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.

In this episode of Agronomy Moment, host Wendell Koehn sits down with Kala Jenkins, Government Affairs Advocate at Beck’s Hybrids, to unpack what it really looks like to fight for farmers in state and federal policy circles. Kayla shares her journey from a family farm and hydroponic operation to proactively creating her own advocacy role at Beck’s. She explains her three pillars—relationships, strategic alliances, and education—and how they shape her work with congressional staffers, agencies, and partners across 21 states. The conversation closes with practical ways everyday people in agriculture can engage in policy, from diverse dinner-table conversations to inviting elected officials to the farm.

Can you really check soybean stands with a hula hoop? In this video, Celena and I head to the field to show a simple and practical way to estimate soybean populations using a hoop method that makes stand counts easy to understand and repeat.

We walk through:

How the hula hoop stand count method works

How to find your soybean stand factor

Tips for checking emergence and spacing

What healthy soybean stands look like in the field

Early planted soybeans from late March that are already blooming

These beans were planted at the end of March, and we were surprised to already find blooms showing this early in the season.

If you enjoy real-world farming discussions, agronomy, soybean management, and simple tools that help make decisions in the field, this video is for you. Drop your soybean populations and planting dates in the comments — we’d love to compare how crops are progressing in your area. #Soybeans #Farming #Agriculture #StandCounts #SoybeanFarming #CropScouting #Agronomy #FarmLife #PlantingSeason #SoybeanFields

TOP Ag Services is a Beck's Hybrids seed dealer as well as a franchise partner for Sweetwater Technologies. We provide Hybrid Corn Seed, Soybean Seed, and Wheat Seed. Beck's has access to the best genetics and trait technologies from suppliers worldwide. Through Sweetwater Technologies we have access to industry standard name brand herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and many others! We have access to biological stress mitigators, biological fertility foliar, and many other products in the category of crop protection and stress prevention. Through our business associates Dirks Bros, we offer fertilizer, soil sampling, and a whole suite of crop nutrition solutions. We are the first to market with the best products & provide the latest, most accurate agronomic information through proven research. If you need agronomic assistance or want to be added to these updates, feel free to reach out via the messaging feature or contact us at topagservices.com/contact or call us at 417-684-5301 to be connected with someone who can help you.

All information here is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation for your farm. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this presentation without seeking other professional advice. The contents of this presentation contain general information and may not reflect current agronomic or developments or address your situation. We (Wendell Koehn and all of his affiliates, guests, or assistants) disclaim all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content in this presentation.

Welcome back to the Agronomy Moment podcast! In this quick 10-minute update, we are joined by Selena to discuss how the recent heavy rains are impacting young crops and what you should look out for as fields dry out and crops enter the rapid growth stage.

In this episode, we cover essential agronomy tips, including stand evaluation, nitrogen planning, and how to identify and mitigate early-season seedling diseases in saturated soils.

Stand Evaluation & Nitrogen: Ensuring your young corn and soybeans have the nutrients they need going into the rapid growth stage.

Herbicide Timing: Adjusting your passes and watching labels when wet weather delays spraying.

Seedling Diseases: How to identify Fusarium, Pythium, and Phytophthora in cool, wet conditions.

Solutions & Prevention: The role of seed treatments and how improving field drainage can protect your yields.

Is your corn crop ready for the V3 milestone? In this episode, we sit down with Scott Dickey, Regional Agronomy Manager at Beck’s Hybrids, to break down the critical management decisions facing corn growers right now. If your budget includes a top-dress application, you can't afford to miss this discussion on timing and nutrient balance. In this episode, we cover: The V3 Sweet Spot: Why Beck’s PFR (Practical Farm Research) proves that V3 is the ultimate timing for side-dress Nitrogen applications. The Sulfur Ratio: Why 25–30 lbs of Sulfur is the "magic number" for your crop's health and nitrogen efficiency. Post-Freeze Checkup: Assessing the "cosmetic bruising" from the recent cold spell—should you be worried? (Hint: Scott has some reassuring news). Budgeting for Yield: Making your inputs work harder for you this season. Guest: Scott Dickey, Regional Agronomy Manager at Beck’s Hybrids YouTube Video Timestamps 0:00 – Introduction: Agronomy Moment with Wendell Koehn 0:52 – Corn Management & Early Season Field Reports 1:25 – Assessing Cold Weather Bruising: Is it Cosmetic? 1:55 – The V3 Milestone: PFR Proven Side-Dress Timing 3:20 – Nitrogen Efficiency: Units per Bushel Targets 4:40 – Managing Risk: Late-Season Top Dressing Options 6:22 – Sulfur Strategy: Pre-Plant vs. Top Dress Rates 6:55 – Final Advice: Pre-Planning and Product Availability 8:50 – "Tailgate Talk" Bloopers & Outtakes Topic: Corn Management & PFR Proven Side-Dress Strategies #CornFarming #Agronomy #BecksHybrids #NitrogenManagement #V3Corn #FarmTips #cropyieldpotential TOP Ag Services is a Beck's Hybrids seed dealer as well as a franchise partner for Sweetwater Technologies. We provide Hybrid Corn Seed, Soybean Seed, and Wheat Seed. Beck's has access to the best genetics and trait technologies from suppliers worldwide. Through Sweetwater Technologies we have access to industry standard name brand herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and many others! We have access to biological stress mitigators, biological fertility foliar, and many other products in the category of crop protection and stress prevention. Through our business associates Dirks Bros, we offer fertilizer, soil sampling, and a whole suite of crop nutrition solutions. We are the first to market with the best products & provide the latest, most accurate agronomic information through proven research. If you need agronomic assistance or want to be added to these updates, feel free to reach out via the messaging feature or contact us at topagservices.com/contact or call us at 417-684-5301 to be connected with someone who can help you. All information here is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation for your farm. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this presentation without seeking other professional advice. The contents of this presentation contain general information and may not reflect current agronomic or developments or address your situation. We (Wendell Koehn and all of his affiliates, guests, or assistants) disclaim all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content in this presentation.