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/Hosts David Nicolai and Seth Naeve discuss the progress and challenges of Minnesota's agronomic crops in this podcast. They are joined by a diversity of specialists representing all crops and agronomic disciplines to discuss their research and its impact on future Minnesota crops. Dave Nicolai is a crops Extension educator and Seth Naeve is the Extension soybean agronomist.
How do I sign up?
You can subscribe and listen to Minnesota CropCast using one of many popular podcasting apps or directories. Learn more.

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