The Crop Science Podcast Show

In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Michael Castellano, co-founder and lead of the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative and professor at Iowa State University, explains how farmer-led field trials are transforming nitrogen management. He discusses variable-rate experiments, precision agriculture, process modeling, and the data needed to balance profitability with environmental performance. Listen now on all major platforms!

"As long as farmers are innovating and the weather is changing, nitrogen research must continue."

Meet the guest: Dr. Michael Castellano is co-founder and lead of the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative and a professor of agronomy at Iowa State University. His work focuses on improving nitrogen management through farmer partnerships, field-scale experiments, precision agriculture, and biophysical process modeling. Listen to The Crop Science Podcast Show with Dr. Michael Castellano on all major platforms.

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What you will learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:27) Introduction
(04:11) Iowa Nitrogen Initiative
(06:28) Scaling farmer-led trials
(09:34) Variable-rate field experiments
(13:47) Delivering value to farmers
(18:44) Soil and plant sampling
(26:02) Final questions

The Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Elevate
- WiseVAs
- ZentrixOS
- Zentrix Insights
- The Owner's Box

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
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In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Kip Tom, Chairman of Tom Farms and Chairman of Farmers and Rural America at the America First Policy Institute, explains why food security depends on resilient domestic supply chains, digital infrastructure, innovation, and profitable farms. He discusses fertilizer and crop protection dependencies, AI in agriculture, workforce and capital challenges, and the need to balance healthier food systems with multiple farming models. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Never put your short-term prosperity ahead of your long-term security."

Meet the guest: Kip Tom is Chairman of Tom Farms and Chairman of Farmers and Rural America at the America First Policy Institute. His work connects agricultural production, business leadership, and policy, with a focus on strengthening American agriculture, improving competitiveness, and supporting food security. Hear Kip Tom share perspectives on innovation, agricultural resilience, and the future of farming on The Crop Science Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:38) Introduction
(05:04) Farm growth and specialty crops
(08:31) U.S. agriculture globally
(15:15) Food security risks
(19:52) Supply chain weaknesses
(23:48) Farming challenges
(39:38) Final questions

The Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- The Owner's Box
- Elevate
- WiseVAs
- ZentrixOS
- Zentrix Insights

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
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In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Martin Lukac, Professor in Ecosystem Science at the University of Reading, explains how temperate agroforestry brings trees back into farming systems while still producing food. He discusses soil protection, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, climate regulation, tree-crop competition, machinery design, land ownership barriers, and why profitability depends on long-term planning and practical system design. Listen now on all major platforms!

"There are a million benefits of Agroforestry systems, which then leads us to a neat question of why on earth is everybody not doing this?"

Meet the guest: Dr. Martin Lukac is a Professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Reading. His work focuses on climate change, carbon accounting, sustainability, ecosystem carbon storage and cycling, and the response of managed and natural ecosystems to environmental stress. Learn more from Dr. Lukac on The Crop Science Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:27) Introduction
(03:07) Defining agroforestry
(09:21) Benefits and tradeoffs
(13:27) Designing profitable systems
(20:25) Land ownership barriers
(23:52) Mainstream adoption
(32:02) Final questions

The Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Zentrix Insights
- The Owner's Box
- Elevate
- WiseVAs
- ZentrixOS

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Crop Science Podcast Show
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In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Juan Osorno, Professor at North Dakota State University, explains how dry bean breeding addresses disease, flooding, nutrition, and market demands. He discusses the value of pulses, biological nitrogen fixation, consumer preferences, genetic diversity, and the challenge of combining multiple traits into commercially successful varieties. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Legume production supports cropping systems through biological nitrogen fixation, reducing dependence on external nitrogen inputs while leaving residual nitrogen available for subsequent crops."

Meet the guest: Dr. Juan Osorno is a Professor at North Dakota State University, where he works as a dry bean breeder and geneticist and teaches General Genetics. His background includes dry bean breeding and genetics at CIAT, dry bean breeding and agronomy at the University of Puerto Rico, and a PhD in Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding from North Dakota State University. His work focuses on research, development of new varieties, and food security. Listen to Dr. Juan Osorno on The Crop Science Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:36) Introduction
(05:01) Why beans matter
(08:25) Pulses and legumes
(15:52) Bean production
(18:13) Breeding challenges
(26:16) Research funding
(29:16) Final questions

The Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- ZentrixOS
- Zentrix Insights
- The Owner's Box
- Elevate
- WiseVAs

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Crop Science Podcast Show
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In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Candy Hirsch, Professor at the University of Minnesota, explains why germplasm collections are essential for crop improvement. She discusses how gene banks preserve genetic diversity, protect valuable alleles, and support breeding for future environmental conditions. Dr. Hirsch also examines how sequencing and computational tools can prioritize limited conservation resources. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Germplasm collections preserve genetic diversity from wild ancestors, locally adapted varieties, and modern cultivars, providing essential resources for continued crop improvement and adaptation."

Meet the guest: Dr. Candy Hirsch is a professor at the University of Minnesota, where her work spans plant breeding, bioinformatics, genetics, maize genomics, and translational crop research. She earned a PhD in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics and a BS in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Learn more from Dr. Hirsch on The Crop Science Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:23) Introduction
(04:24) Maize genomics research
(09:38) Genotype and environment
(10:42) Germplasm conservation
(13:53) Prioritizing genetic diversity
(19:47) Nitrogen and cropping systems
(24:13) Final questions

The Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- WiseVAs
- ZentrixOS
- Zentrix Insights
- The Owner's Box
- Elevate

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Crop Science Podcast Show
LinkedIn: The Crop Science Podcast Show
Instagram: The Crop Science Podcast Show
YouTube: The Crop Science Podcast Show
Facebook: The Crop Science Podcast Show
TikTok: The Crop Science Podcast Show