Advertise on podcast: Crop Cast by BW Fusion

Don't just add more fertility. Make more available.Fertilizer isn't getting cheaper, and buying more isn't the answer. Your soil is a biological engine. The key is unlocking those tied up nutrients and turning them into fuel your crop can use.In this Crop Cast live webinar, host and BW Fusion Director of Agronomy Sean Nettleton and Technical Agronomist Blake Hadley show you how to put your soil to work and make every pound count.

Most fertility recommendations treat soil like a chemistry problem. It’s a living system. Sean Nettleton sits down with Dr. Jim Ippolito of The Ohio State University to talk about why soil health and fertility belong in the same conversation, what the tests behind today’s recs leave out, and how to get more out of every fertility dollar.

Creed Gunn, BW dealer and fourth-generation farmer, joins Sean live in Fort Wayne to talk about the most overlooked input in your sprayer: the water. Hard water, high pH and bicarbonates can tie up your chemistry before it ever hits the field. Creed put in a reverse osmosis system and hasn't looked back. He breaks down what it cost, what it replaced, and why he tells growers to fix the water before they spend another dollar on product.

Can you mine the soil? Depends who you ask. If we stick to the same old measurements, we're not getting the information we need to be efficient and make money. So what are we actually measuring, and what are we actually losing, if anything? Jaren Schley, Josh Messer and Mason Claude join Sean Nettleton on this episode of the Crop Cast to break down what mining the soil means, and why the answer starts with getting the right data.

Residue either works for you. Or it costs you. Left alone, tough stalks bend, hairpin, and cost you stand. Broken down, they cut clean, the trench closes, and you're in the field earlier next spring. Sean Nettleton and Devin Baker teamed up for a Crop Cast Live webinar on Meltdown, BW Fusion's residue degrader, to break down what it actually takes to get a clean planter pass. Plus what stalk degradation does to improve soil and put nutrients back where they belong.

Crop Cast Host Sean Nettleton reunites with his grad school mentor, Purdue Botany & Plant Pathology professor Dr. Bryan Young, to talk shifting resistance, mythbusting water quality, and why a new soybean trait tech could backfire on corn.

In this episode of The Crop Cast, Sean Nettleton and BW Fusion agronomist Logan Maurer challenge the idea that ROI can only be proven at harvest. They break down leading indicators—stem diameter, tissue and soil tests, root development—versus the lagging indicator of yield, using real trial work to show why in-season measurement matters as much as the final yield number.

Spending more isn't a strategy. Knowing more is. Every fertility decision starts with one critical question: What can your soil actually supply? Most fertility plans skip straight to what the crop needs next without first understanding what the soil is already contributing. In this episode of Crop Cast, Sean Nettleton and Josh Messer break down how to accurately evaluate your soil's nutrient-supplying power and use that information to build a smarter, more efficient fertility strategy. They discuss how nutrient availability, timing, and soil biology influence crop performance, and why understanding your soil's capabilities is the key to maximizing return on every input. If you're looking to reduce waste, improve nutrient efficiency, and make more confident fertility decisions, this conversation will help you put every dollar where it counts.

The decisions you make from now until harvest can either protect your return on investment or quietly erode it. In this episode of Crop Cast, Sean Nettleton, Jaren Schley, and Mason Claude break down the science behind late-season fertility, exploring nutrient availability, nutrient mobility, and how to interpret the data that matters most. They discuss practical strategies for making targeted in-season decisions that support grain fill, improve nutrient efficiency, and maximize the value of every input. If you're looking to finish the season stronger while making informed, data-driven management decisions, this conversation is one you won't want to miss.

In this episode of The Crop Cast, the agronomy team explores how in-season soil and tissue sampling can provide actionable insights—not just more information. They break down the BW Fusion SET Test, Leaf Link, and Plant Complete Max, explaining how understanding nutrient movement, nitrogen conversion, and plant balance leads to smarter fertility decisions and improved crop performance.

What if everything you've been told about residue breakdown is missing the biggest piece of the puzzle? In Episode #76, Sean Nettleton is joined by Mason Claude and Dr. Cassidy Million for a deep dive into the science of residue decomposition. They break down the biology behind decomposition, explain why microbes—not nitrogen—do the heavy lifting, and challenge common practices like tillage and UAN applications that often fail to deliver the results growers expect. The conversation also covers how residue management impacts soil temperature, planting conditions, nutrient cycling, microbial activity, and ultimately the success of next year's crop. Whether you're battling heavy corn residue, planting into no-till, or simply looking to improve soil function, this episode offers practical insights backed by research to help you build a more effective residue management system. In this episode, you'll learn: Why residue breakdown starts with biology—not products The biggest myths surrounding residue decomposition Why chopping and burying residue isn't the same as breaking it down How carbon-to-nitrogen ratios affect decomposition The surprising role fungi play in residue management What products and practices actually move the needle Why soil temperature may be a better indicator of success than visual residue disappearance How residue management fits into a long-term soil health strategy This is an episode that challenges conventional thinking and gives growers a practical framework for managing residue with the next crop, not just the next pass across the field, in mind.

This episode starts by breaking down the yield equation and answering a fundamental question: how much of yield is really in Mother Nature's hands, and what can growers still influence? The answer lies in kernel weight—the one yield component that can still be impacted from R1 through R6. The key is understanding the physiology of the finish and managing crop stress during the grain-fill period. In this long-form conversation, Sean Nettleton and Mason Claude dive into the leading causes of crop stress, protein breakdown within the plant, soil test interpretation, nodule health, and practical strategies to help crops finish stronger and maximize yield potential. If your goal is to push yield this season, it's not too late. Start with this episode.

In Episode 75 of Crop Cast, Sean Nettleton sits down with Dustin Hoffmann, Supervising Editor and Lead Farm Broadcaster for the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, to discuss the evolving landscape of agricultural media. The conversation explores the relationship between podcasts and local radio, the importance of journalistic integrity, the challenges facing modern agriculture, and why building trust with both farmers and consumers has never been more critical.

In this follow-up nitrogen discussion, the Crop Cast team dives into real-world observations from across the Corn Belt and Northern Plains, examining how weather, soil conditions, nitrogen forms, and application timing impact crop performance. The conversation highlights why nitrogen should be managed as a season-long strategy rather than a one-time application, with a strong focus on sulfur, carbon, calcium availability, and nutrient efficiency. Stay tuned for Part 3...

In this episode of Crop Cast, host Sean Nettleton with Mason Claude and Jaren Schley take a deep dive into nitrogen management during side-dress season and challenge some long-held agronomic assumptions. The conversation covers timing versus total nitrogen rates, why placement and weather matter more than ever, and how growers can potentially reduce nitrogen use while maintaining or improving yield. The crew also breaks down the flaws of traditional nitrate testing and explains how BW Fusion’s SET (Side-dress Efficiency Test) approach provides a more complete picture for in-season fertility decisions.