PODCAST · science
FOCUS on Agriculture
by Preston & Jason
Join Preston Schrader and Jason Carr, scientists in the ag industry, as they interview guests about a wide range of agricultural topics. From digital ag, pests, and sustainability to increasing yield, they cover all aspects of ag to help growers succeed and open a dialogue with consumers.
Episodes
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Episode 92: Duane Simpson - A Look into the Herbicide Registration Process
Duane Simpson is Head of Ag Affairs and License to Operate, North America, Australia, and New Zealand for Bayer Crop Science. For more detail on his career history, check out Episode 82, where we spoke with him about advocating for science-based, farmer-positive ag policy. In our latest...
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Episode 91: Marvin Pritts - Strawberry Production and Factors that Affect Flavor
Have you ever wondered why some strawberries from the grocery store or farmer’s market taste wonderful while others are relatively flavorless? Do you struggle to produce strawberries in your home garden? We learn about these topics and much more in our latest episode. Dr. Marvin Pritts is a...
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Episode 90: Ambassador Kip Tom - Threats and Opportunities in Modern Ag
Ambassador Kip Tom served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture from 2019-2020. As a seventh generation farmer, Kip has worked tirelessly as a voice for farmers in the U.S. and around the globe and is a strong advocate for technological advances…
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Episode 89: Congressman Brad Finstad - Upcoming Policy and How Farmers Can Impact It
Congressman Brad Finstad was elected to Congress in a special election on August 9, 2022, and was sworn in three days later with his family by his side as he took the Oath of Office to proudly represent Minnesota’s First District. Brad is a fourth-generation farmer and resident of the New Ulm…
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Episode 88: Don Ort - Improving Crop Yields by Increasing Photosynthetic Efficiency
Dr. Donald Ort is is the Robert Emerson Professor in Plant Biology and Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois and Deputy Director of the RIPE (Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency) project. His research seeks to understand and improve plant growth and photosynthetic performance in...
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Episode 87: Stu Ellis - Half a Century of Changes in Agriculture
Stu Ellis has been a well-known agricultural communicator in Illinois for 50 years. He began as the farm broadcaster at WSOY in Decatur and expanded his service to corn belt farmers through radio, television, newspapers, newsletters, and the Internet. Listen to hear Stu's story - from growing up…
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Episode 86: Joni Stepanov - Controlled Environment Agriculture Part II
Joni Stepanov's long career in agriculture has culminated in her current role as horticulture consultant at AmplifiedAg. In this position, she conducts research to determine how to best manage crops in a completely controlled environment. Listen in to learn about her research. For a visualization...
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Episode 85: Don Taylor - Controlled Environment Agriculture Part I
The mission of AmplifiedAg is to provide global access to safe food, by growing the indoor agriculture category through innovation, experience, and partnership. In this episode, we speak with CEO Don Taylor about how the company is achieving this mission. Listen to learn how a unit of land can...
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Episode 84: Harvest Recap 2022 and the Challenges Farmers Face
Each year farmers are faced with a unique set of challenges, and 2022 was no exception. In this episode, Preston and Jason recap the 2022 growing season and discuss the future of farming. For added context to the discussion, check out the following episodes: Episode 42: Julie Borlaug - Dr. Norman...
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Episode 83: Jayson Lusk - Unnaturally Delicious: How Science and Technology are Serving up Super Foods to Save the World
Dr. Jayson Lusk is an ag economist at Purdue University, where he is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Lusk studies what we eat and why we eat it. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Unnaturally Delicious: How Science and...
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Episode 82: Duane Simpson - Advocating for Science-Based, Farmer-Positive Agricultural Policy
Duane Simpson is Vice President, Head of North America Public Affairs, Science & Sustainability at Bayer Crop Science. He leads the company's Policy & Advocacy and Industry Affairs teams to bring farmer and value chain perspective to agricultural policy making in North America and around the…
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Episode 81: Tim Fredricks & Dan Schmehl - Evaluating the Effects of Pesticides on Beneficial Insects and the Environment
Bringing a new pesticide to market involves years of research and huge capital investments. As environmental toxicologists with Bayer Crop Science, Dr. Tim Fredricks and Dr. Dan Schmehl study the effects of these products on the environment to ensure that adverse effects are minimized. In this...
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Episode 80: Tara Bohnert - Dairy Farming in the 21st Century and Beyond
Tara Bohnert is a business development manager with Nedap Livestock Management, a Netherlands-based company that provides monitoring equipment for pigs and dairy cattle. In this episode we learn about the data that is collected and how it is used to improve farmer profitability as well as animal...
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Episode 79: Stuart Smyth - The Effect of Governmental Ag Policy on Global Food Insecurity
Sri Lanka has been in the news recently due to an economic crisis leading to political instability. One of the factors behind the civil unrest is spiking food prices caused in part by governmental policy eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers and crop protection products. In this episode…
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Episode 78: Randy Myers - Developing New Tools to Battle Emerging Crop Diseases
Diseases attacking agricultural crops cause millions of bushels of yield loss for farmers across the United States each year. Farmers battle these diseases in several ways including the use of resistant varieties and hybrids, crop rotation, and fungicides. To complicate things, new diseases arise...
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Episode 77: Jayson Lusk - Exploring Consumer Food Insights
Dr. Jayson Lusk is an ag economist at Purdue University, where he is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Lusk studies what we eat and why we eat it. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Unnaturally Delicious: How Science and...
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Episode 76: German Bollero - The Past, Present, and Future of Ag Tech Part III: Training the Next Generation of Ag Scientists
Today we wrap up our series on ag tech with a conversation with Dr. German Bollero. Dr. Bollero is currently Interim Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, & Environmental Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Illinois. In this discussion, he...
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Episode 75: Jack Marck - The Past, Present, and Future of Ag Tech Part II: How Innovative Ag Tech Startups Learn from Farmers
Our Podcast series on the Past, Present, and Future of Ag Tech continues with returning guest Jack Marck, who is managing director of the Illinois Agtech Accelerator. Located at the University of Illinois Research Park, this program provides mentoring, funding, and office space for Agtech…
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Episode 74: Scott Spal - The Past Present and Future of Ag Tech, Part I: How Farmers and Their Partners Utilize Data to Maximize Farm Productivity
Scott Spal is a scientist with The Climate Corporation. In his current role, he investigates how enhancements to Climate FieldView can improve farmer profitability, as well as transparency and sustainability in agriculture. Listen to this episode to learn how farmers benefit from the massive...
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Episode 73: Third Anniversary - A description of the top episodes of the 2021-2022 season
Happy 3rd anniversary to the Focus on Agriculture Podcast. In this brief update, we discuss the 5 most downloaded episodes from the past year. Be sure to rate and review us on your favorite podcast app.
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Episode 72: Mike Canady - Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency in Field Crops
Dr. Mike Canady is a scientist with a background in plant breeding who is currently director of agronomy for specialty crops at Verdesian Life Sciences. In this conversation, we learn about how farmers can help plants use nutrients more efficiently. We also discuss the use of biostimulants to...
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Episode 71: Sarah Klopatek - Sustainability and Beef Production
Dr. Sarah Klopatek is a sustainability and cattle systems scientist at UC Davis. As a scientist, she explains why it is often difficult to reduce complex questions to a simple answer, leading to her statement, "myopia is the death of sustainability." Her most recent publication explores the...
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Episode 70: Neil Dahlstrom - Tractor Wars: John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture
"Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908 to 1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and...
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Episode 69: Bret Sill - Almond Production
Bret Sill grows diverse crops including alfalfa, corn, wheat, garlic, carrots, walnuts and almonds with his family on their farm which is over 100 years old. In this episode we discuss the similarities and differences between raising almonds and other crops. Bret also explains the incorporation…
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Episode 68: Paul Mitchell - The Economics of Farming in a Volatile Market Environment
Due to a variety of factors, 2021 and 2022 have seen significant increases in both commodity prices and farm input costs. In this episode, we discuss this market volatility with ag economist Dr. Paul Mitchell, who also offers advice for farmers to maintain or even increase profit margins in a...
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Episode 67: Randy Oliver - Honey Bee Health and Conducting Independent Research
Randy Oliver sees beekeeping through the eyes of a biologist, building a small commercial beekeeping enterprise in the foothills of Northern California. His sons now manage around 1500 colonies for migratory pollination, and produce queens, nucs, and honey, freeing Randy to engage full-time in...
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Episode 66: The Latest Tool in the Battle Against Corn Rootworm - SmartStax Pro®
Corn Rootworm is the most important insect pest facing corn growers in the United States. Each year, around $2 billion is spent to manage this problem. In this episode Preston and I discuss the latest development in the battle against the pest. To learn more about corn rootworm, you can listen to...
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Episode 65: The Risks and Benefits of Planting Soybeans Early
Over the past several years, farmers in the Midwest have been planting a greater portion of their soybean crop increasingly early each year. In this episode, Preston and Jason discuss the results of their own research on the risks and benefits of this trend. Although we plan to return to our…
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Episode 64: Megan Dwyer - Managing Fertilizer Costs With Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategies
Fertilizer is the most expensive input that farmers use to produce crops. The rapidly increasing price of fertilizer in 2020 and 2021 has put additional pressure on producers. In this conversation with Megan Dwyer, nutrient loss reduction manager for the Illinois Corn Growers Association, we...
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Episode 63: Ksenija Gasic - Combatting Peach Diseases with Plant Breeding
Georgia gets a lot of press as The Peach State, but in this episode we learn that it is not even in the top 3 states for peach production. Listen in to learn where it falls in the rankings. Ksenija Gasic is a peach breeder at Clemson University and the president of the National Association of…
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Episode 62: Jim Carrington - Cutting Edge Plant Science
The Donald Danforth Center in St. Louis, Missouri is the largest non-profit plant science research institution in the world. In today's episode, we spoke with Dr. Jim Carrington, who leads the Center in its mission to improve the human condition through plant science. One topic of conversation…
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Episode 61: Chinmay Soman - Robots in Your Fields
Dr. Chinmay Soman is the co-founder of Earthsense, an ag startup that is developing teams of robots which can collect data on every individual plant in a field. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but is much closer to reality than you might think. Listen to learn how Chinmay's…
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Episode 60: Kelly Estes - Invasive Insects: Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
Brown marmorated stink bugs are the latest in a long line of insect invaders which causes severe damage to agricultural crops. They were first collected in Pennsylvania in the late 1990s, and since that time, have steadily continued westward across the United States. This pest not only damages...
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Episode 59: John Ackerman - Agritourism and Pumpkin Production
John and Eve Ackerman are owners of Ackerman Family Farms which is located in the Pumpkin Capital of the World, Morton, IL. Each fall, thousands of visitors to this popular agritourism destination are able to choose from an wide range of pumpkin varieties, feed farm animals, or explore a corn…
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Episode 58: John Kowalchuk - Sharing the Story of Farmers and Agriculture
John Kowalchuk is a farmer in western Canada who grows canola, malt barley, wheat, yellow peas, faba beans, and red lentils on his 2,000 acre farm. He enjoys actively sharing the stories of his farming journey and promoting agriculture through social media. In this conversation, we learn about...
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Episode 57: Neal Carter - RNAi Technology and the Arctic Apple
We're all familiar with the tendency of apples to turn brown shortly after cutting them up in preparation for eating. Okanagan Specialty Fruits is a biotechnology company that has developed a technique to turn off this browning reaction, allowing apples to maintain a favorable appearance and…
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Episode 56: Matt Helm - New Tools in the Battle Against Tar Spot of Corn
Tar Spot is a devastating disease of corn that was first identified in the upper midwestern United States in 2015. The disease led to devastating yield losses in farmer fields in 2018 and 2021. Dr. Matthew Helm is a research molecular biologist with the Agricultural Research Service arm of the...
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Episode 55: Kato Ssentamu - Farming in Africa and Modern Technology in Agriculture
Kato Ssentamu is a farmer from Uganda and visiting researcher at the University of Illinois. In this eye-opening episode, we compare and contrast farming in the United States to his home country. Kato's unique perspective allows him to explain the benefits of modern technology in agriculture.
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Episode 54: Dean Malvick - Plants Get Sick Too: Tar Spot
Farmers are aware of the multitude of insects and diseases that attack their crops, but consumers may be unaware of the amount of effort that goes into protecting crops from diseases. Dr. Dean Malvick is a plant pathologist at the University of Minnesota and conducts research to support farmers…
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Episode 53: Tammy Horn Potter - Bees in America, Part II
In this episode, Dr. Tammy Horn Potter, Kentucky State Apiarist, describes the fascinating history of honey bees in America from World War I to today. Listeners may be surprised to learn that bees were so integral to the war effort in WWI that beekeepers were exempt from the draft. Listen to also...
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Episode 52: Tammy Horn Potter - Bees in America, Part I
Dr. Tammy Horn Potter is currently the Kentucky State Apiarist. Although she grew up on a farm, she was determined never to be involved in science, agriculture, or math as a career. That all changed when she helped her grandfather with his bees in 1997, and her career shifted to focus on them....
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Episode 51: Steve Powles - Herbicide Resistance Part II: When you find a good thing, don't stick to it.
This episode is the second part of our conversation with Dr. Stephen Powles, one of the world's foremost experts on herbicide resistance in weeds. In this conversation we discuss novel methods of managing herbicide resistant weeds. Listen for Steve's explanation of his seemingly counterintuitive...
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Episode 50: Steve Powles - Herbicide Resistance Part I: From Poor to Prof
Dr. Stephen Powles is one of the world's most highly respected and cited plant scientists. He has received countless awards for his pioneering work in the area of herbicide resistance and published over 250 research papers on the subject. You may be surprised to learn that Steve's career began...
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Episode 49: Second Anniversary - A description of the top episodes of the 2020-21 season.
Happy 2nd anniversary to the Focus on Agriculture Podcast. In this brief update, we discuss the 5 most downloaded episodes from the past year. Be sure to rate and review us on your favorite podcast app.
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Episode 48: Nick Seiter - Killing Corn Rootworms with Parasitic Nematodes
Dr. Nick Seiter is an entomology professor and extension specialist at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. His research focuses on identifying new ways for farmers to battle insect pests. Listen as Nick describes his latest research, including the use of parasitic nematodes as a...
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Episode 47: Leandro Mozzoni - Modern Soybean Breeding and Farming in Argentina
Dr. Leandro Mozzoni is a soybean breeder with the University of Arkansas. He utilizes conventional plant breeding and advanced breeding tools in the areas of genomics and phenomics to maximize farmer’s profit. His research involves exploring niche-market, food-grade or modified-seed-composition...
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Episode 46: Bernardo de la Vega - Short Corn Part II and Farming in Mexico
Farmers across the globe face similar challenges, but there are also many differences in their operations. In this episode we chat with Bernardo de la Vega about his farm in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. For the past few years, Bernardo has been growing Vitala corn. Listen as he discusses the...
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Episode 45: Kelly Gillespie - Short Corn Part I
Dr. Kelly Gillespie is a crop physiologist with degrees from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She currently leads corn and soybean crop efficiency portfolio strategy for Bayer Crop Science. Kelly also sits on the executive board of the North...
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Episode 44: Barbara Stinson - The World Food Prize
The World Food Prize was created by Nobel Peace Prize winner and father of the Green Revolution, Dr. Norman Borlaug to honor those who have made significant and measurable contributions to improving the world's food supply. To date, there have been 50 laureates, with the 2021 World Food Prize...
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Episode 43: Wyatt Muse - Pros and Cons of Conventional and Organic Farming
In this episode we chat with Monticello, IL farmer Wyatt Muse. Wyatt was recently honored with a Young Alumni Award from the college of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois. He grows both conventional and organic crops on his east-central…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join Preston Schrader and Jason Carr, scientists in the ag industry, as they interview guests about a wide range of agricultural topics. From digital ag, pests, and sustainability to increasing yield, they cover all aspects of ag to help growers succeed and open a dialogue with consumers.
HOSTED BY
Preston & Jason
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does FOCUS on Agriculture have?
FOCUS on Agriculture currently has 92 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is FOCUS on Agriculture about?
Join Preston Schrader and Jason Carr, scientists in the ag industry, as they interview guests about a wide range of agricultural topics. From digital ag, pests, and sustainability to increasing yield, they cover all aspects of ag to help growers succeed and open a dialogue with consumers.
How often does FOCUS on Agriculture release new episodes?
FOCUS on Agriculture has 92 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to FOCUS on Agriculture?
You can listen to FOCUS on Agriculture on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts FOCUS on Agriculture?
FOCUS on Agriculture is created and hosted by Preston & Jason.
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