XtremeAg: Cutting The Curve Podcast

Temple Rhodes ditched the streamer bar, started using this Streamer nozzle on his wheat and increased his efficiency and yields.

Kelly installed drip irrigation 7 years ago and it completely changed they way he farms both on his drip irrigated ground and on his dry land acres too. He shares the lessons he has learned and the strides he has made since his first season with drip irrigation.

Temple Rhodes explains how he utilizes the data from soil samples and tissue sampling to choose the right micro packs and address the limiting factors on his farm.

Face it, with so many seed companies vying for your business, no seed rep will tell a farmer it’s their fault when their stand suffers. But Kelly Garrett says oftentimes it comes down to operator error. He shares his advice for avoiding a “seed failure” which might really be a planting error. Kelly also shares — based on experience — how to salvage a wounded crop without the expense of replanting. Integra’s B.J. Schaben and Mark Menke, on the other hand, say conditions at time of planting and other factors are often to blame for a bad stand. You’ll enjoy this discussion as it rekindles the debate over nature versus nurture. The big takeaway, according to Kelly is this: When your crop is amazing seed gets too much credit, when your crop underperforms, your seed takes too much of the criticism. Presented by AgXplore

We're talking about irrigation, specifically subsurface drip irrigation. You have questions, so do we. Kurt Grimm with NutraDrip is going to answer those questions because Chad Henderson is looking at the possibility of putting in subsurface drip irrigation on his Alabama farm. Does it work on all geographies? Does it Save Water? How deep is it installed? Do I need to change my farming practices?

Temple Rhodes started applying nutrients in-furrow at time of planting 12 years ago. He didn’t get everything right the first go-round but in the learning years since, he’s certainly become a believer. Last year one of Temple's experiments demonstrated a 2,500 to 3,000 corn plant emergence difference between in-furrow nutrition acres versus non in-furrow treatment. The difference, according to Temple is in the building of the foundation. “I’m building a factory within that plant and you can’t build a factory without a firm foundation." Temple and Adrian Boyd of AgXplore share lessons and thoughts on building a better plant beginning at time of planting. Presented by AgXplore

How to make sure you are putting the right amount of fertility, where your crop needs it and most importantly when it needs it. Damian Mason leads a panel discussion at the 2023 Commodity Classic with Matt Miles, Kevin Matthews, Nachurs' Tommy Roach and Luke Murrow from 360 Yield Center.

Soil survey maps are cool to look at, but they may not be completely accurate because they were done by hand decades ago. Yield maps — now spit out by your combine — are fun to look at, but it turns out they may not be completely accurate either due to lack of user re-calibration. So what should you do if you want a real good picture of what’s happening in your fields? XtremeAg affiliate Matt Swanson says you should look at SWAT soil mapping. He explains how it works, what it shows, and why you need it. Presented by AgXplore

The "#SendIt Twins", Temple Rhodes and Chad Henderson sit down with AgXplore’s Drew Parker at the 2023 Commodity Classic to discuss their key’s to success, key learnings since they first started farming, using tissue samples to stay proactive instead of reactive during the season, and a bunch more.

XtremeAg member James Hepp is a first generation Iowa farmer who has been expanding his cover- cropped acres for the past three years. His motivation to continue upping his cover crop game got a shot in the arm this winter after seeing ditches filled with topsoil from the neighbor’s fall-tilled fields. James joins Integrated Ag Solutions’ Mike Evans to discuss the how, why, and when of cover cropping. He also shares the economic returns — which approach a couple hundred dollars per acre — of cover cropping. Presented by Loveland Products with support from Agricen.

Sam Coutu wasn’t raised on a farm but he knew he wanted to work in production agriculture. He spent summers at his uncle’s dairy farm in his native Quebec then spent 3 months on a farm in Switzerland as a teenager. Today this first generation farmer operates 1,540 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat. (Only 2% of the land in Quebec is farm ground!) Sam will be conducting XtremeAg trials using products from Spraytec and AgrotechUSA. Listen in and learn about Agriculture north of the St. Lawrence from our newest affiliate “Sam Of The North!” Presented by AgXplore.

Nutrient reallocation is really fertilizer re-location. Kelly Garrett and Chad Henderson join Nachur's Tommy Roach and Precision Planting's Jason Webster for a panel discussion at 2023 Commodity Classic on where to put your fertilizer to get the biggest bang for your buck.

Kevin Matthews and Temple Rhodes talk about what they learned last season from their Phosphorus management trials with Concept AgriTek and how that is changing their approach for this season.

You may not think of Virginia when you think of corn but according to XA Affiliate Heath Cutrell, you should. He’s the NCGA national yield contest winner for 2022, recording a whopping 394 bushels! Heath won’t divulge all his secrets but he promises he’s here to help you up your farming game. And, like all forward thinking farmers, he’s willing to learn. Heath explains his farming operation split between Virginia and North Carolina, and how he’s already profited from advice he got from the XA guys. In an exercise of self-betterment, Heath assigns himself a letter grade on each aspect of farming — ranging from an “A+" to a “C.” How is your report card? Listen to this! Presented by Loveland Products with support from Agricen.

Matt and Layne Miles talk about the Lab they are conducting this season to determine the key application in boosting row rice production. In 2023, AgroLiquid is once again teaming up with XtremeAg for large-scale, on-farm labs to improve products and in-field performance. Five XtremeAg farmers will experiment with different applications, planting practices, and methods using a myriad of AgroLiquid products.

In 2023, AgroLiquid is once again teaming up with XtremeAg for large-scale, on-farm labs to improve products and in-field performance. Five XtremeAg farmers will experiment with different applications, planting practices, and methods using a myriad of AgroLiquid products. In this podcast, Kevin talks about focusing on fixing his limiting factors, specifically calcium and potassium deficiencies that are prevalent in his part of the country.

Kelly Garrett will be teaming up with AgroLiquid to set his crop up for late season success. He acknowledges that the lack of a late season strategy in the past has resulted in significant yield loss. In 2023, AgroLiquid is once again teaming up with XtremeAg for large-scale, on-farm labs to improve products and in-field performance. Five XtremeAg farmers will experiment with different applications, planting practices, and methods using a myriad of AgroLiquid products.

In 2023, AgroLiquid is once again teaming up with XtremeAg for large-scale, on-farm labs to improve products and in-field performance. Five XtremeAg farmers will experiment with different applications, planting practices, and methods using a myriad of AgroLiquid products. In this podcast, Temple Rhodes talks about the importance of hitting the right crop stages.

James Paterson with AgrotechUSA makes a solid point, “We concentrate a lot on the shiny new things but 80% of crop production still comes down to N,P & K. So, let’s get the “P” right.” Getting the “P” right might very well mean getting the available phosphorous from your soil, into your crops. Kevin Matthews and Temple Rhodes explain why they’ve adopted in-furrow Nutricharge application as a standard practice on their farms. Turns out you may already have adequate phosphorous levels, you’re just not utilizing it. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems.

Caleb Traugh is quite an anomaly. He’s an Agricultural consultant who didn’t grow up on a farm and he doesn’t have a degree in any Agricultural curriculum. Heck, he doesn’t have a college degree at all. This unconventional path to Agriculture affords Caleb latitude to learn without having to re-learn. Caleb runs an Ag consultancy business that he began in 2020, mostly covering farming operations in southwest Georgia, southeast Alabama, and northwest Florida. Caleb discusses peanuts, the power of plant observation, and what he hopes to contribute to as well as learn from XtremeAg. Presented by AgXplore.

Matt has said that cotton is a plant that is trying really hard to die right from the minute it emerges from the ground each spring. Matt is excited about working with AgroLiquid to find a way to move micronutrients, specifically calcium, into the cotton plant through a series of foliar passes. In 2023, AgroLiquid is once again teaming up with XtremeAg for large-scale, on-farm labs to improve products and in-field performance. Five XtremeAg farmers will experiment with different applications, planting practices, and methods using a myriad of AgroLiquid products.

You’ve been hearing about cover crops for a while but do you plant them on your farm? Do you want to use cover crops but aren’t sure how to best benefit from them? Are you the person who says “cover crops just won’t work where I farm?” Temple Rhodes and Matt Swanson join Kelly Garrett in a roundtable discussion about effective cover cropping — how and why they do it, what they’ve learned, species they use, and most importantly — the positive results they’re seeing because of effective cover cropping. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems with support from Agricen.

Kevin and Matt talk with Mark Coots from Teva about correcting nutrient deficiencies while maintaining balance in your soil.

Kevin and Kelly talk about the versatility of the CapstanAg SelectShot system they trialed last season and how it can be used as a modified 2x2 system.

Integrated Ag Solutions’ Mike Evans began writing variable rate seeding prescriptions when both he and Kelly Garrett realized they were wasting money on seed. Too much seed was being planted in low performing soils that couldn’t possibly produce the yield necessary to justify high seeding rates. Even though Mike and Kelly both knew they needed to back off on seeding rate, they didn’t reveal that to Kelly’s dad. Why? Because many farmers stick to the “more seed = more yield” philosophy. Only problem: It’s not so. Kelly Garrett and XA Affiliate Matt Swanson discuss how they’ll reduce input costs by $15 per acre by reducing corn population without reducing their yield. Presented by Loveland Products with support from Agricen.

Kevin Matthews and Matt Miles talk about biologicals and their plans for spring applied biology with Concept AgriTek's Mark Glastetter while at the 2023 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky.

Modifications to planter setup for better crop emergence, changes to in-furrow fertility programs, and how not to treat your wheat like a lesser crop. These are three key takeaways Matt and Layne Miles got out of being a part of XtremeAg this year. You know that XA is a learning platform designed and created to help you shorten your learning curve — well, the Miles boys learned right along with you. They share details on these subjects and how you too can apply the lessons for greater productivity on your farm. Presented by AgXplore

American farms recorded record net farm income in 2022 — up 14% year over year to $160 billion. What does this mean as you roll into the 2023 season? What adjustments should you be making to remain profitable without being profligate in your spending in the new year? Farmers often look to spend money to expense themselves out of a tax bill but is that a good idea? Will 2023 bring another record and if so, what management decisions should you be making now? Crop inputs and machinery expenses have — in many cases — outpaced the percentage gains in farm income. With that backdrop, as well as plenty of volatility, Kelly Garrett and his farm accountant Ben Hansen offer guidance on farm financials to prosper when the market is up (or down!). Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems with support from Agricen.

Sometimes you have to manage fertility for a farm that, quite frankly, you don’t know if you’ll be farming next year. This is due to development pressure, a volatile cash rent market like much of the country is experiencing at the moment, or land ownership changes. The goal is to do right by the farm ground and your own farm’s profitability to maximize returns without “mining” the soil. Chad, Kevin, and Matt Swanson provide their practices based on experience when they farm a property that might not be in their mix a year or two down the road. Presented by AgXplore.

CapstanAg’s Select Shot system was trialed in 2022 by three XtremeAg guys. Kevin delivers some feedback based on his two planter comparison — one set up with the SelectShot system, one without. Results: Better utilization of crop inputs. More precise in-furrow application. And the chance to reduce product usage which saves money. CapstanAg’s Stuart Meacham joins the conversation to explain the technology. One big challenge for tomorrow’s farmer will be environmental compliance and demonstrating judicious usage of inputs. The SelectShot system might help with that. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems.

Matt Swanson is an XtremeAg affiliate from western Illinois. Matt explains his farming operation — which consists of acres in the Midwest as well as Arkansas. Matt did 2022 XA trial plots involving soybean fertility experimentation with products from Nachurs and AgXplore. In this conversation, Matt touches on those trials, his business diversification initiatives, and the letter grade he gives himself on various aspects of running a successful farm. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems with support from Agricen.

In a previous episode, Kelly Garrett and Mike Evans discussed a lesson they learned the hard way (it cost them yield and money!) about the practice of variable rate “N” application. In this sequel, Mike and Kelly explain the soil reaction and final takeaways from their experiment with flat rate nitrogen versus their standard practice of variable-rate application. The results are remarkable. The proof is in the soil (and the yield monitor). And if you need more encouragement to stop applying your fertilizer at a flat rate, you’ll get it in this episode! Presented by AgXplore

XtremeAg’s Kelly Garrett was at the forefront of profiting off carbon credits. As the carbon marketplace becomes more clearly defined and understood, the opportunity to boost revenue on farms is expanding. According to Truterra’s Mariah Murphy, there are more dollars to be deployed through Ecosystem Services than available acres. She explains how the Truterra system carbon payments can be applied to your farm. It’s simple, and on average will fetch you $12 per acre for adjusting tillage and cover crop practices. Truterra is also rolling out a nitrogen reduction program that can add more non-crop revenue to your bottom line. The sustainability program starts with a soil health assessment that could improve your farm AND your bottom line! Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems with support from Agricen.

You don’t think of western Tennessee as wheat country. Never the less, XA Affiliate Johnny Verell is bringing a competitive edge to the 2023 XtremeAg Wheat Wager. He takes his wheat very seriously -- something he admits the generations before him didn’t. But once he began treating wheat “like a real crop,” good things happened. Tune in to hear how Johnny maximizes yield and test weight by harvesting his wheat while it’s still wet — 25% moisture when the combines start rolling! Presented by AgXplore

In Fall of 2021, Kelly stated his over-arching objective for Garrett Land & Cattle’s 2022 cropping season was stress mitigation. Turns out it was the perfect year to focus effort on reducing crop stress as the year was hot and dry. Kelly explains the practices and products he utilized and also the results. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems.

Face it, wheat production is often last on the list when it comes to the love and attention you devote (or don’t!) to the golden grain. But it shouldn’t be mistreated, it should be carefully treated, especially if you want bigger yields and bigger profits. Temple Rhodes and Chad Henderson team up in this podcast to share the practices and products they utilize to grow high yield wheat. There’s a ton of information here and, frankly, these guys put in a lot of effort with their wheat. If you’re serious about wheat production and you want to treat it like the primary and profitable crop it can be, get your notepad ready because there are awesome lessons here from the #SendIt Twins of XtremeAg! Presented by AgXplore

Successful farm operators takes the winter season to reflect on lessons learned the prior season then go about applying those lessons for greater return next season. Kevin Matthews shares his big takeaways from things he did right and things he got wrong in crop season ’22. He’s going to desiccate more soybeans, revamp his crew management strategy for next harvest, and apply better weather data for bigger results. As you listen to Kevin’s takeaways, you’re likely to see some parallels you can apply to your own farming success! Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems with Support from Agricen

Johnny Verell left his Jackson, Tennessee farm to attend Murray State University at his grandfather’s insistence. “He said I couldn’t farm if I didn’t go to college,” Johnny says. He returned to the farm and now runs the 3rd generation operation along with his dad. The family made a major decision in 2006 when they quit cotton. Johnny explains that business decision and his operation. He also shares the 3 subjects he’s learned the most about from XtremeAg as well as the subjects on which he intends to contribute to XtremeAg’s followers. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems with Support from Agricen

Last year, Kelly Garrett planned to plant more soybean acres than corn. He didn’t end up doing that, nor did he dabble more in soybean following soybean acres. Why did he change his cropping mix plans? Economics. Heading into 2023 it’s once again economics that are driving his decision to ramp up corn acres at the expense of beans — to the tune of a 65-35% split. Kelly explains the adjustments he’ll be making — from increased man power to managing residue and insecticide treatments — to boost output and profits with more corn acres in the rotation. Presented by Agxplore

Farmers love talking about the weather but to be successful in Agriculture you’ve got to do more than just talk, you gotta adjust. Matt and Layne Miles discuss the weather challenges they dealt with in crop season 2022. The third hottest summer in Arkansas weather keeping history followed by huge late summer rains created some problems. Complaining won’t make you money. Or, as Matt Miles says, “We’ve got to find a way to stop blaming the weather for our failures.” Listen to what adjustments Miles Farms made for lessons on how you can salvage a bad weather season. Presented by AgXplore with support from Agricen.

Your sprayer is an expensive piece of equipment that gets plenty of use deploying expensive crop inputs. With all that money involved, it’s important to prevent costly mistakes that can be remedied very inexpensively. Nick Fleitz, Agronomist with Pentair explains three mistakes — worn nozzles, fine droplets, and sprayer contamination — that could very well be robbing yield. Then, Nick outlines the easy fixes that’ll get your spraying dialed in! Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems with support from Agricen. The information contained in this podcast is strictly based on the opinions, methods and best practices of the XtremeAg.farm team and does not constitute professional advice. Do not assume these practices will work on your farm. Always consult a professional before making any farming decisions. By listening to this podcast you agree that XtremeAg.farm is not legally liable to any person or business for damages related to the information contained in this podcast.

Inflation is pushing double digits and is likely to continue well into 2023. Ag input prices continue to increase adding to an already existing Ag-inputs pain point from supply chain snarls. From diesel to fertilizer to seed, inflation is increasing the price of every raw material you need to grow a crop. Then there is the issue of interest rates — the cost of borrowed money has doubled and is likely to get even more expensive. To keep your farming operation flowing during these inflationary times you need advice from someone who’s been there and done that. You need Lee Lubbers! Lee shares lessons and insights on how to navigate a financially tumultuous marketplace that many haven’t experienced. Presented by AgXplore

If you farm a large livestock operation, then you have a lot of free fertilizer, and likely a lot of government regulation around the application of manure and pad runoff as well. Damian talks with Tim Wolf from Netafim and Kurt Grimm from Nutradrip about a subsurface drip irrigation solution that captures and sends the free, high-nutrient effluent water directly into the root zone of crops in surrounding fields for use as fertilizer.

With elevated fertilizer prices the new norm and even questions of availability of synthetic fertilizers, manure has become quite popular. But what do we know now about manure that we didn’t as recently as a few years ago as it pertains to application rates, nutrient availability, and preserving the nutrients after manure application? Dave Kaltenberg with Agrotech USA sits down for an informative discussion on maximizing manure as a crop input. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems

Markets are always a bit volatile but 2022 was more so than average. Corn prices moved up and down by more than 30%, cotton prices dropped by half, and soybeans weren’t always stable. It’s a good practice to look back at what the year taught you in order to make adjustments for greater success in the year ahead. Bryce Guse and Sean Findley with Silveus Financial join XtremeAg’s Layne Miles to discuss 2022 surprises, predictions made right and wrong, and strategies that worked. The risk of loss in trading futures and/or options is substantial and each investor and/or trader must consider whether this is a suitable investment. Past performance, whether actual or indicated by simulated historical tests of strategies, is not indicative of future results.

Does it matter where you farm? Or is it just the soil that matters when choosing the right inputs? Damian talks with Mike Evans and Stephanie from Agroliquid about geographical differences and how that changes the way you farm.

Damian talks to Robb Dedman and Molly Alexander from Agroliquid about a foliar trial that they are conducting on their rice fields.

The smarter we get the more we realize we don’t know, or at least, didn’t know. So it goes with nutrient stratification in your fields. The traditional (easy) answer has been to throw more fertility at the problem, but as XA's Kelly Garrett says, “I believe we often times have more than adequate fertility, it’s just not where it needs to be or readily available.” And that pretty much sums up the stratification problem — your top few inches of soil are ripe with fertility, but the water and uptake roots are deeper where there’s a nutrient void. Shaun Guthmiller with Concept Agritek explains how to diagnose and remedy nutrient stratification. Presented by Advanced Drainage Systems

Twice this season — in spring and during summer — we checked in with Garrett Land & Cattle Agronomist, Mike Evans about residue problems on some of their fields. This time we hear from Mike as well as Kelly Garrett with harvest results. Turns out residue build up in certain parts of the farm cost them yield due mostly to poor emergence and a thin stand. You can’t change the weather but you can adjust your practices and your product line up. Mike and Kelly share their takeaways and strategy for residue management in 2023. Presented by AgXplore

You've gotten your Crop into the last stages of the season, do you stop pushing it to the end? Damian Mason talks with Robb Dedman, Temple Rhodes and Agroliquid's Galynn Beer about how to spend that last dollar. It might be the best investment you make all season. Or it might not.