Agronomy Moment

In this episode of Agronomy Moment, host Wendell Koehn sits down with Tom Foreman, Director of Finance at Beck's Hybrids, for an insightful conversation on the financial and human side of modern farming.

Tom shares lessons learned from growing up working on a farm, the importance of investing in people and long-term land value, and why shifting from a scarcity mindset to an "abundance mindset" changes how farm decisions get made. They also dive into Beck's exciting work with SOYLEIC soybeans, navigating market shifts, and what the farmer of the future needs to succeed.

Header loss and down corn can quickly destroy your late-season profitability. On today's episode, we step out into the field to discuss how to evaluate stalk strength before the combines roll.

Learn why nitrogen-deficient corn cannibalizes its own stalk to fill the ear, how crown rot disease impacts late-season intactness, and how to build a strategic field-by-field harvest plan that protects your grain quality and operational efficiency.

Inside this episode:

Is your farm ready for an early harvest?

On this episode of Agronomy Moment, host Wendell Koehn is joined by agronomists Scott Dickey and Celena to discuss why crops across the region are progressing roughly two weeks ahead of schedule this season.

Together, they break down the fascinating agronomics behind rapid soybean development and nighttime-driven photo periods, highlighting why crops are moving so quickly through R5 and toward maturity. The team also shares critical late-season scouting advice—from tracking stink bugs and podworms on late-planted soybeans to knowing when it's safe to stop spraying for southern rust on dented corn.

Finally, stick around for details on upcoming Becknology Days events, and learn how Beck’s new Seed IQ platform uses AI and field data to help you match the right hybrids to your specific farm management practices.

🌾 Event Announcement: Planning to attend Becknology Days? Our region is hosting bus transportation, meals, and accommodations for the Colfax event on August 10th. Reach out to our team to reserve your spot!

The mid-summer field season is moving fast, and the pressure is officially turning up. In this episode of the Agronomy Moment, Wendell and Celena step out into the heat to bring you a critical checklist for both your corn and soybean acres right now.

We track the movement of Southern Rust out of Texas and break down why your later-planted corn is at the highest risk. Plus, we dive into the exact threshold numbers for Japanese Beetles and Stink Bugs in R3 soybeans, and discuss how to handle the emotional aftermath of recent high-wind storm and green snap damage before writing a check for your fungicide passes.

Ag tech is moving faster than the laws can keep up. In this episode, Wendell sits down with Kayla Jenkins from Beck’s Hybrids to discuss the critical intersection of modern farming, emerging technology, and government policy.

We dive headfirst into the rise of AI in precision agriculture, state-level drone legislation threats, and the legal battles surrounding the H-2A program. Kayla shares an inside look from the state capital on how lawmakers view your operation, why public perception is shifting, and what farmers need to do to protect their right to spray, fly, and farm efficiently.

Key Takeaways: 

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The rain is chasing us out of the field again, but not before we pulled the data you need for your mid-summer bean passes. In this episode of the Agronomy Moment, Wendell and Selena are checking out a March-planted 4.9 maturity soybean field right here in Southwest Missouri that is moving much faster than expected.

Selena breaks down the exact physical markers of the R3 growth stage (measuring pods on the four uppermost nodes) and why this specific window delivers your absolute highest return on investment for a fungicide pass. Plus, we dive into a critical threat we spotted while scouting: heavy stink bug pressure, a direct yield-loss insect that will ruin your pods if left unchecked.

The rain chased us out of the field this morning, but we’re bringing the scouting data straight to the studio. In this episode of the Agronomy Moment, Wendell and Selena dive headfirst into mid-summer corn diseases, focusing heavily on Gray Leaf Spot (GLS).

With prevailing wet conditions keeping humidity high, GLS is actively creeping up the lower canopy. Selena breaks down the exact "Rule of a Quarter" to help you look at your ear leaves and determine if you have enough pressure to justify pulling the trigger on a fungicide pass right now.

We also check the trackers on high-threat diseases like Tar Spot and Southern Rust, and discuss why the R1 to R3 window is your absolute sweet spot for maximum ROI.

Recent summer storms have left a lot of corn vulnerable across the region. If you’ve been out scouting wind damage over the last week and are trying to figure out what it means for your final stand, this episode is a must-watch.

Today, Wendell sits down with Selena to break down how to accurately assess storm-damaged corn. We cover the cold, hard numbers behind green snap yield loss, how growth stages dictate recovery, and why certain common chemical passes might actually be making your stalks more brittle right now.

As the soybean post-emergence window fast approaches, getting your Liberty® herbicide application right is critical. Because Liberty can be a bit finicky compared to other chemistry, relying on standard spraying habits just won’t cut it.

In this episode of Agronomy Corner, Wendell Koehn and Celena dive into the ultimate management "recipe" to eliminate the vast majority of Liberty application failures. While we can’t control the weather curveballs Mother Nature throws our way, we can control our management strategy.

From nozzle selection and water volume to hitting the sweet spot for weed size, learn how to maximize your coverage and get an effective kill on tough weeds like pigweed before they get angry and push back.

Learn how to accurately stage corn when lower leaves have dropped off, so you can stay on-label with herbicide applications and keep plants healthy through the season. In this Agronomy Moment episode, Wendell Koehn and agronomist Celena walk through a simple, field-ready method to confirm growth stage from V5 to V7 using a dug plant on the tailgate.

In this episode:

If you’re walking fields and guessing between V6 and V7 from the row, this short episode shows you how to confirm the stage with confidence.