FOCUS on Agriculture
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Episode 92: Duane Simpson - A Look into the Herbicide Registration Process
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
Episode 91: Marvin Pritts - Strawberry Production and Factors that Affect Flavor
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why some strawberries from the grocery store or farmer’s market taste wonderful while others are relatively flavorless? Do yo...
Episode 90: Ambassador Kip Tom - Threats and Opportunities in Modern Ag
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ambassador Kip Tom served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture from 2019-2020. As a seventh generat...
Episode 89: Congressman Brad Finstad - Upcoming Policy and How Farmers Can Impact It
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
Episode 88: Don Ort - Improving Crop Yields by Increasing Photosynthetic Efficiency
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 RIP...
Episode 87: Stu Ellis - Half a Century of Changes in Agriculture
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 expa...
Episode 86: Joni Stepanov - Controlled Environment Agriculture Part II
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Joni Stepanov's long career in agriculture has culminated in her current role as horticulture consultant at AmplifiedAg. In this position, she c...
Episode 85: Don Taylor - Controlled Environment Agriculture Part I
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The mission of AmplifiedAg is to provide global access to safe food, by growing the indoor agriculture category through innovation, experience, and pa...
Episode 84: Harvest Recap 2022 and the Challenges Farmers Face
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 growin...
Episode 83: Jayson Lusk - Unnaturally Delicious: How Science and Technology are Serving up Super Foods to Save the World
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jayson Lusk is an ag economist at Purdue University, where he is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. &...
Episode 82: Duane Simpson - Advocating for Science-Based, Farmer-Positive Agricultural Policy
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Duane Simpson is Vice President, Head of North America Public Affairs, Science & Sustainability at Bayer Crop Science. He leads the company'...
Episode 81: Tim Fredricks & Dan Schmehl - Evaluating the Effects of Pesticides on Beneficial Insects and the Environment
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bringing a new pesticide to market involves years of research and huge capital investments. As environmental toxicologists with Bayer Crop Scien...
Episode 80: Tara Bohnert - Dairy Farming in the 21st Century and Beyond
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tara Bohnert is a business development manager with Nedap Livestock Management, a Netherlands-based company that provides monitoring equipment for pig...
Episode 79: Stuart Smyth - The Effect of Governmental Ag Policy on Global Food Insecurity
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Episode 78: Randy Myers - Developing New Tools to Battle Emerging Crop Diseases
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Diseases attacking agricultural crops cause millions of bushels of yield loss for farmers across the United States each year. Farmers battle the...
Episode 77: Jayson Lusk - Exploring Consumer Food Insights
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jayson Lusk is an ag economist at Purdue University, where he is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. &...
Episode 76: German Bollero - The Past, Present, and Future of Ag Tech Part III: Training the Next Generation of Ag Scientists
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Agri...
Episode 75: Jack Marck - The Past, Present, and Future of Ag Tech Part II: How Innovative Ag Tech Startups Learn from Farmers
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Agt...
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
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Spal is a scientist with The Climate Corporation. In his current role, he investigates how enhancements to Climate FieldView can improve f...
Episode 73: Third Anniversary - A description of the top episodes of the 2021-2022 season
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Happy 3rd anniversary to the Focus on Agriculture Podcast. In this brief update, we discuss the 5 most downloaded episodes from the past year. &...
Episode 72: Mike Canady - Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency in Field Crops
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Mike Canady is a scientist with a background in plant breeding who is currently director of agronomy for specialty crops at Verdesian Life Science...
Episode 71: Sarah Klopatek - Sustainability and Beef Production
01 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Sarah Klopatek is a sustainability and cattle systems scientist at UC Davis. As a scientist, she explains why it is often difficult to reduc...
Episode 70: Neil Dahlstrom - Tractor Wars: John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. &nb...
Episode 69: Bret Sill - Almond Production
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bret Sill grows diverse crops including alfalfa, corn, wheat, garlic, carrots, walnuts and almonds with his family on their farm which is over 100 yea...
Episode 68: Paul Mitchell - The Economics of Farming in a Volatile Market Environment
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 di...
Episode 67: Randy Oliver - Honey Bee Health and Conducting Independent Research
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Randy Oliver sees beekeeping through the eyes of a biologist, building a small commercial beekeeping enterprise in the foothills of Northern Californi...
Episode 66: The Latest Tool in the Battle Against Corn Rootworm - SmartStax Pro®
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
Episode 65: The Risks and Benefits of Planting Soybeans Early
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past several years, farmers in the Midwest have been planting a greater portion of their soybean crop increasingly early each year. In ...
Episode 64: Megan Dwyer - Managing Fertilizer Costs With Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategies
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fertilizer is the most expensive input that farmers use to produce crops. The rapidly increasing price of fertilizer in 2020 and 2021 has put ad...
Episode 63: Ksenija Gasic - Combatting Peach Diseases with Plant Breeding
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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. Liste...
Episode 62: Jim Carrington - Cutting Edge Plant Science
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Donald Danforth Center in St. Louis, Missouri is the largest non-profit plant science research institution in the world. In today's episode,...
Episode 61: Chinmay Soman - Robots in Your Fields
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Episode 60: Kelly Estes - Invasive Insects: Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brown marmorated stink bugs are the latest in a long line of insect invaders which causes severe damage to agricultural crops. They were first c...
Episode 59: John Ackerman - Agritourism and Pumpkin Production
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 58: John Kowalchuk - Sharing the Story of Farmers and Agriculture
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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. &n...
Episode 57: Neal Carter - RNAi Technology and the Arctic Apple
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're all familiar with the tendency of apples to turn brown shortly after cutting them up in preparation for eating. Okanagan Specialty Fruits ...
Episode 56: Matt Helm - New Tools in the Battle Against Tar Spot of Corn
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tar Spot is a devastating disease of corn that was first identified in the upper midwestern United States in 2015. The disease led to devastatin...
Episode 55: Kato Ssentamu - Farming in Africa and Modern Technology in Agriculture
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kato Ssentamu is a farmer from Uganda and visiting researcher at the University of Illinois. In this eye-opening episode, we compare and contras...
Episode 54: Dean Malvick - Plants Get Sick Too: Tar Spot
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 int...
Episode 53: Tammy Horn Potter - Bees in America, Part II
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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....
Episode 52: Tammy Horn Potter - Bees in America, Part I
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 scien...
Episode 51: Steve Powles - Herbicide Resistance Part II: When you find a good thing, don't stick to it.
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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. &nb...
Episode 50: Steve Powles - Herbicide Resistance Part I: From Poor to Prof
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Stephen Powles is one of the world's most highly respected and cited plant scientists. He has received countless awards for his pioneering w...
Episode 49: Second Anniversary - A description of the top episodes of the 2020-21 season.
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Happy 2nd anniversary to the Focus on Agriculture Podcast. In this brief update, we discuss the 5 most downloaded episodes from the past year. &...
Episode 48: Nick Seiter - Killing Corn Rootworms with Parasitic Nematodes
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Nick Seiter is an entomology professor and extension specialist at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. His research focuses on i...
Episode 47: Leandro Mozzoni - Modern Soybean Breeding and Farming in Argentina
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Leandro Mozzoni is a soybean breeder with the University of Arkansas. He utilizes conventional plant breeding and advanced breeding tools in the a...
Episode 46: Bernardo de la Vega - Short Corn Part II and Farming in Mexico
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers across the globe face similar challenges, but there are also many differences in their operations. In this episode we chat with Bernardo...
Episode 45: Kelly Gillespie - Short Corn Part I
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Kelly Gillespie is a crop physiologist with degrees from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. S...
Episode 44: Barbara Stinson - The World Food Prize
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 signi...
Episode 43: Wyatt Muse - Pros and Cons of Conventional and Organic Farming
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we chat with Monticello, IL farmer Wyatt Muse. Wyatt was recently honored with a Young Alumni Award from the college of Agricult...
Episode 42: Julie Borlaug- Dr. Norman Borlaug and the Green Revolution
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Julie Borlaug is vice president of external affairs for Inari. She is also president of the Norman Borlaug Foundation which continues Dr. Borlau...
Episode 41: Chad Leman - Modern Pork Production
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chad Leman is a third-generation farmer from central Illinois. He owns Leman Farms Inc. which comprises a 3,200 head sow farm that markets approximate...
Episode 40: Gregg Sauder - Ag Entrepreneurship and 360 Rain
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gregg Sauder has a long history of innovation in agriculture. Beginning as a farmer simply looking for ways to improve yield, he founded Precisi...
Episode 39: Jack Marck - Startups and Disruptive Innovation in Agriculture
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Marck is managing director of the Illinois Agtech Accelerator. Located at the University of Illinois Research Park, this program provides m...
Episode 38: Tom Jury - Breeding 3.0 and Beyond
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Jury is head of the North America Field Testing Organization at Bayer Crop Science. His organization is responsible for growing and collecti...
Episode 37: Brad Thada - Popcorn Trivia and Facts
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Weaver Popcorn Company was founded by Reverend Ira Weaver in 1928. Dr. Brad Thada is a commercial popcorn breeder and sales director for the com...
Episode 36: Romulo Lollato - Wheat Production and How to Evaluate Data
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Romulo Lollato is an extension educator and researcher at Kansas State University, where he studies wheat and forage production. In this episode...
Episode 35: Alan Bennett - Nitrogen-fixing corn
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers and many others are well aware that legumes such as soybeans are able to provide some of their own nitrogen through an association with symbio...
Episode 34: Zach Lancaster - The Past, Present, and Future of the War on Weeds
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have been battling weeds for as long as crops have been cultivated. In this episode, we discuss the history and future of weed control wi...
Episode 33: Charlie Thompson - Sweet Corn Trivia and Facts
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie Thompson is a sweet corn breeder and Vice President of Illinois Foundation Seeds. In this episode, we explore the history and developmen...
Episode 32: The History of Corn
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Preston and Jason discuss the fascinating history of yellow dent corn, beginning with the cultivation of teosinte by Native Americans...
Episode 31: Megan Baskerville - Conservation and Agriculture
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Megan Baskerville is Illinois ag program director for The Nature Conservancy, the largest conservation organization in the world. In this ...
Episode 30: Nick Tinsley - The Value of Seed Treatments
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Seed treatments are applied to the vast majority of seeds that farmers plant each growing season. These treatments help protect the vulnerable s...
Episode 29: Jeff Brown - Setting Corn Yield Records
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Each year, farmers across the US compete in the National Corn Grower's Association National Corn Yield Contest. Jeff Brown is a central Illinois...
Episode 28: Eric Ifft - Fungicides and Crop Production
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Ifft is a customer business advisor for Bayer Crop Science. He has been involved in agriculture his entire life, having grown up on a centr...
Episode 27: Jamie Ellis - The Role of Honey Bees in Agriculture
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we visited with Dr. Jamie Ellis about the role of honey bees in agriculture and the challenges that are facing beekeepers. Dr. ...
Episode 26: Polly Ruhland - Existing and Emerging Uses of Soybeans
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You probably know that soybeans are used for animal and human consumption, but did you know that they are used for many other things, including asphal...
Episode 25: Max Armstrong - The Voice of American Agriculture
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we chatted with legendary broadcaster Max Armstrong, who has been called "The Voice of American Agriculture." Max began his career with Il...
Episode 24: One-Year Update from your hosts, Preston and Jason
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy 1st year anniversary to the Focus on Agriculture Podcast. We took a break from interviewing amazing guests to take some time and give you update...
Episode 23: Josh Vonk - Fertilization and Soybeans
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Joshua Vonk is a central Illinois farmer who recently completed his PhD research on Irrigation and Nitrogen Management of Soybean in Highly Produc...
Episode 22: Rob Saik- Food 5.0 How We Feed the Future Part II
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the second part of our interview with Rob Saik about his latest book, Food 5.0 - How We Feed the Future. It it he explains how b...
Episode 21: Rob Saik - Food 5.0 How We Feed the Future Part I
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we chat with Rob Saik about his latest book, Food 5.0 - How We Feed the Future, in which he describes the history and future of agric...
Episode 20: Tom Eickhoff - The Past, Present, and Future of Digital Agriculture
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we explore digital agriculture, and how its adoption benefits farmers and the environment. Our guest is Tom Eickhoff, a Nebraska...
Episode 19: David Zaruk – The Risk-Monger (on glyphosate)
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was a discussion with David Zaruk. David is a professor at Odisee University and is most widely known as the “Risk-Monger.” He has be...
Episode 18: Devin Nichols - The History of Plant Breeding Part III
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is the third episode in our exploration of the history of plant breeding. Here we discuss the current state of corn breeding, including how...
Episode 17: Tom Floyd - The History of Plant Breeding Part II
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we continue our exploration of the history of plant breeding. In this episode we discuss the biotech revolution, and how molecular markers...
Episode 16: Tom Floyd - The History of Plant Breeding Part I
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the history of genetic improvement of plants, beginning with the earliest days of farmers saving seed from the best plants...
Episode 15: Stuart Smyth - Benefits of GMO Technology to Farmers and Consumers
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the benefits of GMO crops to the environment, consumers, and farmers with Dr. Stuart Smyth, professor in Ag and Resource E...
Episode 14: Preston Schrader & Jason Carr - 2019 Conclusion
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and look forward to reconnecting with you in January. We have an exciting slate of topics to discuss ...
Episode 13: Brad Stoller - Precision Agriculture
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the current and future state of precision agriculture with Brad Stoller, global supply chain manager at Precision Planting. Lea...
Episode 12: Lisa Granadino - Large Scale Agriculture Research
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we chat with Lisa Granadino, Vice President of U.S. Technology Development. Learn about the extensive research that goes into d...
Episode 11: Andy Knepp - Farming Sustainably
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss farming sustainably with Andy Knepp, Vice President, Environmental Strategy & Industry Activation with Bayer Crop Scien...
Episode 10: Ivan Dozier - Sustainability in Agriculture
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss agricultural sustainability topics including cover crops, pollinator health, and control of soil erosion with Ivan Dozier. ...
Episode 9: Dan Towery - Benefits of Cover Crops
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the benefits of cover crops with Dan Towery, crop consultant with Ag Conservation Solutions. You can interact with D...
Episode 8: Preston Schrader & Jason Carr - Get to Know Us (introduction)
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we tried something different and instead of interviewing an esteemed guest, we interview each other and talk about our backgrounds and current w...
Episode 7: Matthew Carroll & Bill Moar - Future Bug Tech
24 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss the future of insect control, specifically the western corn rootworm, with Dr. Matthew Carroll & Dr. William Moar of Bayer Crop S...
Episode 6: Joe Spencer - Rootworm, the Billion Dollar Bug
09 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discussed rootworm biology history and control with expert Dr. Joe Spencer. Dr. Spencer is a Principle Research Scientist and the Research Pr...
Episode 5: Leah McGrath - GMOs and Food Safety
06 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss GMOs, organics, and nutrition with Leah McGrath, RDN. You can follow her on Twitter at @LeahMcgrathRD
Episode 4: John Sullivan - Midwestern Farm Policy
25 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss agriculture policy with John Sullivan, Illinois Department of Ag Director.
Episode 3: Cody Evans - Weed Management in a Challenging Year
12 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we had a great discussion with Cody Evans who is a Weed Management Technology Development Rep with Bayer Crop Science. Follow Cody on Twitter @I...
Episode 2: Robb Fraley - GMOs and the Future of Ag Tech
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today we were pleased to have Robb Fraley as a guest to discuss the origins of GMO food technology. Robb is a World Food Prize Laureate and former CTO...
Episode 1: Jerry Hayes - Bees and Production Ag
22 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Discussion with Jerry Hayes, Vita Bee Health VP North America, on honey bee health, and interaction with production Ag.