The Root of the Matter

Host Ken Root visits with Craig Brekkas, Head of UPL North America, about UPL’s purpose, OpenAg and what agriculture needs to move forward and thrive in the future. Through the OpenAg approach, UPL builds new partnerships and collaborations to overcome agriculture’s biggest challenges.

Wheat and grain growers are facing many challenges that factor into their management decisions. In this episode, we talk to Gunter Jochum, president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA), about what he sees as a wheat grower and how factors such as trade, transportation, weather and government policy affect his and other Canadian farming operations.

Leaves falling, cool weather and pumpkins are all signs that it's fall! In this episode, we talk to Mac Condill with the Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, Illinois, about cucurbits, more specifically pumpkins. Mac, a horticulturist, grows over 300 types of pumpkins, squash and gourds and has traveled the world gathering seeds to preserve heritage varieties.

A second-generation almond farmer from California’s Central Valley is the inaugural Allies for Agriculture winner. Listen in as our host visits with Christine Gemperle as she talks about almonds, sustainability, pollinators, and water usage; and learn why she is proud to be an ally for agriculture.

It’s the bottom of the ninth, the bases are loaded, and Team Resistant Weeds look like they have the advantage over Team Farmer. Can Team Farmer better use herbicide strategies to beat weed resistance? Join commentators Dr. Aaron Hager and Ken Root as they discuss how farmers can strike out weeds.

Can you imagine being able to monitor your grain from only your smartphone? A remote grain monitoring company has made this a reality. In this episode, Ken sits down with Naeem Zafar, Co-Founder and CEO of TeleSense, about how remote grain monitoring technology works and its many benefits to growers.

What’s the buzz with pollinators? Ken explores all things pollinators with guest Miles Dakin, Bee Friendly Farming Coordinator with the Pollinator Partnership. In this episode, they discuss the important roles pollinators play in agriculture and ways we can help protect these tiny superheroes.

What does a more sustainable future for U.S. cotton look like? The National Cotton Council is leading the charge to showcase what it means for the industry. Ken sits down with Gary Adams, President & CEO of the National Cotton Council, to discuss the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, which is providing growers with new standards on how to grow cotton more sustainably. 

Growers know all too well the growing threat of weed resistance. As this issue continues to evolve, what solutions are there? Dr. Aaron Hager, a weed science specialist with the University of Illinois Extension, joins Ken to discuss weed resistance and how herbicide layering can help growers fight these issues.

Dry seeding: Is this method helping rice growers combat weed pressures during the growing season? Jason Norsworthy, weed scientist and distinguished professor at the University of Arkansas, joins Ken to discuss how dry seeding methods as a production style have helped to reduce weed pressures prior to flooding.