Fresh off the Agronomy Roadshow in Indiana and heading into Commodity Classic, Faith Lois returns for a solo episode packed with practical, albeit controversial, agronomic advice for the 2026 season.

In this episode, Faith delivers a "hot take" on Potassium application for high-magnesium soils in the Midwest: stop applying it upfront. She explains why moving Potassium in-season can unlock early-season Calcium uptake, build better stalk structure, and improve economic efficiency. Conversely, she contrasts this with the soil needs in Nebraska, highlighting why agronomy is never one-size-fits-all.

Beyond specific nutrients, Faith pivots to the macro-view of agriculture. She argues that in a global market, the American farmer must become the lowest-cost producer to win. The strategy? Shift your mindset from "feeding the soil" to "mitigating stress." From herbicide stress to the oxidative stress caused by excess nitrogen, Faith explains why the first dollar you spend in 2026 should be on keeping the plant's metabolic engine running, not just piling on fertilizer.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The Potassium Pivot: Why growers in high-magnesium soils (IL, WI, IN) should stop applying K upfront and move it to a sidedress pass to prevent it from antagonizing early-season Calcium uptake.

Global Competitiveness: Why chasing every last bushel is a losing strategy in 2026. The goal is to drive down the cost of production per bushel to compete on a global scale.

Stress Mitigation is King: Why a stressed crop cannot uptake nutrients, no matter how high your soil test levels are. Faith argues that stress mitigation (herbicide stress, weather, nitrogen load) should be the #1 investment this year.

The Nitrogen-Disease Link: How plugging a plant with excess nitrates creates oxidative stress and feeds pathogens like Tar Spot, and why "more nitrogen" often leads to "less efficiency."

The Carbon Gap: A look back at why fertilizer was more efficient in the 80s (higher carbon levels from manure/rotation) and how raising your WEOC (Water Extractable Organic Carbon) can restore that efficiency today.

The 5% Rule: Why 95% of the biological heavy lifting happens in just 5% of the soil (the rhizosphere), and why you need to focus your management there.

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