Agronomy and Farm Management

Episode 187 – Spring Update: Planting progress, cold damage, and more

Planting season are never normal and 2026 is no exception. With the southern half of Ohio nearing completion and the northern half struggling to make headway, there was a lot of crop variability as below freezing temperatures hit the state. Expected prolonged cold and wet weather as another wrinkle. Dr. Jason Hartschuh [https://agnr.osu.edu/people/jason-hartschuh], Field Specialist with OSU Extension, joins us as we talk about the potential impacts on corn, soybean, wheat and alfalfa. We share what to look for now and in the coming weeks as we deal with a cooler, wetter May. This CORN Newsletter has two articles on freeze impacts to soybeans and wheat: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2026-12 [https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2026-12]. The Purdue photo gallery on freeze damage can be found at: https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.01/Frost_Corn_Soy-0418_Gallery.html [https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.01/Frost_Corn_Soy-0418_Gallery.html].

Episode 186 – 300 million Acres of Land Conservation in the U.S. – Are We Better Off in Agriculture?

In this episode, Bruce and Josh talk to Dr. Brent Sohngen, a Distinguished Professor of environmental and natural resource economics at The Ohio State University, in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. Dr. Sohngen talks about the history of conservation of resources in the United States and the economic impact that nature can have on the economy.

Episode 185 – A Slippery Situation: Battling Slugs in Row Crops

Slug pressure has become an increasingly common and frustrating challenge in crop fields in recent years, driven by wetter springs, heavy residue, and changing production systems. In this episode, we dig into why these slippery pests seem harder to manage than ever. With Kelley Tilmon [https://aginsects.osu.edu/people/kelley-tilmon-phd] joining us, discuss the limitations of traditional control options and what growers should realistically expect from different management strategies. From scouting and risk factors to cultural, biological, and chemical tools, we’ll break down what we know and how to make informed decisions when slugs start putting your stand at risk. For more information, visit aginsects.osu.edu [http://aginsects.osu.edu/] where you can find publications, fact sheets and ID cards. Most slug info is found under the soybean section.

Episode 184 – Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator

Join Bruce and Josh as they talk with Greg LaBarge is a field specialist in agronomic systems and a professor at Ohio State University Extension, Columbus, Ohio. Greg discusses the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator and how farmers can use this research based tool to help make decisions on their operation. The tool can be found here: https://www.cornnratecalc.org/ [https://www.cornnratecalc.org/]

Episode 183 – Planting Weather Outlook

After a grueling winter, spring is arriving across Ohio and we are itching to get the planters rolling. After looking at where this past winter landed in the books, we talk with Dr. Aaron Wilson [https://byrd.osu.edu/people/wilson.1010] about what we can expect for this season. With drought conditions lingering in some parts of the state and heavy rains across others, we have our fingers crossed for a good growing season. Will Mother Nature deliver? Tune in to find out. Sign up to receive monthly and quarterly updates from the State Climate Office: climate.osu.edu [https://climate.osu.edu/]. Check out mrcc.purdue.edu/ [https://mrcc.purdue.edu/] to find useful tools such as the GDD calculator and freeze predictor. You can also reach out to Aaron at wilson.1010@osu.edu [wilson.1010@osu.edu].