The Whole Farm Podcast

In this episode of The Whole Farm Podcast, presented by CHONEX, we welcome back Dr. Tom Dykstra for Part 2 of our conversation on plant health, Brix, and insect resistance. In this episode, Dr. Dykstra walks through his leaf Brix insect chart and explains how different Brix levels relate to plant health, insect feeding behavior, disease pressure, and crop resilience. 

Dr. Dykstra explains why he focuses on leaf Brix rather than fruit, stem, or root Brix when evaluating plant health. He breaks down what different Brix ranges can indicate, from plants that may require “force feeding,” to plants beginning to develop stronger secondary metabolites, to healthier plants that are better able to resist insects and disease. He also discusses how different insect groups—aphids, sucking insects, chewing insects, and grasshoppers—tend to correspond with different plant health levels. 

The conversation then turns practical, with a focus on how farmers can use this information in the field. Dr. Dykstra emphasizes the importance of sugar, carbon, and micronutrients in supporting microbial activity, improving plant function, and increasing Brix levels. He explains why sugar applications are often the first step when dealing with very low-Brix plants, and why micronutrient availability can become a limiting factor in photosynthesis and plant performance. 

We also discuss how Brix testing can fit alongside traditional scouting practices. Dr. Dykstra shares that farmers may see measurable plant response within 24 to 72 hours after applying the right nutrition, and that Brix can help show whether a treatment is moving the plant in the right direction. The episode explores how this approach compares to conventional insecticide responses, especially when growers are trying to stop insect feeding before crop damage worsens. 

Later in the episode, Dr. Dykstra connects Brix and soil health to drought resilience, explaining how carbon, sugar, organic matter, and microbial activity all influence water retention in the rhizosphere. He also shares his perspective on nitrogen management, including why excess salt-based nitrogen applications may lower Brix and how free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria can support crops when soil biology is functioning well. 

This episode is a practical follow-up for growers, agronomists, and soil health professionals who want to better understand how plant health measurements can inform pest management, nutrient decisions, and whole-farm resilience.

In This Episode

•  Why Dr. Dykstra focuses on leaf Brix as a plant health measurement 
•  What different Brix ranges can tell farmers about plant stress and resilience 
•  How insect feeding groups relate to plant Brix levels 
•  Why sugar and carbon are central to soil biology and plant health 
•  The role of micronutrients in photosynthesis and Brix response 
•  How quickly farmers may see a response after nutritional applications 
•  Why Brix testing can complement traditional insect scouting 
•  How soil carbon and microbial activity support drought resilience 
•  Dr. Dykstra’s perspective on nitrogen, salt-based fertilizers, and plant health 
•  Why “you can’t change what you don’t measure” applies to both soil and plants 

To learn more about CHONEX, explore additional resources, and receive future episodes to your inbox, visit chonex.ag. If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to the podcast and share it with someone in your network.

In this episode of the Whole Farm Podcast, Michael Pisciotta and Les Riley from CHONEX sit down with Dr. Tom Dykstra to explore the connection between plant health, Brix levels, and insect behavior.

Dr. Dykstra breaks down what Brix really measures and challenges the common belief that insects avoid high-sugar plants. Instead, he explains how pests are drawn to unhealthy crops with incomplete proteins, and how Brix can serve as a simple, real-time indicator of plant health in the field.

This conversation reframes insects as indicator species and shifts the focus from spraying pests to improving plant physiology.

Key topics:
- What Brix actually measures
- Why insects target unhealthy plants
- The truth behind the “12 Brix rule”
- Using Brix as a field-ready diagnostic tool

Tools Mentioned:
Refractometer (Brix meter)
- Affordable models: ~$20–$50
- Digital models: $100–$300+

Coming Next
Part 2 of this conversation will focus on practical, in-field strategies growers can use to improve plant health, increase Brix levels, and reduce pest pressure naturally. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss this conversation!

See More of Dr. Dykstra's Research and Talks at: https://dykstralabs.com/video-presentations/

Learn more about CHONEX at: chonex.ag

To learn more about CHONEX, explore additional resources, and receive future episodes to your inbox, visit chonex.ag. If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to the podcast and share it with someone in your network.

What does real soil health look like under the microscope — and how can farmers use biology to improve nutrient efficiency, crop yields, and resilience?

In this episode of The Whole Farm Podcast by CHONEX, we feature a deep dive into soil health with Lynn Rogers, CEO & President of Microbial Matrix Systems Inc. With more than 23 years of experience working alongside farmers and biological manufacturers, Lynn breaks down the science behind soil microbiology in a practical, field-ready way for farmers and agronomists.

You’ll learn how specific microbial functional groups influence nutrient cycling, fertilizer use efficiency, soil structure, and plant performance — and why timing, activation, and formulation matter in production agriculture.

Whether you grow corn, soybeans, cotton, specialty crops, or perennials, this episode provides practical insights into improving soil health while protecting yield potential.

In This Episode, We Cover:

The 7 Key Microbial Functional Groups That Drive Soil Health

• Endospore-forming bacteria (Bacillus, Paenibacillus) and soil structure improvement
• Free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the nitrogen cycle
• Phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria and nutrient availability across soil pH ranges
• Pseudomonads and plant growth hormones (IAA)
• Cellulose degraders and soil organic matter
• Chitin-utilizing bacteria and disease suppression
• Heterotrophic bacteria and nutrient cycling

Nitrogen Efficiency & Fertilizer Timing

• How microbes help synchronize nitrogen release with crop demand
• Understanding nitrification, ammonification, and nutrient “banking”
• Addressing common myths about nitrogen-fixing microbes

Soil Structure, Salinity & Drought Stress

• Exopolysaccharide production and soil aggregation
• Improving water infiltration and root penetration
• Mitigating salt stress and compaction challenges

Functional Group Assessment & Direct Microscopy

• Measuring microbial activity in soil
• Evaluating biological products for performance
• Why microbial biomass matters for long-term soil health

Plant–Microbe Communication & Quorum Sensing

• How microbes and plants communicate
• Induced systemic resistance (ISR)
• Microbial signaling in disease suppression and nutrient uptake

Full yield potential is established at planting, and it diminishes throughout the season due to stress, nutrient loss, compaction, pathogens, and environmental conditions.

Biologicals and bio-stimulants, when properly formulated and timed, can help preserve yield potential by:

• Enhancing fertilizer use efficiency
• Unlocking tied-up nutrients
• Supporting root development
• Improving soil structure
• Building long-term soil health resilience

This episode bridges soil microbiology and practical agronomy, helping you understand how soil health translates into performance in the field.

Episode Presented By:
Lynn Rogers
CEO & President, Microbial Matrix Systems Inc.

Listen now to learn how functional soil biology can strengthen your nutrient management program and improve whole-farm soil health.

To learn more about CHONEX, explore additional resources, and receive future episodes to your inbox, visit chonex.ag. If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to the podcast and share it with someone in your network.

What if the biggest lever for healthier vines, better fruit quality, and more resilient vineyards is belowground?

In this episode, microbiologist and Napa Valley vineyard consultant Misha Vandal shares results from multi-site vineyard trials focused on soil health, vineyard management, and rebuilding microbial communities. We dig into how shifting the soil microbiome can support nutrient cycling, reduce fungal disease pressure, and even improve yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN)—a key quality metric for winemaking.

Misha also explains why compost teas can work but often don’t scale, and what makes a broad microbial community approach more consistent than single-strain inoculants.

If you manage wine grapes and are navigating heat stress, drought, grapevine red blotch, trunk diseases, or soil carbon decline, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why vineyard soil biology is becoming central to modern viticulture
• How soil microbial imbalance can contribute to vine stress and decline
• Key grower challenges: heat, drought, water stress, viral disease, and trunk diseases
• Trial results showing increases in beneficial microbes (including Pseudomonas and Bacillus)
• How one site moved from 0 YAN to 80 mg/L YAN after treatments
• Compost tea: why it’s valuable—and why it’s hard to scale across large acreage
• Practical tips for pairing microbial applications with biochar, soy hydrolysate, minerals, and low-dose sugars

About Our Guest: Misha Vandal

Misha Vandal is a microbiologist and independent crop consultant based in Napa Valley. With a background in microbial ecology and soil biology, he specializes in integrating regenerative agriculture practices into vineyard nutrient management systems.

Listen Now
If you’re navigating vine decline, nutrient inefficiency, or soil degradation in your vineyard, this episode offers practical, research-backed insight into how rebuilding soil microbial communities can support stronger vines and better wine.

To learn more about CHONEX, explore additional resources, and receive future episodes to your inbox, visit chonex.ag. If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to the podcast and share it with someone in your network.

What’s driving the rapid growth of biologicals, and how can farmers and agronomists determine real performance? 

In this webinar replay, Dr. Pam Marrone, Co-founder and Executive Chair of Invasive Species Corporation, and advisor to CHONEX, breaks down the biofertilizer market, the overlap with biostimulants, and the data standards needed to evaluate products confidently.

You’ll learn why biologicals are expanding fast, how microbes support soil health and nutrient cycling, what’s changing in U.S. regulation and standardization, and how tools like AI, machine learning, and soil microbiome testing are accelerating discovery and on-farm decision-making.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• The 3 main categories of biologicals (biocontrol/biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilizers)—and why definitions matter
• Why the biologicals market is growing at double-digit rates and what that means for conventional systems
• What’s happening in nitrogen fixation (including new approaches for corn/row crops)
• How to evaluate products using field data, ROI, consistency, and mode of action
• Why soil health must be defined as a living ecosystem, not just chemical/physical indicators
• The relationship between synthetic fertilizer rates and microbial nitrogen fixation
• How biologicals can help accelerate regenerative transitions
• What’s changing with biostimulant/biofertilizer standards and national frameworks in the U.S.
• The rise of microbiome testing dashboards and remote sensing tools to measure progress

Featured Guest: Dr. Pam Marrone
A globally recognized leader in agricultural biologicals, Dr. Marrone has founded multiple companies, holds hundreds of patents, and advises organizations across the biologicals ecosystem—including CHONEX. Her work spans biopesticides, biostimulants, and biofertilizers, with a focus on science-backed performance and sustainable agriculture outcomes.

If you found this episode helpful, follow The Whole Farm Podcast, leave a review, and share it with a farmer or agronomist who’s sorting through biologicals and soil health decisions this season.

Want more CHONEX content on soil health, biologicals, and nutrient efficiency? Explore our resources and subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.

To learn more about CHONEX, explore additional resources, and receive future episodes to your inbox, visit chonex.ag. If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to the podcast and share it with someone in your network.

Join CHONEX for a practical, whole farm-focused discussion on modern nutrient management. This session brings together Jackson Stansell from Sentinel Ag & Jack Washburn from Cultra to discuss nutrient management planning and EQIP 590 funding with precision nitrogen application and digital tools that help farmers organize their soil & plant analysis data.

Our guests will do an overview for their solutions but will focus on 4 major topics:

• Decision support at scale /"getting it right" with Low touch points for user
• Adoption and organization of regenerative farm practices
• Alternative product decision support and evaluation
• Yield goals: fact or fiction?  

Presented With: 

Jackson Stansell, Founder & CEO - Sentinel Ag

Jack Washburn, Founder & CEO - Cultra

Sam Gray, COO - CHONEX

Discussion moderated by Michael Pisciotta, CCA/4R NMS with Poma Ag Group

Guest Comments from Gary Black with On-Point Strategies

To learn more about CHONEX, explore additional resources, and receive future episodes to your inbox, visit chonex.ag. If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to the podcast and share it with someone in your network.