A Better Way To Farm Podcast

What if micronutrients are more than tools for growing bigger crops…What if they play a major role in building stronger soil biology?

In this episode of A Better Way to Farm, Andrew sits down with farmer and researcher Curt to talk about how micronutrients influence the living system beneath your feet. 

This episode goes beyond yield and focus on creating healthier, more efficient system that works for years to come.

What You'll Learn:

Why zinc, manganese, and boron are critical for soil biology.
How micronutrients support soil microbes and nutrient cycling.
Why testing should guide every fertility decision.

Key Takeaways!

🌾 Micronutrients help power the microbes that recycle nutrients, break down residue, support root growth, and improve efficiency across the farm.
🧪 The goal is not to apply more products. The goal is to understand what your field needs through proper testing and then make informed decisions that build both soil health and profitability.

Boron might be one of the most overlooked nutrients in agriculture, and it could be quietly stealing yield from your operation. In this conversation, Rod breaks down why boron plays a much bigger role than most farmers realize and why focusing only on N, P, and K may be leaving profitability behind. 
You’ll learn why boron impacts pollination, root growth, sugar movement, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance. Rod also explains why timing matters more than simply applying more product and why split applications consistently outperform large single applications. 
In this conversation, we cover:
• Why boron is critical for crop performance
• How boron affects phosphorus and potassium uptake
• Why split applications win
• The danger of waiting for visual deficiency symptoms
• How foliar feeding strategies impact ROI
If your soil test does not include boron levels, this episode may change how you look at fertility planning moving forward.

A crop can look healthy while still having hidden hunger. In this episode, Rod explains why tissue testing helps growers catch problems early and make better decisions before profit slips away.

Let’s walk through the best timing for tissue testing in corn and soybeans, common mistakes growers make, and how simple corrections can protect bushels this season. This episode is packed with practical advice you can use this season to improve efficiency, protect yield, and make every acre produce the best ROI possible.

In this episode, we cover:

Why crops can lose yield even before you see a deficiency
The key growth stages when tissue testing matters most
How tissue testing helps protect profit instead of reacting too late

Key Takeaways!

🌾 Waiting for yellow leaves is already too late.
🧪 Soil tests show potential. Tissue tests show reality.
📈 Small nutrient shortages can become expensive fast.
🚜 Better data leads to better profit.

Imagine walking in your field and it looks good, then later you see stress and start guessing. This episode shares why tissue testing helps you see what your plant needs right now so you can act early and protect your yield.

Soil may hold nutrients, yet your plant may not be using them. Stress, water, and root issues can block uptake. Your plant is your report card. Early testing gives you a chance to fix problems before they show up and cost you yield.

Keep it simple and make smart decisions in season. A small fix at the right time can protect a lot of yield and help your farm stay strong.

In this episode, we cover:

How tissue testing helps you stop guessing and start knowing
When to test crops to protect yield early
How to take clean samples for accurate results

Surfactants can make or break your spray program. But with thousands of products on the market, many farmers are left wondering:

What actually matters?
What works?
And what is just adding cost and confusion?

In this episode, Rod breaks down the role surfactants play in:

• Pre-emerge applications
• Post-emerge spraying
• Foliar feeding
• Fungicide and insecticide passes

You’ll learn why different spray situations require different approaches and why “one-size-fits-all” products can sometimes create more problems than they solve.

Rod also explains:

• When an MSO is necessary
• Why water pH matters more than most farmers realize
• The real purpose of ammonium sulfate
• How anti-drift and anti-foam products work
• Why coverage on the underside of the leaf is critical
• How to improve chemical performance without wasting money

Plus, Rod shares a simple at-home test farmers can use to evaluate surfactant performance and the affordable tool he recommends every operation should have.

If you want better spray coverage, improved chemical performance, and stronger ROI from every pass across the field, this episode is packed with practical takeaways you can use immediately.

Questions about surfactants or spray applications?
Text Karen at 641-919-5570 and the team at A Better Way to Farm will be happy to help.

Remember:
“Good enough is not a standard.”

And in tight-margin years, details matter more than ever.