AgEmerge Podcast 185 with Ty Brown | Incremental Improvements Transform Farm Operations

Discover how Ty Brown, founder and owner of Drago Indiana, uses innovative practices like cover crop breeding, drone technology, and water quality management to enhance sustainability, crop yields, and farm productivity. Hold on tight—this isn’t just about incremental improvements; it’s about transforming your entire farming operation for the better, one innovative step at a time. Monte and Ty break down the crucial role of modern plant breeding, highlighting how genetic markers for traits like seed shatter resistance and hard seed are revolutionizing cover crop reliability. Plus, get insights into how water quality, via reverse osmosis systems, is dramatically enhancing pesticide chemistry effectiveness and crop health—potentially cutting herbicide and fungicide costs by up to 40%. Understand the practicalities of integrating drone technology for precision spraying, and why selecting the right machinery is vital for large-scale applications. In this episode: - The evolution of cover crop breeding and its role in sustainable farming - How genetic selection is improving hairy vetch and cereal rye traits - The impact of water quality on foliar applications and herbicide effectiveness - Using drones and aircraft for efficient crop spraying and farm management - The benefits of diversifying cover crop species, including legumes and ancient grains - The importance of farm-research collaboration and long-term development strategies - Strategies for managing weed suppression, disease risks, and crop rotation complexities - Technological tools for nitrogen estimation and nutrient cycling optimization - The role of peer groups and continuous education in farm success About the Guest: About the Guest: Ty Brown is a 1992 graduate of Rossville High School and a 1996 graduate of Purdue University where he holds a B.S. in Agronomy. While at Purdue he was named the top student in Agronomy 3 of 4 years, and was part of the Purdue Soils Judging Team and Agronomy Club all 4 years. After graduation he returned to the farm as the 6th generation to do so. He married his college sweetheart, Sacha, whom he met in college in 1997. Sacha and he immediately became actively involved in the community. Ty and Sacha both served on Purdue Club of Clinton County, were 4-H leaders, served a 2.5 year term on the Farm Bureau State Young Farmer Committee and Ty took State level 4-H responsibilities, served on the soil and water board, as well as numerous other advisory roles. He started Drago Indiana in 2007 because he wanted to make available to farmers what we felt was a better option for a corn header. In 2013 he added Horsch and 2017 he added Honey Bee and all for the same reasons; they just simply offered a better product than what the major OEM’s were offering. Timestamps: (00:00) – Introduction: Unveiling farm innovations with industry leaders (03:48) – Equipment and drone technology transforming crop management (05:01) – Precision foliar nitrogen application and drone night-time spraying (07:20) – Compatibility of drones with John Deere Operations Center (08:35) – Breeding efforts in hairy vetch and cereal rye for nitrogen and weed control (12:10) – The story behind the evolution of the equipment dealership (15:45) – The innovative service model with aerial farm management (18:02) – Water quality’s impact on fungicide and herbicide efficiency (22:05) – Exploring rye's adaptability and seed diversity based on genetics (25:58) – Nitrogen fixation potential and selecting cover crop varieties (33:44) – Reducing seed shattering and seed cost through breeding (41:40) – Developing cereal rye varieties tailored for cover cropping purposes (58:57) – Relay cropping and interspecies plantings for diverse farming systems (60:45) – The importance of selecting varieties suited to harsh environments (61:23) – Upcoming cover crop varieties from the Cover Crop Breeding Network (62:15) – Long-term research and the importance of perseverance in breeding