
In this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith talks with Edgar Hammermeister of Western Ag Professional Agronomy and Marshall McDaniel of Iowa State University about predicting nitrogen release from soil. They explore the environmental and biological factors that drive nitrogen mineralization, such as temperature, moisture, and organic matter. The discussion also highlights decision‑support tools and modeling approaches that help growers estimate nitrogen availability throughout the growing season. Finally, they examine practical tactics for building a sustainable nitrogen reserve in the soil over multiple years.

The episode dissects the abrupt shutdown of Monarch Tractor, the electric‑autonomous tractor startup that captured headlines after raising nearly a quarter‑billion dollars from investors such as C&H and forging a manufacturing tie‑up with Foxconn. After months of legal wrangling, the...

The Pulse School episode focuses on how pulse growers can balance phosphorus, potassium and sulfur (PKS) applications when profit margins are squeezed by soaring fertilizer prices. Host Amber Bell interviews Shane Stridehorse of Pulse Canada, who emphasizes that pulses’ lack...

The Future of Agriculture podcast episode spotlights Shane Thomas, author of the "33 Mental Models for the Modern Agribusiness Leader," and explores how these cognitive frameworks can sharpen decision‑making in a rapidly digitizing sector. Thomas defines mental models as cross‑disciplinary...

The podcast episode with Lori Boyer and University of Illinois professor Gary Schniki focuses on optimal cover‑crop termination timing for corn‑soybean rotations, highlighting how termination decisions affect yields, nitrogen dynamics, and soil health. Schniki emphasizes planting soybeans in April as the...

The Better Farming for Water campaign, launched by the Department of Agriculture and led by Chú’s Pat Dillon, is a multi‑actor advisory initiative aimed at improving Irish water quality by focusing on nutrient loss and sediment from agricultural land. ...

The video is a tongue‑in‑cheek field test of John Deere’s compact utility tractor, the Roxor, as the presenter drives it up a sizable dirt pile that mimics a manure mound. The segment frames the demonstration as "scientific testing," emphasizing the...

Ballweg Implement’s Precision Team, led by long‑time employee Sheila Jacel, is focused on readying customers for the upcoming planting season. The team supports a broad range of equipment—from legacy autotrack units to cutting‑edge autonomous tractors—ensuring each machine integrates with the...

Last week Conservation A Foundation director and No‑Till Innovator alumnus Mike Starky hosted a second‑annual gathering on his Brownsburg, Indiana farm, inviting landowners statewide to learn about no‑till and cover‑crop practices. The event was designed exclusively for landowners, though a...

The Grain Farmers of Ontario webinar centered on the 2026 spring weather outlook, emphasizing how evolving climate patterns—particularly the transition from La Niña to a potentially strong El Niña—will shape Ontario’s planting season. Presenter Aaron Brenner highlighted long‑range model improvements, noting...

The video focuses on soil variability and its implications for modern farming practices. Brian and Darren explain that fields often contain multiple soil types, topsoil depths, and nutrient levels, challenging the assumption that a field is uniform. They note that USDA...

The Modern Acre podcast featured Ian Miller, COO of Pairwise, outlining the company’s CRISPR‑based gene‑editing platform that is delivering seedless blackberries and pitless cherries. Miller emphasized that Pairwise does not sell seeds directly; instead it licenses the proprietary varieties and...
![[Technology Corner] ‘There’s No Going Back’ … Advice for Getting Started with AI](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mB5vGf_Mol4/maxresdefault.jpg)
The video captures a brief presentation at a supplier showcase where Jeremy Gretigi of Sententa offers practical guidance for organizations just beginning to explore artificial intelligence. Gretigi emphasizes low‑cost entry points: download free AI applications, enroll in readily available courses on...

The video highlights how gene banks, particularly the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‑Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), have reshaped chickpea farming in India by delivering new, short‑duration varieties equipped with disease resistance. By tapping into native Indian germplasm, researchers introduced...

The episode recaps Tim and Ty’s experience at the World AgriTech Innovation Summit in San Francisco, tying it to the latest AgFunder investment report. They note that while overall attendance was lighter than previous years, the concentration of high‑quality decision‑makers...