with code GROWER and new players can wager a minimum of five dollars to receive FIVE HUNDRED CASINO SPINS ON A FEATURED GAME! Sponsor The Shane Dawson Podcast: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/the-shane-dawson-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Almond Doctor: https://www.thealmonddoctor.com/David's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheAlmondDoctorFoA 249: A Global Perspective on Tree Nuts with The Almond DoctorDavid Doll was raised in a rural area growing apples and peaches. After attending Purdue University for his B.S. in Plant Biology, he attended graduate school at UC Davis, completing his M.S. in Plant Pathology. Shortly after completion, he started to work as a Farm Advisor the University of California.After ten years of working as a Farm Advisor, David moved to Portugal in November 2018 to work as the lead developer for Rota Unica Almonds. His task is to develop California styled almond plantations within Alentejo. Through this process, he has become familiar with some of the various challenges associated with growing almonds in Portugal and Europe.Prior to his move, David worked with farmers in the Central Valley of California in troubleshooting problems and conducting on farm research within almonds, walnuts and pistachios. In this position, he would visit nearly 200 operations and deliver 35 presentations annually. He has published over 35 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. Currently, he works with almond operations across the world, including California, Africa, and Australia. Many of his observations and lessons learned have been shared within his online platform, “The Almond Doctor,” where he shares research, experiences and opinions of better farm management practices for almond orchards.

RAYCON!! Go to https://www.buyraycon.com/grower where you'll get 20% off SITE WIDE!  SQUARESPACE!!! Head to https://www.squarespace.com/GROWER to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GROWER ROCKET MONEY!!! Go to http://RocketMoney.com/grower or click the link in the description to get started for free! You can also unlock even more features with premium. Sponsor The Shane Dawson Podcast: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/the-shane-dawson-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices