CropTalk

We spend lots of time assessing how effective our spray treatments are. But how often do you consider how efficient your spray program is? Does every application achieve maximum coverage and ensure product viability?

The kinds of products you're using to apply agricultural inputs make a big difference. From low volume mists (atomizers, foggers) to hydraulic sprayers. What is best in what situation? What about when applying biopesticides which are living organisms? And what about nematodes?

In this #CropCareConvos episode, Bobby Shearer gets into all of that and more with Charlie McKenzie of #LeadersTalkCrops and their guest, Mark Ledebuhr of Application Insights LLC.

What is the most costly misconception growers have about fluid delivery systems? Mark says it's the "spray and pray" mentality. We agree!

You must find out what you don't know. Assess your coverage with water-sensing papers. R&D doesn't have to be complicated.

How much of your spray is wasted?

Biofungicides for roots: use low-pressure watering wands.

Nematodes: remove all filters, use a large spray nozzle and low-pressure.

Beauveria works well in hydraulic sprayers.

Botanigard and Cease: hydraulic sprayers or cold foggers

Bacillus subtlis: consider the K-22 BIOpulse fogger

Get as good as you can with the equipment you have before trying to upgrade, but never lose the "constant improvement" mindset.

So many insightful gems in this podcast! Be sure to check out Mark's book at www.sprayer101.com/airblast101

Until next time, #StartCleanStayClean w/ #CropWalk #IPM

When is a vertical farm the right choice vs. a greenhouse? What is realistic when defining what success looks like in your CEA operation?

On the latest episode of #KyleTalksAgtech Robert Colangelo, Founder Farmer of Green Sense Farms and I dive deep into the honest reality of vertical farming, what the industry is doing well (and poorly) and how we can collectively do better to build the proper foundation that CEA deserves.

What is "pesticide stewardship"?

How is it used to prevent "pesticide resistance" and achieve other IPM goals?

What are the different kinds of pesticide resistance?

How does this fit into the IPM paradigm?

What are some suggested practices and general approaches to pest management that consider pesticide stewardship?

Those are just some of the questions that arose organically when Robert & Charlie decided to hit record on a Zoom call with CropWalk advisor and R&D entomologist at BioSafe Systems, Gretchen V. Pettis, PhD.

What are "modes of action" and "target sites" and what does it mean to rotate between them when applying #pesticides?

When you do suggest chemical control options, can you tell us about the 3-tiered approach (moderation, saturation, multiple attack)?

Are #biopesticides susceptible to resistance?

What's up with the 2021 #cicada emergence on the east coast?

#LetsTalkCrops ...Let's talk #PesticideResistance and the informed, intentional, and reserved use of pesticides... in #agriculture and beyond.

There are so many insightful nuggets in this #podcast.

Stream or download via the link in the comments and on https://www.croptalkmedia.com/listen

Commercial agriculture has evolved over the past few decades in a way that has left many farmers with few sales outlets.

A large majority of farmers work with distributors or marketing companies that contract with the farmer to take the farm's raw goods and process them and/or sell them.

The farmer grows it and delivers it.

Often the farmer has one or two, at the most, of these types of relationships.

It typically leaves the farmer exposed and susceptible to commodity market fluctuations and to whatever the marketer has up their sleeve that year.

How could a farmer diversify to protect their livlihood?

Explore value added products (VAP).

Value added products are raw agricultural goods that have been altered, enhanced or processed to have a higher market value and/or a longer shelf life.

My friend, Brian Watkins, joined as a guest of the #LeadersTalkCrops series on CropTalk podcast to discuss his journey with creating value added products on his blueberry farm in Michigan.

This one gets way into the weeds.

But trust me, these are weeds you want to venture through if diversifying and leveling up your farm is something you are intersted in.

Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Niko-Matti Kivioja, CEO of Netled. Topics include starting a vertical farm successfully, the current status of the CEA industry and what the future landscape of this industry may look like.

Steve D. is a legend in the legal cannabis industry. Famed for his successful litigation against the Department of Justice, which halted DOJ's last-ditch 2011 campaign to shut down California's medical cannabis dispensaries, he's written a book, the Cannabis Manifesto, and was the feature of the Discovery Channel mini-series, Weed Wars, What else? If you're not hip to the Last Prisoner Project, google it. Then, there are his successful commercial endeavors, like Harborside, Steep Hill Labs, the Arc-View Group, and the National Cannabis Industry Association.

Bobby Shearer took a few minutes to catch up with Steve and chat about the kinds of personal and professional characteristics and guiding principles that he believes sets successful cannabis industry executives apart. What drives their decision-making processes? What are the chief motivators behind their business?

Steve shares some valuable nuggets for #cannabis industry leaders who want to see their business still growing in ten years.

What do YOU think are the most important qualities in a #cannabisindustry executive?

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Chris Higgins, Founder of Urban Ag News and Co-Founder of Hort Americas. Topics include important tips for growing successfully, the current status of the CEA industry and what the future landscape of this industry may look like.

The cost of IPM can be high in Cannabis production.

Especially if your wholesale or dispensary customers' favorite cultivar is also incredibly susceptible to pest & disease.

It is routinely observed by many different growers that certain Cannabis cultivars are more resilient and able to defend against certain pests or pathogens and prevent them from creating economic injury.

The selection of cultivars is usually an involved process that has far-reaching implications for many aspects of the business.

That's why we had Jeff Coco, an Applied Horticultural Entomologist, onto CropTalk podcast to share his insights surrounding cultivar selection through the lens of integrated pest management.

Jeff is also really into entomophagy and shares how he is helping folks shift their perspective on using insects as ingredients in cuisine. And, how he loves creating darn good, bug-filled, food.

Until next time, #startcleanstayclean

On this episode of the CropTalk series #KyleTalksAgTech, Kyle Barnett speaks with Roel Janssen of Planet Farms about his journey in Horticulture, vertical farming and the power of the industry to transform flavor and food across the planet.

"If you grow it, they will come."

"They" as in the buyer.

That was what many thought when it came to hemp.

Many farmers have a big appetite for scale.

They want to grow it all!

If they grew one acre last year, they want to try ten the next.

I can't blame them. I love growing too.

But...the tendency for farmers to bite off more than they can chew is why we had Emily Gogol, PhD, CEO & a Founder of Infinite Tree, onto the #LeadersTalkCrops series of CropTalk.

Emily drops some serious wisdom as she describes reasons why hemp farmers should think twice about doubling production before doubling down on quality.

Until next time, #startcleanstayclean