Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast Podcast Por Brian Arnall Ph.D. Dave Deken Josh Lofton Ph.D. arte de portada

Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast

Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast

De: Brian Arnall Ph.D. Dave Deken Josh Lofton Ph.D.
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The Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast is your source for in-depth discussions on agronomy explicitly tailored for the unique challenges and opportunities in Oklahoma and the Southern Plains. Hosted by a team of university experts, this podcast dives into soil health, crop production, pest management, and innovative farming practices, all with a regional focus. Whether you're a seasoned agronomist, a dedicated farmer, or simply passionate about agriculture in the Red Dirt region, this podcast offers practical advice, expert insights, and the latest research to help you thrive in your field. Tune in and stay connected to the heart of agronomy in the Southern Great Plains.2024 - Ag Now Media LLC Ciencia Historia Natural Naturaleza y Ecología
Episodios
  • Growing Agronomists, Not Just Crops - RDA 427

    Growing Agronomists, Not Just Crops - RDA 427
    Nov 19 2025
    This episode of the Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast features Dr. Beatrix Haggard, an associate professor in Oklahoma State University’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, whose teaching mission is to make sure students know what plant they’re looking at—and how it works. Dr. Haggard walks us through her journey from FFA land judging in Texas to soil science at Tarleton State and LSU, to a regional soil fertility role in the Louisiana Delta, and finally to a teaching-heavy, tenure-track position at OSU. Along the way, she explains how those experiences shape how she teaches, from intro plant science to senior seminar, crop judging, and soil morphology.The crew also explores major shifts in today’s student body and how they change the way agronomy is taught. They discuss students working full-time jobs while in school, the rise of pre-vet and ag business majors, the growing number of non-traditional and out-of-state students (from California to New York and Indiana), and why judging teams and hands-on greenhouse work are powerful ways to build confidence and real-world skills. If you care about who will be scouting your fields, writing your recs, and leading your ag businesses in 10–20 years, this episode is a great look at how OSU is training that next generation.Top 10 takeawaysTeaching-focused, tenure-track agronomy roles are rare—and powerful.Dr. Haggard holds an 85% teaching appointment at a land-grant university, which she describes as a “unicorn” compared to more common research-heavy roles. That lets her invest deeply in core plant and soil courses that hundreds of students pass through every year.Intro plant science at OSU is huge and foundational.Plant 1213 serves ~600 students a year, mostly freshmen, and often becomes their first exposure to plant science, agronomy and OSU’s ag culture. What happens in that class heavily influences which majors students choose—and whether they ever consider crops or soils.College is about “learning how to learn,” not just memorizing content.Dr. Haggard uses her own career—soil scientist turned crop teacher—to show students that the real value of college is learning how to tackle new subjects and roles. If she can go from soil formation to crop growth stages on the job, they can pivot in their careers too.Judging teams teach life skills: travel, teamwork and resilience.Beyond plant and seed ID, crops and soils judging expose students to long trips, new regions and tight-quarters team dynamics. For some, it’s their first time crossing the Mississippi River or even flying. Dr. Haggard jokes it’s a successful trip if everyone is still talking on the way home.Today’s students juggle far more than class.Many students work full time, commute home on weekends and carry heavy concurrent credit loads from high school. That changes how instructors design assignments and study expectations—“go to the library all weekend” doesn’t match many students’ realities anymore.OSU agronomy is no longer just rural Oklahoma farm kids.The department now attracts students from California, Oregon, Washington, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, New York and beyond, plus metro and suburban areas like Edmond and Oklahoma City. Many arrive with little or no farm background, which reshapes how faculty introduce basic equipment and practices.Ag majors are fluid—pre-vet and ag business are big destinations.Dr. Haggard sees many students start in animal science or pre-vet and then migrate to ag business, economics or plant/soil majors once they experience different classes and discover where their interests really lie. Flexibility in degree paths is key.Plain language and memory tricks matter in technical fields.Rather than keeping content “unattainable,” Dr. Haggard leans on layman’s terms and memorable phrases like “all cats manage kittens ammonium naturally” to help students retain complex ideas such as the lyotropic series in soil chemistry. Those small tools make a big difference for freshmen.Extension and classroom teaching are two sides of the same coin.Josh points out that he loves teaching the same agronomic concepts to two very different audiences: landowners and consultants on the extension side, and students in the classroom. The goals and depth differ, but both are about helping people apply agronomy in real life.Stable, passionate teachers anchor a department.Brian notes how important it is for a department to have long-term, high-quality teachers in core classes. With Dr. Haggard and Dr. Abbott, OSU Plant and Soil Sciences has a consistent foundation for teaching the “fundamentals” to every student who comes through the program. Segment Timestamps00:00–02:00 – Opening & introductions02:00–06:30 – What Dr. Haggard teaches at OSU06:30–11:30 – Her path into soils and agronomy11:30–15:30 – First “real” job & learning crops on the fly15:30–19:30 – Why she loves teaching19:30–24:30 – Building...
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    37 m
  • Digging Deeper: Rethinking Irrigation In A New Era - RDA 426

    Digging Deeper: Rethinking Irrigation In A New Era - RDA 426
    Nov 4 2025

    Water is life—especially in the Oklahoma Panhandle. In this episode, the Red Dirt Agronomy team welcomes Dr. Sumit Sharma, OSU Extension’s irrigation specialist, for a wide-ranging discussion on how producers can stretch every drop.
    From pre-watering to planting decisions, Sharma explains how irrigation science is helping producers navigate declining well capacities and unpredictable weather while maintaining strong yields.

    The conversation also explores cotton and corn management, growing degree days, and the future of sustainable production in Oklahoma’s High Plains.
    With insights on new technologies, the Master Irrigators program, and the resilience of prairie systems, this episode offers both practical advice and a hopeful look at how farmers can adapt without giving up on the land they love.

    10 Takeaways

    1. Efficient irrigation is key to sustaining Oklahoma Panhandle agriculture as wells decline.
    2. Cotton can thrive with as little as 14 inches of irrigation when managed correctly.
    3. Elevation impacts growing degree days, influencing which crops succeed.
    4. Pre-watering is vital for establishing crops and managing weeds in sandy soils.
    5. Short-maturity cotton varieties may improve harvest success before early freezes.
    6. Data and technology (like soil moisture sensors) are transforming irrigation decisions.
    7. Regenerative ag and cover crops are helping improve soil health under limited irrigation.
    8. Pasture restoration is a long-term solution for lands losing water capacity.
    9. The Master Irrigators Program offers farmers education, audits, and financial incentives to conserve water.
    10. The Panhandle’s resilience—both ecological and cultural—shows that adaptation is possible even in drought-prone areas.

    Timestamped Rundown

    00:00–01:00 – Dave Deken opens Episode 426; sets up discussion on irrigation and underground water.
    01:00–03:00 – Introductions: Dr. Brian Arnall, Dr. Josh Lofton, Dr. Raedan Sharry; light humor about breakfast and fieldwork.
    03:30–05:00 – Dr. Sharma joins; recap of his background and move from the Panhandle to Stillwater.
    05:00–07:00 – Overview of ongoing research: growing corn with limited water, regenerative agriculture, and cotton-water studies.
    07:00–10:00 – Explanation of growing degree days (GDDs) and how elevation affects crop heat units in Oklahoma.
    10:00–13:00 – Cotton challenges in high elevation areas; water use comparisons between cotton and corn.
    13:00–17:00 – Discussion on cotton irrigation timing—why early stress can help root growth.
    17:00–21:00 – Cotton varieties (Phytogen 205 vs. 411); balancing short vs. long maturity crops.
    21:00–25:00 – GDD model reliability questioned; differences between Panhandle and southern climates.
    25:00–29:00 – Deep dive on “pre-watering” in the Panhandle: how much, why, and when.
    29:00–32:00 – Millet research and unexpected challenges (birds, pigweed, herbicide limits).
    32:00–35:00 – Discussion on drought, soil loss, and reestablishing pasture for sustainability.
    35:00–39:00 – Dr. Sharma details the Master Irrigators Program: training, incentives, and upcoming sessions in Altus.
    39:00–40:30 – Closing remarks and links to RedDirtAgronomy.com.

    RedDirtAgronomy.com
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    41 m
  • Purity, Progress, and the Power of Good Seed - RDA 424

    Purity, Progress, and the Power of Good Seed - RDA 424
    Oct 8 2025
    This week, the crew sits down with Jeff Wright of Oklahoma Foundation Seed to trace the wheat seed pipeline—from a few pounds in the breeder’s bag to the certified seed growers buy. Jeff opens the hood on a weather‑delayed harvest that still posted only ~5% sprout damage and a 56‑lb test weight on Orange Blossom, then tells the highway‑shoulder saga of backing a combine down I‑44 after a trailer failure. He explains the four certified seed classes (breeder → foundation → registered → certified), why purity matters, and how new tools—like fast‑cleaning plot combines and precision planters—help scale a 10–15 lb start into bushels, quicker. Agronomy nuggets abound: skip‑row/wide‑row, ~500k seeds/acre targets, and how partnerships from Hutchinson to Stillwater keep seed flowing across the Plains.Top ten takeawaysThe seed pipeline exists to protect purity—breeder → foundation → registered → certified—so farmers get exactly the genetics they expect.Even in a rough year, Orange Blossom came off with ~5% sprout damage and 56‑lb test weight, underscoring how management and luck intersect.Logistics are real: after losing two trailer wheels, Jeff literally backed a combine down I‑44 to keep harvest moving.Modern gear speeds purity: a Kincaid research combine can be torn down and cleaned in about 1–1.5 hours(often right in the field).Tiny starts can scale fast: planting 10–15 lb with a research planter can produce bushels the next year and accelerate releases like Scab Striker.Low‑pop, wide/skip‑row wheat works—Jeff often targets ~500,000 seeds/acre and still harvests competitive yields.Trait licensing shapes access: certain lines (e.g., DoubleStop, Strad, CoAXium) are certified‑seed‑only or under special contracts.Cross‑state coordination matters: OSU and K‑State swap seed and use Hutchinson, KS, as a hand‑off to serve customers on both sides of the line.Cold storage and national germplasm archives keep legacy varieties alive for future breeding and rescue.The future’s colorful (literally): purple wheats, higher‑fiber lines, and other innovations are on the horizon. Timestamps:00:00–00:18 — Sponsor: Oklahoma Wheat Commission; “feeding the world while growing the future.”00:19–01:20 — Show open, Ep. 424; “lots of wheat going in the ground across the Great Plains.”01:21–02:16 — Team roll call: Dr. Brian Arnall, Dr. Josh Lofton, Dr. Raedan Sharry; booth banter.02:25–03:38 — Meet Jeff Wright, manager of Oklahoma Foundation Seed; recorded at High Plains Journal Live (Wichita).03:39–04:52 — Harvest chaos: cutting delays; “lost two wheels” off the trailer; backed a combine down I‑44 to solve it.04:53–06:10 — What Foundation Seed does: maintain purity, scale new releases, and handle more than wheat (barley, oats, rye, peanuts, mung beans, forage grasses).06:11–08:14 — Weather impact: a late cut still tested ~5% sprout damage and 56 lb test weight on Orange Blossom; theory on staying consistently wet.08:15–12:26 — Jeff’s 18‑year arc (since 2007): from F2 gleaners and all‑day cleanouts to better logistics and later planting windows.12:27–15:06 — Launching varieties faster: from Duster’s slow start to handling 15–10 lb starts across many lines.15:07–17:22 — Research planter tactics: planting ~25 lb over ~2 acres (80 bu the next year) and 15 lb over ~2 acres (later “Scab Striker” at ~90 bu).18:13–19:32 — Equipment leap: Kincaid seed‑production combine (clean in ~1–1.5 hours in the field) and a small 10‑ft header plot machine (30 minutes, one person).20:09–21:11 — Seed classes explained: breeder → foundation → registered → certified; most OSU lines can be saved farm‑to‑farm, with traited exceptions (e.g., DoubleStop, Strad, some CoAXium).21:53–24:26 — How other states do it; crop mixes; Kansas heavy in wheat, Missouri soybeans, Georgia peanuts.24:37–26:06 — Coordination with K‑State and Kansas Wheat Alliance; swap seed and use Hutchinson as a distribution point.26:46–28:06 — Facilities: moved into a new building in 2018; goal to hard‑install cleaning equipment (retire the portable setup).28:36–29:46 — Agronomy: ~500k seeds/acre can still push yield; which plant types handle wider rows/skip rows best (good tillering, wide leaves).30:09–33:05 — When varieties fade: carryover strategy, hauling to the elevator, and keeping small lots in cold storage; national germplasm backup.34:33–35:24 — What’s next: purple wheats, high‑fiber lines, and more CoAXium—“exciting changes ahead.”|36:00–37:30 — Why producer partnerships matter; wrap and contact info RedDirtAgronomy.com
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    38 m
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