Soil Talks™ Podcast

Can biology really pay? Dr. Curt Livesay (Alchemy BioScience, Dynamite Ag) breaks down the data behind crop stress mitigation with silica, nitrogen efficiency, and post-harvest nutrient removal testing. We dig into nutritional density trends, ROI, manure’s real value, and how to separate useful biologicals from marketing—using independent testing and fieldproof.

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Full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVD04wz0u2J9qqu3L0zcZ9V8_YVzpr81

What you’ll learn
• Why silica matters for stress resilience (heat/drought/salt)
• N use efficiency: timing, placement, and common leaks
• Post-harvest nutrient removal testing to plan fertility
• Nutritional density: what’s changing and why
• Biologicals: independent testing, real-world criteria, ROI
• Manure as a systems tool (and what it really covers)
• Commercializing peer-reviewed science without the hype

Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:41 Stress mitigation & silica
05:34 Nitrogen efficiency (rate/timing/placement)
08:34 Soil testing & nutrient management nuance
11:16 Post-harvest removal testing (grain analysis)
24:23 Nutritional density & plant growth
29:08 Biological tools & independent testing
34:23 ROI testing farmers can run
42:24 Commercializing science → field tools
47:07 Profitability first, ethics & claims
51:53 Challenging conventional practices
57:56 Agronomy myths to retire
1:03:11 Future: biology-first, site-specific

Links mentioned
• Alchemy BioScience / PiKSi Dust® (guest’s company)
• Reach out To Dr. Curt www.dynamiteag.com
• Rocky Mountain BioAg® resources & BBO™ course

CTA
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#SoilTalks #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #Agronomy #NitrogenEfficiency #Silica #Biologicals #SoilMicrobiome #SustainableFarming #FarmProfitability

Microalgae, Microbes & Measurable Gains with Cassidy Million, VP Ag Sciences @ PhycoTerra®

What this episode delivers: a clear, field-ready look at how photosynthetically-derived microalgae feed native microbes, improve aggregation, and lift yield without overhauling your program. We separate myth from mechanism, show where microalgae fit in the regen stack, and outline how to verify results fast.

Guest: Cassidy Million, M.S. (Plant Pathology), VP of Ag Sciences at PhycoTerra®. Cassidy translates peer-reviewed biology into practical agronomy: microbial activation, carbon flow, water handling, and ROI.

• Activation, not replacement: why feeding the existing microbiome outperforms sugar spikes.
• Structure gains you can see: aggregate stability, infiltration, and residue handling improve when biology is fed.
• Proof over promise: simple before/after checks (cup test, slake, root windows) + optional biomass/F:B tracking.
• Adoption playbook: when to apply, how to pair with covers & moisture, and how to avoid “boom → bust” programs.

00:00 Welcome & today’s outcomes
02:05 PhycoTerra® in one sentence (what it is / what it isn’t)
04:10 Cassidy’s path: plant pathology → soil function
05:35 Why microalgae feed the right microbes (diverse carbon, not just sugar)
08:30 Native microbe activation vs. “bugs in a jug”
10:20 Where it fits vs. composts, humics, and traditional amendments
12:30 Carbon flow → aggregation, infiltration, root access
15:10 Microbial diversity & stress tolerance (heat, salts, drought)
17:15 Field results & persistence beyond 30–60 days
20:45 Water retention, rooting pattern, and crop response
30:20 Adoption traps: impatience, no habitat, no measurement
32:00 What’s next for microalgae in regen programs
39:30 Final playbook: how to trial, track, and scale

• PhycoTerra®: https://phycoterra.com/
• Rocky Mountain BioAg® (host): https://www.rockymountainbioag.com
• Subscribe on YouTube Soil Talks™ Podcast

1. Prep habitat: moist, aerated, living roots.
2. Feed biology (microalgae) → avoid sugar spikes.
3. Measure: cup test + slake + root photo (before, then 7–10 days after).
4. If two signals improve twice, scale to more acres.

Powered by: Rocky Mountain BioAg®, Biological…Beyond Organic®
#SoilTalks #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #Microalgae #PhycoTerra #SoilBiology #Agronomy #RegenAg #WaterInfiltration #SoilStructure

Disclosure: This episode discusses third-party products in the context of biological soil function and field measurement.

What does it actually look like to take a conventional, hay-focused operation and turn it into a resilient, biology-led system in one season? In this episode, Brandon sits down with Joel Leman, GM of Ballantine Farms (Durango, Colorado), to unpack the full transition: rotational/mob grazing in arid conditions, using goats to knock out thistle without herbicides, deploying virtual fencing (GPS collars) to increase stock density, and partnering with RMBA to add biology only when habitat is ready.