In this episode of Talking Crop, Matt Ruark, Professor and Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and host, Kathryn Seebruck, discuss what soil health indicators correlate with agronomic performance, on-farm research for nitrogen optimization, and how to manage manure and cover crops.

Episode links:

• Soil Health Series articles 
• Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Project (NOPP)
• Cover Crops, Manure, and Nitrogen Management article

Host contact: [email protected] | (815) 986-4357
Guest contact: [email protected] 

In this episode of Talking Crop, Madelyn Celovsky, Michigan State University Extension Conservation Agronomist Educator, and host, Kathryn Seebruck, discuss cover cropping strategies post-corn, -soybean, and wheat; interseeding and overseeding, cover crop mixtures, and more. 

Episode links:
Midwest Cover Crops Council website
National Cover Crop Variety Testing Program: 2024-25 Report 

Guest contact: [email protected]
Host contact: [email protected] | (815) 986-4357

In this episode of Talking Crop, Trent Ford, the Illinois State Climatologist with the Illinois State Water Survey, and host, Kathryn Seebruck, discuss severe weather in Illinois both this season and beyond, El Nino, and the big three climate trends in Illinois and their effects on agriculture. 

Episode links:

State Climate Office

CoCoRaHS

Host contact: [email protected] | (815) 986-4357
Guest contact: [email protected]

In this episode of Talking Crop, Dr. Nathan Schroeder, Associate Professor of Nematode Anatomy and Biology in the Department of Crop Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and host, Kathryn Seebruck, discuss soybean cyst nematodes, their pest status and control, as well as free SCN testing available to Illinois producers.

Free SCN Testing

SCN Coalition

Guest contact: [email protected] 

Host contact: [email protected] | (815) 986-4357

In this episode of Talking Crop, Dr. Alison Robertson, Professor of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and Extension Field Crops Pathologist with Iowa State University, and host, Kathryn Seebruck, discuss southern rust, tar spot, and the invaluable field crop disease resources from the Crop Protection Network.

Will southern rust be a problem on corn in 2026?

Statewide evaluation of foliar fungicides on corn in Iowa in 2025

Crop Protection Network resources:

• Assessing crop risks
• Fungicide ROI calculator
• Fungicide efficacy tool
• Southern rust of corn map 

University of Illinois Field Crop Disease and Insect Management Applied Research Report

Guest contact: [email protected] 

Host contact: [email protected] | (815) 986-4357

In this episode of Talking Crop, Dr. Patrick Tranel, Professor of Weed Molecular Biology and Genomics in the Department of Crop Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and host, Kathryn Seebruck, discuss Dr. Tranel's research in weed genomics and herbicide resistance as well as the implications of metabolic resistance as it relates to the future of weed control. 

ISA Webinar: Understanding Inconsistent Performance of Glufosinate for Waterhemp Control
Weed Science journal article: Confirmation and Transcriptomic Characterization of Glufosinate-Ammonium Resistance in Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) Populations from Illinois

Guest contact: [email protected] 

Host contact: [email protected] | (815) 986-4357

In this episode of Talking Crop, Dr. Giovani Preza-Fontes, Extension Field Crop Agronomist in the Department of Crop Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and host, Kathryn Seebruck, discuss this year's planting and early-season growing conditions as well as Giovani's work on soybean performance in conservation cropping systems.

Farmdoc Crop Central article, "Update on corn planting progress and prospects"
Farmdoc Crop Central article, "What to watch as soybean planting begins in 2026"
Farmdoc Crop Central article, "Evaluating soybean performance in conservation systems – project report"

Illinois Agronomy Lab

Guest contact: [email protected] 
Host contact: [email protected] | (815) 986-4357

In this special bonus episode of Talking Crop, host, Kathryn Seebruck, speaks with Dr. Connor Sible, Research Assistant Professor of Crop Production and Physiology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Sible is a speaker at the 2026 Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit in Freeport, Illinois. His presentation is titled, "Why do we fertilize? Reviewing corn and soybean nutrient needs and best fertility practices." Dr. Sible will review the nutrient needs and distributions for corn and soybean, identify the traditional focuses, and highlight new research on 4R practices to help optimize fertilizer use efficiency and return on fertilizer investment.

You can register online for the Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit at go.illinois.edu/AGSFreeport or you can call the Stephenson County office at 815-235-4125. Registration is $25 and includes lunch. Five continuing education units will be available for Certified Crop Advisors. As of last year, this program has been adopted across the state, and you can find a list of all Agronomy Summits in the series at go.illinois.edu/AgronomySummits.

In this special bonus episode of Talking Crop, host, Kathryn Seebruck, speaks with Dan Smith, Outreach Program Manager for the Nutrient and Pest Management Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

Dan is a speaker at the 2026 Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit in Freeport, Illinois. His presentation is titled, "Managing waterhemp with cover crops." Dan will discuss how you can use cover crops successfully in your current crop rotation to suppress weeds.

You can register online for the Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit at go.illinois.edu/AGSFreeport or you can call the Stephenson County office at 815-235-4125. Registration is $25 and includes lunch. Five continuing education units will be available for Certified Crop Advisors. As of last year, this program has been adopted across the state, and you can find a list of all Agronomy Summits in the series at go.illinois.edu/AgronomySummits.

In this special bonus episode of Talking Crop, host, Kathryn Seebruck, discusses herbicide resistance as a supplement to her presentation at the 2026 Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit in Freeport, Illinois. Her presentation is titled, "Producer enemy number one: the case against waterhemp," and will profile waterhemp and detail its modus operandi (MO) to identify the best management practices that can and should be utilized to apprehend this troublesome weed species.

You can register online for the Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit at go.illinois.edu/AGSFreeport or you can call the Stephenson County office at 815-235-4125. Registration is $25 and includes lunch. Five continuing education units will be available for Certified Crop Advisors. As of last year, this program has been adopted across the state, and you can find a list of all Agronomy Summits in the series at go.illinois.edu/AgronomySummits.