agronomy

Episode 185 – A Slippery Situation: Battling Slugs in Row Crops

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Slug pressure has become an increasingly common and frustrating challenge in crop fields in recent years, driven by wetter springs, heavy residue, and changing production systems. In this episode, we dig into why these slippery pests seem harder to manage than ever. With Kelley Tilmon joining us, discuss the limitations of traditional control options and what growers should realistically expect from different management strategies. From scouting and risk factors to cultural, biological, and chemical tools, we’ll break down what we know and how to make informed decisions when slugs start putting your stand at risk.

For more information, visit aginsects.osu.edu where you can find publications, fact sheets and ID cards. Most slug info is found under the soybean section.

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Episode 183 – Planting Weather Outlook

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After a grueling winter, spring is arriving across Ohio and we are itching to get the planters rolling. After looking at where this past winter landed in the books, we talk with Dr. Aaron Wilson about what we can expect for this season. With drought conditions lingering in some parts of the state and heavy rains across others, we have our fingers crossed for a good growing season. Will Mother Nature deliver? Tune in to find out.

Sign up to receive monthly and quarterly updates from the State Climate Office: climate.osu.edu. Check out mrcc.purdue.edu/ to find useful tools such as the GDD calculator and freeze predictor. You can also reach out to Aaron at wilson.1010@osu.edu.

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Episode 181 – From the Ground Up Research

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Two farmers, Fred and Josh Yoder, discuss one conservation focused research project developed by a group of farmers in Ohio. They are part of a multi-state, four-university effort to discover how to increase conservation adoption on farms. Our farmer-led team is working to improve real-world, on-farm performance of conservation practices to ensure they better generate the outcomes – e.g. profitability, yield stability, and protection from extreme weather events – that farmers need.

To learn more about this project, visit: https://ftgup.org/.

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Episode 177 – Transitioning to Organic Grain Production Part 2

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We continue our discussion with Eric Richer, OSUE Field Specialist, by digging into more hurdles of organic grain production. From nitrogen sources to paperwork, we take a realistic look what farmers can expect in an organic system compared to conventional.

To dive deeper into this topic, we recommend attending the 2026 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference January 7-8. For more details, visit: https://offer.osu.edu/events/2026-OrganicGrainsConference.

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Episode 176 – Transitioning to Organic Grain Production Part 1

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Transitioning to organic production is not a consideration farmers can take lightly. The intensive management, restrictions on inputs and changes in marketing must be well understood. To help us wrap our heads around that process, Eric Richer, OSUE Farm Management Field Specialist, joins us to dive into the opportunities and challenges organic production presents in Ohio.

To dive deeper into this topic, we recommend attending the 2026 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference January 7-8. For more details, visit: https://offer.osu.edu/events/2026-OrganicGrainsConference.

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Episode 173 – All in on Harvest Data – Part 2

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We continue our discussion with Dr. John Fulton on how to increase the reliability of harvest data. This time we focus on the in-field practices. With bigger machines, it is getting more difficult to collect high res data. Tune in for recommendations on things such as how long passes should be and more to increase the quality of your yield data.

For more resources on harvest data, visit: https://digitalag.osu.edu/precision-ag/research-focuses/harvest-technologies.

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Episode 171 – All in on Harvest Data – Part 1

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Farmers write some big checks based on harvest data. How confident are you in the quality of that data? We’re getting into the weeds with Dr. John Fulton about how to ensure confident decisions can be made based on what is collected in the field this fall. In the first of this two part series, we talk about how yield measurements are collected in the combine, provide advice on calibration and discuss how unintentional mistakes can lead to big missteps with input decisions.

For more information on calibration, visit: https://digitalag.osu.edu/precision-ag/research-focuses/harvest-technologies.

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Episode 165 – Which to plant first?

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Each planting window brings the same question- Should I plant corn or soybeans first? Perhaps you have heard it referred to as the Battle for the Belt. Dr. Osler Ortez joins us for an update on his research based competition with soybean specialist Dr. Laura Lindsey to determine when the best windows are for planting corn and soybeans. They are also looking at where the largest yield losses occur when planting is delayed. These results can help farmers make decision on when to switch between corn and soybeans based on the calendar, maturity and conditions.

Follow updates on YouTube, the C.O.R.N. Newsletter and X (Dr. Ortez and Dr. Lindsey).

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Episode 163 – Plant 2025 Weather Update

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We are once again joined by Dr. Aaron Wilson to share an outlook on what we can expect from Ohio’s weather for the spring planting season. We reflect on drought recovery, the heavy rains over the first weekend in April and what the summer is shaping up to look like.

For drought resources, visit: go.osu.edu/Ohio_drought. Sign up to receive monthly and quarterly updates from the State Climate Office: climate.osu.edu. Check out mrcc.purdue.edu/ to find useful tools such as the GDD calculator and freeze predictor. You can also reach out to Aaron at wilson.1010@osu.edu.

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Episode 161 – UAV Cover Crop Seeding

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Dr. John Fulton and Alex Thomas share the latest on utilizing drones to seed cover crops. They have done extensive research evaluating seeding capabilities, timing and stand establishment and share the results with us. We also talk about what it takes to become a licensed UAV operator, the challenges and advantages of seeding with UAVs and the future of availability considering tariff restrictions.

For more information, find research results in the 2023 and 2024 eFields reports: https://digitalag.osu.edu/efields. You can also visit the Digital Ag homepage: https://digitalag.osu.edu/home and check out their social media: https://digitalag.osu.edu/connect/social-media.

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