In this episode of the Crop Doctors’ Podcast, Tom and Jason visited with Mississippi State Climatologist Mike Brown to unpack the persistent drought conditions that have impacted the state over the past year. Mike described the current conditions as a transition out of a La Niña pattern.  He also explained what role the jetstream plays in steering weather systems away from or toward Mississippi. Tune in for a practical and science-based discussion on how weather patterns are shaping agricultural conditions across Mississippi.  Find out more about Mike’s work at https://www.ms-sco.us/home and also drought conditions in Mississippi at https://www.drought.gov/states/mississippi

https://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation

In this episode of the Crop Doctors’ Podcast, Brian Arnall from Oklahoma State University joins Tom and Jason to share his firsthand experience evaluating biological products in production agriculture. The conversation dives into just how many products Brian has tested over the years, the wide range of formulations and claims on the market, and the challenges of separating hype from proven performance. They also discuss whether these products can—or should—play a role in real-world farming systems, offering practical insight for growers trying to make informed decisions. Check out Brian’s blog at www.osunpk.com and podcast at www.reddirtagronomy.com

https://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation

In this episode of the Crop Doctors’ Podcast, Jason and Tom sit down with Extension Soybean Specialist Justin Calhoun to break down the stretch of warm, dry weather across Mississippi in March and what it meant for early soybean planting. They discuss how these conditions influenced planting decisions, emergence, and early-season growth.  Justin dives into practical considerations for selecting soybean maturity groups under early planting scenarios, including how to balance efficiency of planting with optimizing soybean development during the longest photoperiod. 

The Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station is a location of the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center located in Raymond.  Tyler Soignier is a MSU agronomist working to bring Brown Loam back on line as a clearinghouse for agronomic information for that part of our state.  Tyler visited with Jason and Tom from the Crop Doctors’ Podcast studio in Stoneville to highlight his work in central Mississippi.

With urea fertilizer prices continuing to increase, making the right crop management decisions has never been more critical. In this episode, Corey Bryant visited the Crop Doctors’ Podcast studio to break down practical strategies for navigating high nitrogen costs without sacrificing yield potential. The discussion covers timing and placement of applications, evaluating alternative nitrogen sources, and protecting from losses.

Erick rerouted through Stoneville to sit down for a few minutes in the Crop Doctors’ Podcast studio to discuss how the MS corn crop is fairing after the freeze on the night of March 17.  Erick has spent the last few days working the phone and looking at fields to help make the best decision possible on assessing health of frost damaged corn, determining whether replant is necessary, and which treatments are perform best for terminating failed corn stands.

Jason and Tom sat down with Stafford Shurden of Drew, Mississippi, in the Crop Doctors’ Podcast studio in Stoneville for a conversation that bridges generations of Delta agriculture. Stafford reflects on growing up on a family farm in the Mississippi Delta during the 1970s and 80s—sharing stories about the equipment, crops, and community that shaped his early years in agriculture. The discussion explores a shotgun of topics including influences of technology, no-till farming, the 2021 flood, and lots in between.  You can find Stafford at https://staffordshurden.com and all social media platforms.

From the Row Crop Short Course in Starkville last December, Drew Gholson and Wes Lowe visited with Tom and Jason about their prototype poly pipe hole puncher.  After more than six years of brainstorming, tinkering, testing, and re-testing, Drew and Wes are ready to put their hole puncher to the test—an innovation designed to make irrigation setup faster, more precise, and a whole lot less frustrating.

From the Crop Doctors’ Podcast studio in Stoneville Tom and Jason visit with Erick about the extremely early corn planting in parts of Mississippi. With some growers pushing planters into the field well ahead of the traditional window, what are the real advantages and risks?  Erick breaks down the potential upsides, including earlier pollination ahead of peak summer heat.

For more episodes from the Crop Doctors, visit http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation 

How does the general public really view pesticides and modern agriculture—and where do those perceptions come from?  From December’s Row Crop Short Course in Starkville, Tom and Jason are joined by John Byrd of Mississippi State University Extension and Eric Prostko of the University of Georgia to unpack common misconceptions, public concerns, and the communication challenges facing today’s agricultural professionals. The conversation explores how media narratives, social values, and scientific literacy shape opinions about pesticide use and why transparent, science-based outreach has never been more important. 

For more episodes from the Crop Doctors, visit our website at http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation