In Episode #72 of MN Cropcast, hosts Seth Naeve and David Nicolai sit down with Tony Licht from Premier Crop Systems to discuss how turning raw field data into actionable economic insights can support farm profitability and risk management.

Founded in 1999 and based in West Des Moines, Iowa, Premier Crop Systems operates as an independent agronomy and software company. Unaffiliated with seed, chemical, or equipment sales, Premier Crop works behind the scenes with ag retailers, co-ops, and independent advisors across the Midwest to power white-labeled precision ag programs.

Episode Highlights

• Tying Economics to Agronomics: Premier Crop integrates soil sampling, application records, weather data, and yield monitor layers to better visualize return on investment. Farmers can analyze cost per bushel and evaluate hybrid performance based on profit margin rather than yield alone.
• Targeted Input Strategies: Rather than applying flat-rate strategies across all acres, precision software helps growers segregate fields into distinct productivity zones. High-yielding ground may receive optimized variable-rate seeding and nutrient prescriptions, while lower-yielding areas might receive adjusted inputs to manage operational risk and preserve profit.
• Data Ownership & Anonymous Benchmarking: Premier Crop’s system enables regional, anonymous data pooling so farmers can benchmark yield, hybrid selection, and their own productivity zones against peers while maintaining ownership of their data.
• Centralizing Farm Data: Licht emphasizes that establishing a central "data warehouse" is the essential first step for growers looking to make more analytical, evidence-based decisions on seed selection, fall fertility, and field-level budgeting.

Tune in to Episode #72 of MN Cropcast on Transistor or your preferred podcast platform for an inside look at modern precision ag decision-making from a behind-the-scenes industry leader.

In this episode of MN CropCast, hosts Dave Nicolai and Dr. Seth Naeve sit down with Dr. Shaun Casteel, Soybean Agronomist at Purdue University. While our agronomic discussion covered a lot of ground, we didn't quite get around to asking whether Boilermakers actually use the term "Hoosier State" when talking about Indiana. We’ll have to tackle that pressing issue in a future episode!

Key Episode Highlights

• The Road to Purdue: While he misses his summers walking beans on his childhood farm in Illinois, Shaun has been helping Indiana producers maximize their yields since 2009. We discuss how his graduate research at NC State laid the foundation for his current work in soil fertility.
• An Interest in Sulfur (S): Dr. Casteel wasn't always strictly focused on sulfur, but diagnosing stubborn yield limitations in soybeans led him directly to this important and elusive nutrient.
• Identifying S Deficiencies: Discover the unique challenges of pinpointing sulfur-responsive fields and why early-planted soybeans might serve as excellent indicators for lower sulfur availability.
• Impact of Recent Floods: Dr. Casteel breaks down a tough growing season marked by heavy early-summer rains and repeated torrential downpours in August. With streams breaching their banks and fields drowning out, Indiana will likely fall short of the USDA's early-month forecast of 62 bushels per acre.
• Moving Forward with Data: Hear how the Purdue crops team plans to ground-truth remote-sensed data to evaluate the fate of late-flooded fields, keeping a close eye on plant diseases and the overall impact on crop quality and yield.

Want More Indiana Ag?

If you are interested in diving deeper into Indiana crops, be sure to check out the Purdue Crop Chat podcast at: www.hoosieragtoday.com/podcast/purdue-crop-chat/

Join us for another great MN CropCast to learn about top-tier researchers and the crops shaping their regions. Listen today!

In this episode of MN CropCast, hosts Dave Nuclei and Dr. Seth Naeve sit down with Bryce Nelson, a veteran independent crop consultant and the current president of the Minnesota Independent Crop Consultants Association (MNICCA).

With over four decades of boots-on-the-ground experience serving southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, Bryce shares his unique perspective on how the crop consulting industry has shifted to meet the demands of modern agriculture.

Key Highlights from the Episode:

● The True Meaning of Independence: Bryce explains the strict philosophy behind MICCA. By remaining completely separate from product sales, independent consultants act as unbiased advocates focused solely on maximizing the farmer's return on investment.

● Agronomic Evolution: A look at how weed management has come full circle—from the complex chemistry battles of the 1980s, through the simplicity of the Roundup era, and back to today’s high-stakes battle over resistance management.

● The Modern, Specialized Farmer: How the new generation of business-first growers are moving away from trying to do it all, instead building trusted teams of specialists—from risk consultants to agronomists—to manage inputs.

● In the Field Trends: Bryce breaks down how regional corn and soybeans are tracking after weathering erratic weather. Fortunately, deep spring roots have set the crop up for success. However, growers are combating rising threats like tar spot and southern rust in corn while balancing tough economic realities with critical fungicide decisions on the soybean side.

Looking for unbiased agronomic advice? Whether you want to learn how MICCA’s statewide text-and-chat network helps consultants track pest migrations in real-time, or you need to find a specialist in your neck of the woods, this episode is packed with unfiltered farming wisdom.

Head over to MNICCA.com to find the member directory and connect with an independent expert in your county!