Agronomy Highlights

Recorded: 3/5/25 

As any Pennsylvania farmer can tell you, deer can cause significant damage to crops and are a primary pest in our agricultural landscape. In this episode, we sit down with Law Enforcement Supervisor Brian Singer of the Pennsylvania Game Commission to discuss the legal and lethal options that farmers can take advantage of to manage deer populations.  

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension
Guest: Brian Singer, Pennsylvania Game Commission

Links:
Pennsylvania Game Commission Landowner Assistance
Hunters Sharing the Harvest

Photo credit: Pennsylvania Game Commission

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Recorded: 3/11/25

Cornell Forage Systems Specialist, Joe Lawrence, returns to discuss small grain silage and silage inoculants. We discuss the agronomics of producing high-quality grain silage, and Joe walks us through the different types of silage inoculants, when to use them, and how to use them effectively. 

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension
Guest: Joe Lawrence, Cornell University

Links:
Using a Microwave Oven to Test Moisture Content of Forage
Silage inoculants: What the research tells us about when and how to use them

Photo credit: Ryan Spelman, Penn State Extension

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Recorded: 2/19/25

Get ready for spring green-up with this two-episode series on assessing your spring small grain and forage stands! In this episode we talk to extension specialists Dr. Daniela Carrijo and Dr. Guojie Wang about making management decisions based on your early spring stand assessments. 

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension
Guests: Dr. Daniela Carrijo, Dr. Guojie Wang, Penn State

Links:
Wheat Stand Assessment
Evaluation and Considerations on Newly Established Forages
The Penn State Agronomy Guide

Photo credit: Ryan Spelman, Penn State Extension

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Recorded: 2/26/25 

 Get ready for spring green-up with this two-episode series on assessing your spring small grain and forage stands! In this episode, we talk to extension educator Zack Curtis about the technical aspects of taking qualitative and quantitative stand assessments.  

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension
Guest: Zachary Curtis. Penn State Extension

Links:
Wheat Stand Assessment
Evaluation and Considerations on Newly Established Forages
Are My Forages Dead or Dormant?

Photo credit: Ryan Spelman, Penn State Extension

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Recorded: 2/11/25 

With seemingly ever-increasing fertilizer costs, it is important to apply nitrogen fertilizers with as much precision as possible when growing corn and measuring soil nitrate levels in the early part of the season is a critical step to making these precise applications. In this episode, Ryan and Justin discuss the ins and outs of utilizing a Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT) to do exactly this with Penn State Extension specialists Dr. Charlie White and Dr. Robb Meinen. 

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension
Guests: Charlie White and Robb Meinen, Penn State

Links:
Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test for Corn
Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test for Corn (PSNT)
Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT) for Corn Sample Submission Form

Photo credit: Charlie White, Penn State

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Recorded: 1/14/25 

 As farmers and ag workers begin preparations for the upcoming field season, they may be wondering what new pest management technologies and information are available. In this episode, Ryan and Justin sit down with plant pathology specialist Dr. Paul Esker to discuss new alfalfa fungicide recommendations, updated recommendations for soybean white mold and tar spot control, as well as new scouting platforms available to farmers. Entomology specialist Dr. John Tooker joins us to discuss new Bt traits, and updated information on slug management. 

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension

Guest: Dr. John Tooker, Penn State

Links:
Penn State Agronomy Guide
Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Corn Foliar Diseases
Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Soybean Foliar Diseases
Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Alfalfa Diseases
Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Wheat Diseases
Handy Bt Trait Table for U.S. Corn Production

Photo credit: John Tooker, Penn State

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Recorded: 1/14/25 

As farmers and ag workers begin preparations for the upcoming field season, they may be wondering what new weed management technologies and information is available. In this episode, Ryan and Justin sit down with weed specialist Dwight Lingenfelter to discuss new herbicide technologies, products, and resistance issues moving into the upcoming season.  

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension

Guest: Dwight Lingenfelter, Penn State

Links:
Order the new Penn State Agronomy Guide
Corn Growth Stages
Soybean Growth Stages

Photo Credit: Andrew Frankenfield, Penn State Extension

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Recorded: 12/9/24

Winter is here, and temperatures are in the single digits across Pennsylvania, so what better time than now to talk about wintertime livestock feeding and pasture management! Join Ryan and Justin in a conversation with Dave Hartman about the agronomic considerations behind feeding livestock over the winter, reducing livestock damage to pasture, and planning your wintertime grazing rotation.  Formerly a Penn State extension educator, Dave Hartman now serves as the program director of PAGLC (Pennsylvania Grazing Lands Coalition).

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension
Guest: Dave Hartman, Former Extension Educator

Links:
Cold Stress and Beef Cattle
CA SoilWeb
Pennsylvania Grazing Lands Coalition

Photo Credit: Sjoerd Duiker 

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Recorded: 12/20/24

Happy New Year! On this episode of the Agronomy Highlights Podcast, Ryan and Justin reflect on our favorite episodes of 2024, and quiz each other on the topics covered over the past year. Tune in and play along on this special episode! 

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Recorded: 11/21/24

Pennsylvania winters can bring low temperatures, high moisture, and often fluctuating conditions. These conditions can be abusive to stored farm equipment and machinery. On this episode, extension educators and resident farm equipment experts, Zack Curtis and Andrew Frankenfield, share winter storage tips, discuss how to prepare equipment for storage, and how to minimize problems that can arise during storage. 

Hosts: Ryan Spelman and Justin Brackenrich, Penn State Extension
Guests: Andrew Frankenfield and Zachary Curtis, Penn State Extension

Links:
Preparing and Storing Farm Equipment for Winter

Photo credit: Zachary Curtis

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