Field, Lab, Earth

Latest Episodes:

Soybean Seed Protein Decline with Dr. Anuj Chiluwal Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

"United States soybean seed protein concentrations – current status, challenges and some potential crop management solutions" with Dr. Anuj Chiluwal.

Soybeans are a crucial crop in the United States for a variety of uses, including for its use as a protein source in animal feed. However, in recent years, high yield varieties have seen a steady decline in seed protein concentration. In this episode, Anuj joins me to discuss the sources of this decline and some potential strategies to combat it.

Tune in to learn:

· Why soybean seed protein is declining in US soybean

· How the US may be a template for other countries with similar problems

· What temporary solutions may be available for this problem

· Which future research paths may bring about more sustainable solutions

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21731

This paper is always freely available.

Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don't forget to subscribe. If you'd like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/.

If you would like to reach out to Anuj, you can find him here: anuj.chiluwal@kysu.edu https://www.kysu.edu/directory/faculty-staff/anuj-chiluwal.php https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuj-chiluwal/

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7bAC0EA3C0-3F50-F011-877A-00224808D254%7d

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/captions/Njg1MWI0MjE2MDAzODViYzNhZjVkNjYzWE4wOEZYc1pLNHNQ/o/Q1AwMTA4NTk3MzE4

"Soybean management for seed composition: The perspective of U.S. farmers" paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21082

"Exploring Nitrogen Limitation for Historical and Modern Soybean Genotypes" paper: https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.04.0271

"Quantification of Soybean Leaf Senescence and Maturation as Impacted by Soil- and Foliar-Applied Nitrogen" paper: https://doi.org/10.2134/cftm2018.07.0051

"Probability of Yield Response to Inoculants in Fields with a History of Soybean" paper: https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2009.04.0185

"Late-Season Nitrogen Applications Increase Soybean Yield and Seed Protein Concentration" paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.715940

"Is soybean yield limited by nitrogen supply?" paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2017.08.009

"Assessing Variation in US Soybean Seed Composition (Protein and Oil)" paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00298

"Regional analysis of planting date and cultivar maturity recommendations that improve soybean oil yield and meal protein concentration" paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.954111

Extension fact sheet: https://www.kysu.edu/documents/college-of-agriculture-communities-the-sciences/2025-Fact%20Sheet%20Soybean%20Seed%20Quality.pdf

University of Minnesota annual soybean quality reports: https://extension.umn.edu/soybean/soybean-seed-quality

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Precision Turfgrass Management with Dr. Briana Wyatt and Dallas Williams May 16, 2025

Show notes

"Using electromagnetic induction to inform precision turfgrass management strategies in sand-capped golf course fairways" with Dr. Briana Wyatt and Dallas Williams

Golf courses are well known for their beautiful greens, but overusing fertilizer and water to keep them looking pristine can lead to inefficient, expensive, and environmentally damaging waste. Precision turfgrass management can help, but only if we can find the right methods to put it into use. In this episode, Briana and Dallas join me to discuss their research on how electrical conductivity can be used to help determine golf course needs.

Tune in to learn:

· How many management zones might be in a fairway

· How turfgrass type can effect electromagnetic induction correlations

· Which properties are most correlated with electromagnetic induction readings

· How researchers can get readings on large areas of a golf course fairway

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.70020

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to Briana, you can find her here: briana.wyatt@tamu.edu

If you would like to reach out to Dallas, you can find her here: dmwilliams22@tamu.edu

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7bD35BC10D-F821-F011-9989-000D3A32C099%7d

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/NjgyNGU4NmRkZjIzY2FlOWRmYTQ4ZmEwV2Y5WFhuVTFpTnR3/o/VEMwODY4NTQyOTM4

TAMU turfgrass website: https://soilcrop.tamu.edu/research/turfgrass/

TAMU Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamusoilcrop

TAMU Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Twitter: https://x.com/tamusoilcrop

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

The Soil Health Cycle with Dr. Bijesh Maharjan Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

"Soil Health Cycle" with Dr. Bijesh Maharjan

Researchers, advisers, and farmers alike know that soil health is important, but taking steps forward in the knowledge of which practices to use and their impacts can be difficult. Enter the soil health cycle, an iterative approach to help track how practices and their implementation take soil health forward. In this episode, Bijesh joins me to discuss his work on the soil health cycle.

Tune in to learn:

· How the soil health cycle is similar to human health care cycles

· What the four steps of the soil health cycle are

· Why it's important to have a soil health cycle

· What the literature says about the current state of the soil health cycle

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20504

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to Bijesh, you can find him here: maharjan@unl.edu https://x.com/Nebraska_soils

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7b3687C77E-BE1E-F011-998A-0022480989AC%7d

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/NjgwMDExNTJlZGVmODgyNjliNWNhMmQzbEVZNXpiYV8xWGtU/o/VEMwOTY5NDE4NDEw

Supracentennial special section call for papers for Soil Science Society of America Journal: https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14350661/specialsectioncall#supracentennial-field-experiments

Maharjan Lab: www.maharjanlab.com

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Speed Breeding to Combat Wheat Disease with Drs. Nidhi Rawat and Vijay Tiwari Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

"Evaluation of speed breeding conditions for accelerating Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol screening in wheat" with Nidhi Rawat and Vivek Tiwari.

Fusarium head blight (FHB), also known as head scab, is one of the most significant diseases affecting wheat, causing substantial economic losses for farmers in the U.S. and worldwide. While FHB resistant wheat lines have been identified, breeding these traits into desirable cultivars is a time-consuming process that can take decades, with uncertain success. In the U.S., particularly for spring wheat, crossing of wheat lines can typically be done only once per year due to seasonal limitations, which slow down the process of development of disease-resistant cultivars. To overcome this challenge, speed breeding—an approach that involves growing plants under extended light exposure (20–22 hours per day) to accelerate their life cycle—offers a promising solution. This technique enables multiple generations of wheat to be produced within a single year, allowing for more frequent crossings and a faster transfer of disease resistance traits into desirable cultivars. In this episode, Drs. Nidhi Rawat and Vijay Tiwari share their insights on using speed breeding techniques to accelerate the breeding of disease-resistant cultivars.

Tune in to learn:

· What is Fusarium head blight?

· How does Fusarium head blight cause economic loss to farmers?

· What is speed breeding?

· How does speed breeding help in developing disease resistance cultivars?

· What are challenges in adopting speed breeding?

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21226

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to Nidhi Rawat and Vijay K Tiwari, you can find them here: nidhirwt@umd.edu and vktiwari@umd.edu

If you would like to reach out to Saptarshi Mondal from our Student Spotlight, you can find him here: saptarshi.mondal@uga.edu https://www.facebook.com/saptarshi.mondal.50

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7B3F0BF240-4700-F011-BAE2-0022480989AC%7D

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/NjdkMzEyNTMzMzJlNjQ3MGNjMTU5ZGEzbk9fdW1qR3NNUGpv/o/VEMwNTA5MzQxMjA1

US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI): https://scabusa.org/home-page

Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

https://agnr.umd.edu/about/directory/plant-science-landscape-architecture/

Wheat labs, University of Maryland, https://umdwheatgenomics.weebly.com/

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Economics of Autonomous Strip-Cropping with Professor James Lowenberg-DeBoer Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

"Economics of strip cropping with autonomous machines" with James Lowenberg-DeBoer.

With the growing global population, the demand for food continues to rise. However, increasing food production often depends on intensive farming practices and agricultural inputs that can negatively impact environmental health. To counter this, promoting crop diversity, improving soil health, and reducing disease and pest pressure are crucial. Mixed cropping presents a viable solution but poses challenges for mechanization and labor efficiency. In this context, customized autonomous machines and advanced technology can play a key role in facilitating mixed cropping while lowering production costs. In this episode, Dr. James Lowenberg-DeBoer shares insights from his research on the economics of strip cropping—the simplest form of mixed cropping—using autonomous machines. He explores the feasibility and profitability of this approach, along with the challenges and opportunities in restoring crop biodiversity and ecosystem services, ultimately fostering better environmental health and sustainable agriculture.

Tune in to learn:

What is mixed cropping?
What makes a farm machine "autonomous"?
How do autonomous machines contribute to environmentally friendly agriculture?
What are the economic differences between automated strip farming and conventional strip farming?
What are swarm robots in agriculture?

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21536

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to James Lowenberg-DeBoer, you can find him here: JLowenberg-DeBoer@harper-adams.ac.uk

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7b33E6AEA6-E1EA-EF11-A731-6045BD0350B4%7d

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/NjdhZTQyYmQwNjA1ZDQwNmFmYjNkYTU1LVVGWURKXzFZcFIy/o/VEMwOTcyNzA1Njg4

Center for Effective Innovation in Agriculture: https://www.linkedin.com/company/71561378/admin/dashboard/

Hands Free Farm: www.handsfree.farm

Precision Agriculture Journal: https://link.springer.com/journal/11119

Digitization for Agroecology: https://d4agecol.eu/

Prairie Strips in the Conservation Reserve Program: https://www.nrem.iastate.edu/research/STRIPS/

Stockcropper: https://thestockcropper.com/

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Benefits of Microarthropods with Dr. Ashley Jernigan Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

"Microarthropods improve oat nutritional quality and mediate fertilizer effects on soil biological activity" with Dr. Ashley Jernigan

Microarthropods are little critters that can have a big impact on crop production, particularly when it comes to nutrient cycling and nutrient acquisition. However, there's still much to learn about how the work these little helpers do is affected when paired with different types of fertilizers. In this episode, Dr. Jernigan joins me to discuss how microarthropods get along with different fertilizer treatments.

Tune in to learn:

· What other animal springtails look like

· How researchers count microarthropods

· What impacts organic fertilizers have on microarthropods

· How microarthropods can help crops thrive

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21597

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to Ashley, you can find her here: https://x.com/Jernigan_AB www.ashleybjernigan.com Ashley Jernigan | School of Plant and Environmental Sciences | Virginia Tech

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7b7285E2E8-2CD4-EF11-8EE9-0022480C3B17%7d

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/Njc4OTI5M2Y0ZjNhZjcwMTI3OGE5Y2ExX3hzQURLZWFjR1NX/o/VEMwMDYzOTQ3MjA5

Soil mesofauna fact sheets: https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/9/4123/files/2021/07/Jernigan_EOA-Fact-Sheets_Merged.pdf

Soil mesofauna video: https://youtu.be/AHVGFDpRXhQ?si=-q_ASEwB2D-4u3kF

Chaos of Delight: https://www.chaosofdelight.org/gallery

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Grazing Cover Crops in the Great Plains with Drs. John Holman and Augustine Obour Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

"Grazing cover crops: How does it influence soils and crops?" with Drs. John Holman and Augustine Obour.

Cover crops have a lot of uses depending on where you live and what you grow, but in some regions like the Great Plains, it can take a little extra help to make sure they're as helpful as they can be. In this episode, John and Augustine join me to discuss the advantages and challenges of grazing cover crops in the Great Plains.

Tune in to learn:

· Which factors most impact strategy when incorporating cover crops

· How to alter cover cropping strategy depending on the soil moisture

· How incorporating cover crops and livestock can increase profitability

· How cover crops can help with forage shortages

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21475

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to John, you can find him here: jholman@ksu.edu

If you would like to reach out to Augustine, you can find him here: aobour@ksu.edu

If you would like to reach out to Tanner Judd from our Student Spotlight, you can find him here: tcjudd@wisc.edu

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7bB578A14C-E8BE-EF11-B8E8-002248082C44%7d

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/Njc2NWFjMDZlY2VmZGEyMzAxYWVmZjVmMm1YaXJlc25RSUY2/o/VEMwNTU1NTk5MjQy

EA Consumables is the exclusive US distributor of organic elemental analysis products by UK laboratory supplies manufacturer, Elemental Microanalysis. Visit the EA Consumables website for high quality elemental analysis consumable supplies that offer performance you can trust.

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Pipeline remediation timelines with Theresa Brehm Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

"Soil degradation and crop yield declines persist 5 years after pipeline installations" with Theresa Brehm.

Underground pipeline installations are crucial for energy supply, helping to meet rising demand. However, these installations can significantly impact agricultural lands due to soil excavation, heavy machinery use, and resulting soil disturbances. Although companies typically offer support to farmers for up to five years, claiming that soil health and productivity are restored within that period, many farmers report ongoing issues with soil degradation and reduced crop yields. This highlights the need to evaluate the true impact of pipeline installations on soil health and crop productivity and to assess the effectiveness of remediation efforts in restoring soil vitality. In this episode, Theresa Brehm shares insights from her research on assessing the impacts of pipeline installations on soil health and agricultural productivity in Ohio state, along with insights from farmers' experiences.

Tune in to learn:

· What are the impacts of underground pipeline installations on soil health and crop productivity?

· How are farmers compensated for their losses?

· How do pipeline installations affect soil texture, porosity, and crop yields?

· How effective are company-led land remediation efforts in restoring soil health and productivity?

· What are the long-term challenges of restoring soil health after pipeline installations?

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20506

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to Theresa Brehm, you can find her here: Theresa.Brehm@usda.gov

If you would like to reach out to Amanda Duim Ferreira from our Student Spotlight, you can find her here: amandaduim@usp.br

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7b20F47A3C-1FA8-EF11-8A69-6045BD07B9E9%7d

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/NjczNjM4NjJhMGI4MDA3Zjc2OWU0MjQwUmpDQmxtUldRejlI/o/VEMwNjYwNzk3NTQ2

Evaluation of Pipeline Installation on Crop Productivity in Ohio: https://soilfertility.osu.edu/https%3A/soilfertility.osu.edu/node/170/evaluation-pipeline-installation-crop-productivity-ohio

"Pipeline installation effects on soils and plants: A review and quantitative synthesis" published in Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment: https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20312

Summary of Landowner Experience Survey: https://soilfertility.osu.edu/sites/soilf/files/imce/Research/Landowner%20Pipeline%20Experiences.pdf

"How Pipeline Installations Impact Agricultural Fields and Landowners" published in Crops & Soils: https://doi.org/10.1002/crso.20338

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for regular help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Managing Sorghum Aphid with Drs. Somashekhar Punnuri, Karen Harris-Shultz, Joseph Knoll, and Xinzhi Ni Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

"Invasive sorghum aphid: A decade of research on deciphering plant resistance mechanisms and novel approaches in breeding for sorghum resistance to aphids" with Drs. Somashekhar Punnuri, Karen Harris-Shultz, Joseph Knoll, and Xinzhi Ni.

Sorghum is an important crop in the United States, grown for grain, forage and bioenergy purposes. However, its production is facing several challenges due to abiotic and biotic factors, with aphids emerging as a significant pest in last decade. Once considered a minor pest, sorghum aphids have become a major threat to sorghum cultivation due to susceptible varieties and insufficient pest management strategies. In this episode, Dr. Somashekhar Punnuri, an associate professor from Fort Valley State University; Drs. Karen Harris-Shultz and Joesph Knoll, research geneticists with USDA ARS; and Dr. Xinzhi Ni, a research entomologist from USDA ARS, share their insights on current research efforts and new methods to combat sorghum aphids.

Tune in to learn more about:

· What characteristics sorghum aphids have

· How sorghum aphids reproduce

· What resistance mechanisms sorghum has

· What the current efforts are in breeding aphid resistant sorghum varieties

· What the challenges are in aphid management in sorghum

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21301

This paper is always freely available.

Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this, don't forget to subscribe. If you'd like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/.

If you would like to reach out to Som, you can contact him here: Punnuris@fvsu.edu https://ag.fvsu.edu/members/profile/view/63

If you would like to reach out to Karen, you can contact her here: karen.harris@usda.gov https://www.ars.usda.gov/people-locations/person?person-id=43959

If you would like to reach out to Joe, you can contact him here: joe.knoll@usda.govhttps://www.ars.usda.gov/people-locations/person?person-id=48564

If you would like to reach out to Xinzhi, you can contact him here: xinzhi.ni@usda.gov https://www.ars.usda.gov/people-locations/person?person-id=35259

If you would like to reach out to Sarah Chu from our Student Spotlight, you can find her here: sarah.chu@tamu.edu X: https://x.com/weedysarahchu

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7bDF51FF70-9397-EF11-8A6A-000D3A350361%7d

Transcripts: Coming soon

Sorghum Checkoff: https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/our-farmers/insects-weeds-diseases/insect-control/sugarcane-aphid/

"Biological and genetic features of introduced aphid populations in agroecosystems" published in Current Opinion in Insect Science: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2018.01.004

Sorghum aphid reporting tool: https://www.myfields.info/

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for regular help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Upscaling Soil Moisture Data with Dr. Tyson Ochsner Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

"Upscaling soil moisture from point scale to field scale: towards a general model" with Dr. Tyson Ochsner

Field scale soil moisture measurements can be difficult to attain. Point scale data can be too small to give field scale advice, and data gathered from satellites often lack important specificity. In this episode, Tyson joins me to discuss a new method to upscale point data into field scale soil moisture estimates.

Tune in to learn:

· Why field-scale measurements are important for both grower and researcher needs, yet are difficult to obtain

· What are the differences between fast, thermal, and epithermal neutrons

· How measuring epithermal neutrons can correlate with soil moisture

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode's paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20244

This paper is always freely available.

If you would like to reach out to Tyson, you can find him here: tyson.ochsner@okstate.edu

If you would like to reach out to Jasia Jannat from our Student Spotlight, you can find her here: Jasia.Jannat@uga.edu https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasia-jannat-06124a124/

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7b3FFBDD50-9C8C-EF11-AC20-0022480C3B17%7d

Transcripts: Coming soon

OK State Soil Moisture Map: http://soilmoisture.okstate.edu/

Rain or Shine book: https://open.library.okstate.edu/rainorshine/

OK State University Soil Physics YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@okstate_soil_physics

CoCoRahs Citizen Science project: https://www.cocorahs.org/

Thank you to our volunteer Om Prakash Ghimire for regular help with the shownotes and other assets. Thank you to Cole Shalk from 12twelve Media for the Audio Processing on today's episode.

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

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