Advertise on podcast: Inputs - by Top Crop Manager

Another busy season and harvest are under your belt, with the next growing season soon to be in sight. During the slower times between growing seasons, planning and maintenance may be top of mind – but have you thought to check in on your mental wellness too? In this episode of Inputs, Jill Filmer, editor of Top Crop Manager East, chats with Kylie Stokes, the program coordinator at AgriCare NL on farmer mental health strategies. AgriCare NL is a mental health and farm safety program at the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture in partnership with the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. As a professionally trained psychotherapist, Stokes reflects on the unique pressures that farmers face – as experienced with the extreme drought conditions and trade uncertainties of 2025. She describes practical coping mechanisms to manage chronic stress and burnout from everyday life on the farm amidst the added pressures of extreme weather and market uncertainty to build resilience in the face of unpredictable times. If you are looking for professional support, please refer to these resources: National Farmer Crisis Line: 1-866-327-6701 AgTalk Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

FCC released a report on September 22 of this year entitled The $12-billion trade shift: Canada’s opportunity to diversify food exports beyond the U.S, outlining a path to reduce Canadian food and beverage exports to the U.S. to 50 per cent of 2023 levels (76 per cent). The report suggests this is possible through strengthening inter-provincial trade, leveraging existing free trade agreements, and establishing new international trading partnerships. In this episode of Inputs, Kaitlin Berger, editor of Top Crop Manager West, speaks with Craig Klemmer, manager of thought leadership at FCC with 15 years of experience leading the Economics and Portfolio Risk Management teams. He shares how FCC calculated the $12-billion trade shift opportunity and what's needed to get there. He highlights practical examples of opportunities to increase diversification and reduce reliance on the U.S. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Sponsored by FCC.

The crop’s finally off the field, wrapping up another growing season. Instead of turning the page to next season, what else should happen in the field before winter hits? In this episode, Jake Munroe, soil management specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, discusses what farmers should prioritize once crops, specifically corn and soybeans, are harvested. Whether planning to plant a winter cover crop or not, Munroe talks about the importance of residue management, considerations for tillage, assessing soil health and more to maintain productive soil into next season and beyond.

In addition to climate challenges, growers are facing instability around input costs and supply chain issues. Rethinking access to fertilizer could help take away some of that uncertainty and bring peace of mind. FuelPositive is bringing decentralized on-farm green ammonia technology to local farms, giving farmers control and allowing them to produce their own fertilizer. They have established the first demonstration project near the town of Sperling, Manitoba.  In this episode, editor Kaitlin Berger speakers with Ian Clifford, co-founder and CEO of FuelPositive, about this new technology. He shares why it's important, how it could help producers and provides a financial breakdown for the investment.  Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Sponsored by FuelPositive.

Camelina is an oilseed crop that originated in southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia in similar climates to the prairie provinces in Western Canada. It’s well-adapted to the southern regions of Canada because it has good drought tolerance and it’s well-adapted to the northern regions of the country because it has good frost tolerance and a short growing season.  In this episode, Christina Eynck, research scientist and plant breeder at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, discusses the benefits and challenges of growing camelina. She speaks to the advances plant breeders have made in variety development for the crop. She discusses spring and winter biotypes - and how growers can know how to choose the best option for their farm.  Learn about the crop’s development, end-use products, biofuel potential and more. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The terms ‘cover crop’ and ‘service crop’ are interchangeable. Regardless of the term you use, these crops do more than just cover the soil after the main crops come off the field.  In this episode of Inputs, we’re going back to the basics – what are cover crops and what’s their purpose in a crop rotation? Kim Schneider, assistant professor at the University of Guelph, discusses the typical cover crops grown in Ontario, the agroecological benefits they provide, her current research projects – including a project with the Living Labs Initiative – and considerations before planting a cover crop (hint: understand your “why”). Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Support for this episode provided by Proven Seed.

When it comes to farm transition, don’t underestimate the soft skills. The farm’s legacy and each farm members’ personality influences business governance - and it’s important to explore both for effective transition planning and collaboration.  In this episode of Inputs, Sarah Stamp, founder of Sarah Stamp Farm Consulting, discusses the importance of understanding the various personalities involved in farm transition through personality tests. She also speaks to the benefit of preserving a farm’s history by writing it down, whether the farm is continuing to operate in the family or is being sold. All of her expertise is filtered through her own experience on her husband’s family farm in Enchant, Alta.  Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) are a duo to be reckoned with. Continuing to spread across Ontario and wreak havoc on soybean yields, this double threat causes millions of dollars in losses each year in the province. In this episode of Inputs, Dr. Owen Wally, research scientist with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada at the Harrow Research and Development Centre, discusses how SDS and SCN start below the surface but lead to above-ground impacts to soybean yields and economic returns. Breeding research has come a long way to help manage these diseases and Wally provides some recommendations for keeping this duo in check. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Kochia and wild oat are two weeds that are top of mind for growers across the Prairies. While kochia is a relatively newer concern, it’s a highly adaptable weed that’s moving further and further north. Wild oat has been a problem for a long time and resistance continues to evolve.  In this episode of Inputs, Dr. Charles Geddes, research scientist in weed ecology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Alta., discusses the characteristics of kochia and wild oat and what conditions cause them to thrive. He also explains why they are difficult to manage and how resistance evolves with each. With recent research insights on both, Geddes speaks to management strategies such as effective crop rotation and narrow row spacing and higher seeding rates for kochia, as well as harvest weed seed control for wild oat. He says it’s also important to scout and test for herbicide resistance. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Support for this episode provided by Syngenta.

No one’s a fan of Aphanomyces root rot - and for good reason. In a wet year, this disease can cause significant damage in field pea and lentil crops across the Prairies. In this episode of Inputs, Dr. Michelle Hubbard, research scientist in pulse pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Swift Current, Sask., shares insight from some of the latest research on Aphanomyces root rot. She speaks to management strategies available now, including longer crop rotations, soil testing and field selection, and how research could expand the management options available in the future. She leaves listeners with the hopeful message that there is a lot of work going into this troublesome disease; progress is being made. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Nitrogen use efficiency is an index of how well a plant is putting its nitrogen to use for higher yields. Knowing how to improve management practices surrounding nitrogen is a win for your crop and the environment.  In this episode of Inputs, Dr. Kate Congreves, associate professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Jarislowsky research chair, discussed her latest research projects related to nitrogen, including nitrogen use efficiency in spring wheat varieties and overwinter and spring thaw nitrous oxide emissions in the Northern Prairies. She also speaks to the importance of soil sampling, the value of enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) and the potential for green ammonia.  Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Soybean weed management in soybean is field-specific, and programs must be adjusted based on what's happening in each individual field. But, decades of research and trials across Ontario have shown promise in controlling different weed species and protecting soybean yields. In this episode of Inputs, Peter Sikkema, professor in weed management for field crops at University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, and Allison Hayward, field development representative for FMC Canada, explore research findings in soybean weed management, and discuss strategies for growers to minimize weed competition in soybean. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Support for this episode provided by FMC Canada.

With a high protein content, lupins offer an alternative to soybeans and have grown in popularity in Europe. Researchers continue to investigate their potential across the Canadian Prairies. In this episode of Inputs, Robyne Davidson, pulse and special crops research scientist at Lakeland College in Alberta, shares her latest research focus surrounding lupins, the main challenges with growing them and her ideals for lupin production moving forward. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This marks the 100th episode of Inputs. To celebrate this milestone, we invited a special guest to join us and share his insight on a topic that’s on everyone’s mind lately: AI in agriculture.  As in every other industry, AI is taking off rapidly - and agriculture is no exception. Darrell Petras, CEO of the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) explains the specific ways AI is being used in agriculture right now, the challenges it might help solve in the future and the potential benefit to a farmer’s bottom line.  Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Much has been made of cover crops and their benefits over the past several years, and for good reason. While no cover crop is a quick fix or solution to all a field's problems, when treated like specialist tools and used with defined goals in mind, they can do many things, including busting up compacted soils, boosting soil organic matter, keeping weeds down – and suppressing diseases like Fusarium root and crown rot in soybean and barley, according to a recently published study based on research at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research centre in Charlottetown.  In this episode of Inputs, Eastern editor Alex Barnard discusses the study with two of the researchers: AAFC research scientist Adam Foster and Harini Aiyer, now a graduate student at the University of British Columbia. Foster and Aiyer contextualize the research, discuss the results, and share some quick advice for growers. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Show notesAiyer's M.Sc. thesis, based on the research conducted at AAFC-Charlottetown with Foster (leads to a pdf download)