Rob Stout began farming in 1978 and said like a lot of people he started out just doing things the way his father and grandfather had. But after a few of the field days with Iowa State University Washington County Extension director Jim Frier, Stout became one of the many who started to farm differently.
On Derek Martin’s Illinois farm, an unlikely tool serves as one of the most valued pieces of equipment: a microscope. He trains the lens into the secret life of his fields, beneath a realm where hundreds of millions of bacteria and fungi teem in a single teaspoon of soil.
Planting populations on corn have increased by nearly 50% over the last 30 years. This has been driven by research that shows higher population increases yields.
Every spring, without fail, there are a handful of "sins" Ken Ferrie addresses on service calls. Join Clinton Griffiths as he chats with Ken about wet soil, dry soil, cold soil, herbicide and nutrient sins.
