Podcast Extra: Our Crops Aren't Sick, They're Dependent | Soil Talks Podcast
In this Podcast Extra, John joins the Soil Talks Podcast to break down a radically different way to think about crop health, soil biology, and system function.
In this episode they discuss:
• Why pests may not be attacking your crops but reporting a deeper issue • How soluble fertilizers can create long-term dependency • The hidden relationship between plant immunity and soil microbiology • Why modern agriculture succeeds in yield but fails in resilience • And how some growers are producing healthier crops with fewer inputs
Additional Resources To listen to more epsidoes of the Soil Talks Podcast, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVD04wz0u2J9qqu3L0zcZ9V8_YVzpr81 About John Kempf John Kempf is the founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA). A top expert in biological and regenerative farming, John founded AEA in 2006 to help fellow farmers by providing the education, tools, and strategies that will have a global effect on the food supply and those who grow it.
Through intense study and the knowledge gleaned from many industry leaders, John is building a comprehensive systems-based approach to plant nutrition – a system solidly based on the sciences of plant physiology, mineral nutrition, and soil microbiology.
Support For This Show & Helping You Grow Since 2006, AEA has been on a mission to help growers become more resilient, efficient, and profitable with regenerative agriculture.
AEA works directly with growers to apply its unique line of liquid mineral crop nutrition products and biological inoculants. Informed by cutting-edge plant and soil data-gathering techniques, AEA's science-based programs empower farm operations to meet the crop quality markers that matter the most.
AEA has created real and lasting change on millions of acres with its products and data-driven services by working hand-in-hand with growers to produce healthier soil, stronger crops, and higher profits.
Beyond working on the ground with growers, AEA leads in regenerative agriculture media and education, producing and distributing the popular and highly-regarded Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, inspiring webinars, and other educational content that serve as go-to resources for growers worldwide.
Learn more about AEA's regenerative programs and products: https://www.advancingecoag.com
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1 00:00:01,879 --> 00:00:03,500 What if the presence of a pest 2 00:00:03,500 --> 00:00:05,000 isn't an attack, but a report 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:05,799 card? 4 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:08,199 You know, soluble fertilizers 5 00:00:08,199 --> 00:00:10,199 for plants are like ultra 6 00:00:10,199 --> 00:00:11,400 -processed foods for people. 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:24,300 And for decades, modern 8 00:00:24,300 --> 00:00:25,800 agriculture has been locked in 9 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:26,600 an arms race. 10 00:00:27,579 --> 00:00:29,379 We've been taught that to grow a 11 00:00:29,379 --> 00:00:30,539 crop, we must be at war. 12 00:00:31,190 --> 00:00:32,729 War with the weeds, war with the 13 00:00:32,729 --> 00:00:33,529 insects, 14 00:00:33,549 --> 00:00:35,229 and war with the soil itself. 15 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:38,359 We've relied on rescue chemistry 16 00:00:38,359 --> 00:00:39,159 to 17 00:00:39,590 --> 00:00:41,289 keep plants on life support, 18 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:43,539 while often ignoring the very 19 00:00:43,539 --> 00:00:45,460 biological systems that were 20 00:00:45,460 --> 00:00:47,140 designed to make them thrive. 21 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:49,700 But what if we've been looking 22 00:00:49,700 --> 00:00:51,359 at the symptoms instead of the 23 00:00:51,359 --> 00:00:52,159 source? 24 00:00:52,759 --> 00:00:54,179 What if the presence of a pest 25 00:00:54,179 --> 00:00:55,679 isn't an attack, but a report 26 00:00:55,679 --> 00:00:56,479 card? 27 00:00:56,829 --> 00:00:58,429 He's the man who codified the 28 00:00:58,429 --> 00:00:59,570 current state of global 29 00:00:59,570 --> 00:01:01,090 agriculture and why it's a 30 00:01:01,090 --> 00:01:01,890 failing model. 31 00:01:02,990 --> 00:01:03,789 Well, 32 00:01:03,530 --> 00:01:05,170 can you have a cancer patient 33 00:01:05,170 --> 00:01:07,230 become better and improve their 34 00:01:07,230 --> 00:01:09,299 health in the long term with 35 00:01:09,299 --> 00:01:11,400 chemo and radiation and cancer 36 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:12,200 drugs? 37 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:13,719 And we know that the short 38 00:01:13,719 --> 00:01:14,519 answer is no. 39 00:01:15,430 --> 00:01:16,510 Those can 40 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:18,000 be 41 00:01:17,859 --> 00:01:20,620 valuable and necessary tools. 42 00:01:21,370 --> 00:01:23,769 to halt the progression of a 43 00:01:23,769 --> 00:01:24,890 rapidly moving disease. 44 00:01:26,219 --> 00:01:28,680 But once the disease is halted, 45 00:01:29,810 --> 00:01:32,189 if you just stop there and you 46 00:01:32,189 --> 00:01:34,250 just maintain the status quo and 47 00:01:35,390 --> 00:01:37,189 you continue with the same level 48 00:01:37,189 --> 00:01:39,069 type of diet and lifestyle 49 00:01:39,069 --> 00:01:40,390 choices and everything else that 50 00:01:40,390 --> 00:01:41,489 led to cancer in the first 51 00:01:41,489 --> 00:01:42,289 place, 52 00:01:42,719 --> 00:01:44,560 then you're going to end up with 53 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:45,560 the same type of result. 54 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:46,560 Again, 55 00:01:46,510 --> 00:01:47,310 you're gonna have a cancer 56 00:01:47,269 --> 00:01:48,370 relapse, you're going to have, 57 00:01:48,450 --> 00:01:49,250 or you're gonna have something 58 00:01:49,150 --> 00:01:50,090 else, other types of 59 00:01:50,090 --> 00:01:50,890 degenerative illnesses. 60 00:01:52,379 --> 00:01:53,500 And I think it's perhaps that 61 00:01:53,500 --> 00:01:54,760 framing that is at the 62 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:55,560 foundation 63 00:01:56,310 --> 00:01:57,849 of how people are starting to 64 00:01:57,849 --> 00:01:58,790 think about agriculture 65 00:01:58,790 --> 00:02:00,049 differently and just realizing 66 00:02:01,319 --> 00:02:03,099 you know, we don't get headaches 67 00:02:03,099 --> 00:02:04,400 because we have aspirin 68 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:05,599 deficiencies and 69 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,479 our crops don't have these 70 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:10,060 chronic diseases and we don't 71 00:02:10,060 --> 00:02:11,539 have these systemic chronic 72 00:02:11,539 --> 00:02:13,060 problems in agriculture because 73 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:14,539 we have fungicide deficiencies 74 00:02:14,539 --> 00:02:15,659 or we have pesticide 75 00:02:15,659 --> 00:02:16,460 deficiencies. 76 00:02:17,300 --> 00:02:18,300 And that we 77 00:02:19,030 --> 00:02:20,849 have agriculture collectively 78 00:02:20,849 --> 00:02:22,870 and this contemporary model, 79 00:02:23,420 --> 00:02:24,220 you know, this contemporary, 80 00:02:25,069 --> 00:02:27,270 It's sometimes when it's framed 81 00:02:27,270 --> 00:02:30,210 as organic or regenerative and 82 00:02:30,210 --> 00:02:31,810 people try to assign labels to 83 00:02:31,810 --> 00:02:33,670 it, then the label that gets 84 00:02:33,670 --> 00:02:36,280 assigned to what is modern 85 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:37,840 agriculture is sometimes called 86 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:38,640 conventional. 87 00:02:39,159 --> 00:02:41,680 But it hasn't earned the right 88 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:42,819 to be called conventional. 89 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,099 The current model of thinking 90 00:02:45,099 --> 00:02:46,360 and the model of agronomy that 91 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:47,599 is being used has really only 92 00:02:47,599 --> 00:02:48,979 been in widespread adoption for 93 00:02:48,979 --> 00:02:49,920 about 70 years. 94 00:02:50,699 --> 00:02:53,139 It hasn't, and it doesn't have a 95 00:02:53,139 --> 00:02:54,460 particularly great track record 96 00:02:54,460 --> 00:02:55,400 of success. It has a great track 97 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:56,579 record of success if you look at 98 00:02:56,729 --> 00:02:58,689 it purely from a yield 99 00:02:58,689 --> 00:03:00,550 perspective of improving food 100 00:03:00,550 --> 00:03:01,650 production. But if you look at 101 00:03:01,650 --> 00:03:02,509 it from a sustainability 102 00:03:02,509 --> 00:03:03,490 perspective, true 103 00:03:03,490 --> 00:03:04,569 sustainability, long -term 104 00:03:04,569 --> 00:03:05,370 sustainability, 105 00:03:05,670 --> 00:03:07,689 it fails abysmally in multiple 106 00:03:07,689 --> 00:03:08,490 dimensions. 107 00:03:09,459 --> 00:03:10,259 And poor 108 00:03:10,469 --> 00:03:12,490 crop health equals poor human 109 00:03:12,490 --> 00:03:13,290 health, correct? 110 00:03:13,490 --> 00:03:14,670 Yeah, that's what one of the 111 00:03:14,670 --> 00:03:15,990 contributing factors to why we 112 00:03:15,990 --> 00:03:17,829 have this epidemic of public 113 00:03:17,829 --> 00:03:19,569 health crisis and obesity and 114 00:03:19,569 --> 00:03:20,370 all these degenerative 115 00:03:20,209 --> 00:03:21,009 illnesses. 116 00:03:20,829 --> 00:03:23,290 But sure. So I I chose to no 117 00:03:23,290 --> 00:03:24,469 longer call it conventional 118 00:03:24,469 --> 00:03:25,750 agriculture. I call it 119 00:03:25,750 --> 00:03:26,909 contemporary agriculture. 120 00:03:27,629 --> 00:03:28,430 And it's 121 00:03:28,709 --> 00:03:30,110 when we develop this perspective 122 00:03:30,110 --> 00:03:31,490 that, you know, contemporary 123 00:03:31,490 --> 00:03:33,750 agriculture is like a sick 124 00:03:33,750 --> 00:03:34,550 patient, 125 00:03:35,050 --> 00:03:37,759 someone who has diabetes 126 00:03:38,099 --> 00:03:40,439 and obesity and heart disease 127 00:03:40,439 --> 00:03:41,939 and has this combination of all 128 00:03:41,939 --> 00:03:42,959 these degenerative illnesses. 129 00:03:44,230 --> 00:03:45,030 It's. 130 00:03:45,650 --> 00:03:47,430 Then we want to, you know, 131 00:03:48,050 --> 00:03:49,590 I'm still remember what was it 132 00:03:49,590 --> 00:03:50,930 15, 20 years ago when there's 133 00:03:50,930 --> 00:03:52,009 all these conversations about 134 00:03:52,009 --> 00:03:53,530 sustainability and sustainable 135 00:03:53,530 --> 00:03:54,650 innovations and sustainability 136 00:03:54,650 --> 00:03:55,450 in agriculture. 137 00:03:55,439 --> 00:03:56,319 that was the buzzword of the 138 00:03:56,319 --> 00:03:57,120 time. 139 00:03:57,819 --> 00:03:59,860 Why would we desire to sustain 140 00:03:59,860 --> 00:04:01,780 such a poor level of health? 141 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:03,900 Yes. We first need to have a 142 00:04:03,900 --> 00:04:05,740 conversation about regenerating 143 00:04:05,740 --> 00:04:07,240 health of soils and livestock 144 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,479 and people. And once we've 145 00:04:09,479 --> 00:04:11,219 achieved a higher plateau of 146 00:04:11,219 --> 00:04:12,020 performance, 147 00:04:12,340 --> 00:04:13,140 I mean, 148 00:04:13,210 --> 00:04:14,010 people, 149 00:04:14,620 --> 00:04:15,960 Arden Anderson gave me this 150 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,519 framing years ago that I still 151 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:18,459 think about from 152 00:04:19,029 --> 00:04:20,709 time to time. He said that 153 00:04:21,189 --> 00:04:23,730 We tend to think of health as 154 00:04:23,730 --> 00:04:24,530 being binary, 155 00:04:24,870 --> 00:04:26,250 either you're healthy or you're 156 00:04:26,250 --> 00:04:27,050 sick. 157 00:04:27,389 --> 00:04:29,009 But in reality, we should think 158 00:04:29,009 --> 00:04:30,590 of it as being on a spectrum. 159 00:04:31,290 --> 00:04:32,590 You are healthy 160 00:04:33,090 --> 00:04:34,949 and on one end of the spectrum, 161 00:04:35,170 --> 00:04:36,389 vibrantly healthy on one end of 162 00:04:36,389 --> 00:04:37,189 the spectrum, 163 00:04:37,389 --> 00:04:38,949 sick or diseased on the other 164 00:04:38,949 --> 00:04:39,750 end of the spectrum. 165 00:04:40,189 --> 00:04:41,590 And then you have this long 166 00:04:42,220 --> 00:04:43,659 spectrum in between. 167 00:04:43,899 --> 00:04:45,220 And at some point on the 168 00:04:45,220 --> 00:04:46,420 threshold, as you start moving 169 00:04:46,420 --> 00:04:48,019 from vibrantly healthy in the 170 00:04:48,019 --> 00:04:49,019 direction of 171 00:04:49,399 --> 00:04:50,920 a disease state, he said, you 172 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,340 cross into this threshold 173 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:54,319 where you're in this pre 174 00:04:54,319 --> 00:04:55,159 -disease state. 175 00:04:55,699 --> 00:04:57,920 So you aren't sick yet, but you 176 00:04:57,920 --> 00:04:58,720 are susceptible. 177 00:05:00,170 --> 00:05:00,970 And from 178 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:01,840 a perspective, 179 00:05:02,290 --> 00:05:03,590 yeah, from a perspective, 180 00:05:03,930 --> 00:05:05,129 that's low immunity, it's non 181 00:05:05,129 --> 00:05:05,930 -functional immunity. 182 00:05:05,790 --> 00:05:06,970 So from a perspective of our 183 00:05:06,970 --> 00:05:07,770 health, 184 00:05:07,980 --> 00:05:09,540 we should try to spend as little 185 00:05:09,540 --> 00:05:11,040 time as possible in that pre 186 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,560 -disease state and be in the 187 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:13,659 vibrantly healthy state. 188 00:05:14,180 --> 00:05:15,879 And that's also the way that we 189 00:05:15,879 --> 00:05:17,040 should manage our agricultural 190 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:18,720 production. If we base it off of 191 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:20,240 that, the failing model, there's 192 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:21,680 no more reliance on rescue 193 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:22,480 chemistry, correct? 194 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:23,720 It's gone. 195 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,340 Well, what happens is you have a 196 00:05:26,340 --> 00:05:27,800 greatly reduced need for the 197 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:28,600 rescue chemistry. 198 00:05:28,740 --> 00:05:30,490 It's like when you are in that 199 00:05:30,490 --> 00:05:31,689 vibrantly healthy state, all 200 00:05:31,689 --> 00:05:32,490 right, when you're in a pre 201 00:05:32,430 --> 00:05:33,230 -disease state, 202 00:05:33,649 --> 00:05:35,529 and we all observe this in the 203 00:05:35,529 --> 00:05:37,149 people around us every winter, 204 00:05:38,209 --> 00:05:39,529 When someone is in a pre 205 00:05:39,529 --> 00:05:40,970 -disease state, they become ill 206 00:05:40,970 --> 00:05:41,770 very easily. 207 00:05:41,990 --> 00:05:43,069 All the cold and flu bugs that 208 00:05:43,069 --> 00:05:45,769 come along and then they need to 209 00:05:45,769 --> 00:05:46,949 take some drugs to help them 210 00:05:46,949 --> 00:05:48,090 recover from the bugs that 211 00:05:48,090 --> 00:05:49,790 they've become infected with. 212 00:05:50,740 --> 00:05:52,560 And other people who are not in 213 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:53,800 that pre -disease state but who 214 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:54,980 are in a vibrantly healthy state 215 00:05:54,980 --> 00:05:56,379 for whatever reasons because of 216 00:05:56,379 --> 00:05:57,680 immune support or microbiome 217 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:58,920 support and so forth, genetics, 218 00:05:59,040 --> 00:05:59,920 whatever the case might be, 219 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:02,100 they might 220 00:06:02,439 --> 00:06:05,379 occasionally need those 221 00:06:05,379 --> 00:06:06,500 treatments but 222 00:06:06,819 --> 00:06:08,240 it's one year out of three or 223 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,459 one year out of five or maybe 224 00:06:10,459 --> 00:06:11,800 never in 10 years. 225 00:06:12,300 --> 00:06:13,699 It's all about the individual 226 00:06:13,699 --> 00:06:14,500 terrain 227 00:06:14,819 --> 00:06:16,160 So you have these dramatic 228 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:17,879 differences in the health of 229 00:06:17,879 --> 00:06:18,680 individuals. 230 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:20,420 And you can have that same 231 00:06:20,420 --> 00:06:22,899 spectrum on our farms and our 232 00:06:22,899 --> 00:06:24,659 crops. And so it's possible to 233 00:06:24,939 --> 00:06:26,720 transition as 234 00:06:27,449 --> 00:06:29,569 we manage the health if we have 235 00:06:29,569 --> 00:06:31,310 a farm that is constantly using 236 00:06:31,310 --> 00:06:32,730 fungicides and constantly using 237 00:06:32,730 --> 00:06:33,530 insecticides. 238 00:06:34,090 --> 00:06:35,509 As we improve the health of that 239 00:06:35,509 --> 00:06:36,889 ecosystem over time, 240 00:06:37,370 --> 00:06:38,389 over several year period, you 241 00:06:38,389 --> 00:06:39,550 can get to a point where you can 242 00:06:39,550 --> 00:06:40,730 greatly reduce 243 00:06:41,209 --> 00:06:42,970 the need for those pesticides. 244 00:06:43,230 --> 00:06:44,230 And you've essentially, you've 245 00:06:44,230 --> 00:06:45,649 removed your dependency from 246 00:06:45,649 --> 00:06:46,449 them. Now, 247 00:06:46,939 --> 00:06:48,860 they might still be valuable one 248 00:06:48,860 --> 00:06:50,879 year out of seven or just like 249 00:06:50,879 --> 00:06:52,100 they might still be valuable 250 00:06:52,100 --> 00:06:53,860 occasionally but you're not 251 00:06:53,860 --> 00:06:54,759 dependent on them. 252 00:06:54,959 --> 00:06:56,319 You follow up right after that 253 00:06:56,319 --> 00:06:57,659 I'm sure with biological 254 00:06:57,659 --> 00:06:59,259 treatments things like that 255 00:06:59,259 --> 00:07:00,740 correct to rebuild the health of 256 00:07:00,740 --> 00:07:02,319 that crop as quick as possible. 257 00:07:02,519 --> 00:07:03,740 I'm sure if you're on this 258 00:07:03,740 --> 00:07:04,720 pathway then you're already 259 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,500 doing many things to improve 260 00:07:06,500 --> 00:07:08,639 soil health and plant health 261 00:07:08,639 --> 00:07:10,459 anyway and so you obviously 262 00:07:10,459 --> 00:07:11,560 continue that but it's 263 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,540 It's again, to use the analogy 264 00:07:13,540 --> 00:07:14,980 of our personal health, if for 265 00:07:14,980 --> 00:07:16,120 some reason you need to take an 266 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:17,879 antibiotic, then it's becoming a 267 00:07:17,879 --> 00:07:19,079 common recommendation to follow 268 00:07:19,079 --> 00:07:20,220 that up with a probiotic to 269 00:07:20,220 --> 00:07:21,480 rebuild your gut microbiome. 270 00:07:22,159 --> 00:07:23,180 Today isn't about necessarily 271 00:07:23,180 --> 00:07:24,639 organic versus conventional. 272 00:07:25,259 --> 00:07:27,100 It's really about the science of 273 00:07:27,100 --> 00:07:29,040 plant immunity and nutrient 274 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:29,840 density. 275 00:07:29,980 --> 00:07:32,500 What I what I learned in the 276 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:33,699 early days when I was starting 277 00:07:33,699 --> 00:07:35,220 down this pathway and what I've 278 00:07:35,220 --> 00:07:36,300 continued to learn and 279 00:07:36,300 --> 00:07:37,639 experience is that 280 00:07:38,340 --> 00:07:39,980 the foundation of plant immunity 281 00:07:39,980 --> 00:07:41,800 really rests on two pillars. 282 00:07:42,060 --> 00:07:42,860 You have 283 00:07:43,319 --> 00:07:44,959 the foundation requirements. 284 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:46,720 nutritional integrity in terms 285 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,360 of mineral nutrition and you 286 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:49,740 have microbiome integrity. 287 00:07:50,769 --> 00:07:52,269 And it's the same thing for 288 00:07:52,420 --> 00:07:53,220 plants, 289 00:07:53,500 --> 00:07:54,300 for livestock, 290 00:07:54,439 --> 00:07:56,259 for people, for soil microbes. 291 00:07:56,500 --> 00:07:58,540 You need those two fundamentals, 292 00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:00,480 our universal fundamentals. 293 00:08:01,699 --> 00:08:02,500 And 294 00:08:02,420 --> 00:08:03,259 when 295 00:08:03,990 --> 00:08:05,470 You have those two fundamentals 296 00:08:05,470 --> 00:08:07,410 in place, you can develop these 297 00:08:07,410 --> 00:08:09,370 robust immune systems, whether 298 00:08:09,370 --> 00:08:11,149 that's in our bodies or 299 00:08:11,149 --> 00:08:12,709 livestock or in soils and 300 00:08:12,709 --> 00:08:13,509 plants. 301 00:08:14,139 --> 00:08:14,959 And what 302 00:08:15,620 --> 00:08:17,040 many people don't realize, 303 00:08:17,889 --> 00:08:19,810 we've not really been trained to 304 00:08:19,810 --> 00:08:20,610 think in this way, 305 00:08:21,370 --> 00:08:22,909 but when there are 306 00:08:23,250 --> 00:08:26,009 epidemics or plagues or diseases 307 00:08:26,009 --> 00:08:27,670 of serious proportion, 308 00:08:28,870 --> 00:08:30,149 people and livestock have the 309 00:08:30,149 --> 00:08:31,370 ability to move around. 310 00:08:33,879 --> 00:08:35,539 But plants 311 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:37,500 do not have that capability. 312 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:39,639 plants are anchored in place. 313 00:08:40,710 --> 00:08:42,559 And what that has translated 314 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:43,440 into is that 315 00:08:43,879 --> 00:08:44,679 plant, 316 00:08:45,230 --> 00:08:46,990 relatively speaking, relative to 317 00:08:46,990 --> 00:08:49,490 the diseases and the potential 318 00:08:49,490 --> 00:08:50,970 microbes and pathogens that 319 00:08:50,970 --> 00:08:51,769 they're exposed to, 320 00:08:52,379 --> 00:08:54,080 plants actually have a much more 321 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:55,000 robust system, 322 00:08:55,639 --> 00:08:56,519 relatively speaking, 323 00:08:56,919 --> 00:08:59,960 than humans or than livestock 324 00:08:59,960 --> 00:09:00,759 do, 325 00:09:00,759 --> 00:09:01,840 because they are anchored in 326 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,080 place. And so they have to fight 327 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:05,000 to survive. 328 00:09:05,879 --> 00:09:06,679 And so 329 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:08,580 because of that, they have these 330 00:09:08,580 --> 00:09:09,919 very robust immune systems. 331 00:09:09,919 --> 00:09:10,719 And I 332 00:09:11,279 --> 00:09:12,840 I started several 333 00:09:13,250 --> 00:09:14,889 years ago, oh, half a dozen or 334 00:09:14,889 --> 00:09:16,009 more years ago, I started making 335 00:09:16,009 --> 00:09:16,809 this 336 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:18,740 comment publicly that I believe 337 00:09:18,740 --> 00:09:20,500 plants have the capacity to be 338 00:09:20,500 --> 00:09:22,759 100 % resistant to all diseases 339 00:09:22,759 --> 00:09:23,559 and all insects. 340 00:09:24,180 --> 00:09:25,740 Well, that is so contrary to 341 00:09:25,740 --> 00:09:27,059 most people's experience that 342 00:09:27,059 --> 00:09:30,159 they hear that comment with 343 00:09:30,159 --> 00:09:31,779 some measure of disbelief. 344 00:09:32,509 --> 00:09:33,529 And this is something like my 345 00:09:33,529 --> 00:09:35,629 personality, my nature is to be 346 00:09:35,629 --> 00:09:36,430 quite conservative. 347 00:09:36,710 --> 00:09:38,129 I don't really engage in 348 00:09:38,129 --> 00:09:38,929 hyperbole. And 349 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:40,259 so it's something that 350 00:09:40,639 --> 00:09:42,220 a lot, there was a lot of 351 00:09:42,220 --> 00:09:43,580 thought and a lot of study put 352 00:09:43,580 --> 00:09:44,840 behind, am I really going to 353 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:46,179 make this statement or not? 354 00:09:47,759 --> 00:09:49,779 But it's something, it's a big 355 00:09:49,779 --> 00:09:50,899 claim to make, it's a big 356 00:09:50,899 --> 00:09:52,120 mouthful, but it's one that I've 357 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:53,559 become comfortable and confident 358 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:54,359 making 359 00:09:54,529 --> 00:09:57,289 because it's not based on, it's 360 00:09:57,289 --> 00:09:58,570 not a theory, it's not a 361 00:09:58,570 --> 00:09:59,370 hypothesis. 362 00:10:00,009 --> 00:10:01,529 This is something that we have 363 00:10:01,529 --> 00:10:03,830 done successfully on scale, 364 00:10:04,250 --> 00:10:05,690 on tens, hundreds of thousands, 365 00:10:05,830 --> 00:10:06,950 even millions of acres and 366 00:10:06,950 --> 00:10:08,070 across a broad variety of 367 00:10:08,070 --> 00:10:08,870 different crops. 368 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,200 Every year for the last 20 369 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:13,000 years, 370 00:10:13,740 --> 00:10:15,200 growers have approached me with 371 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,070 new diseases and new problems 372 00:10:18,070 --> 00:10:19,090 that I've not worked with 373 00:10:19,090 --> 00:10:19,950 before. And they've said, 374 00:10:21,059 --> 00:10:23,340 we have, we have disease X. 375 00:10:25,759 --> 00:10:27,720 We have no effective treatment. 376 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:29,240 We have no effective control for 377 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:30,039 it. 378 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,440 There is no effective treatment 379 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:32,759 for it. Bacterial canker on 380 00:10:32,759 --> 00:10:33,799 stone fruit was one of the early 381 00:10:33,799 --> 00:10:34,720 ones that I worked on. 382 00:10:35,690 --> 00:10:36,490 And 383 00:10:36,539 --> 00:10:37,820 we 384 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,580 worked with these crops for a 385 00:10:41,580 --> 00:10:42,379 year or so. 386 00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:43,500 And I 387 00:10:44,129 --> 00:10:45,309 still remember the case on 388 00:10:45,309 --> 00:10:46,569 bacterial canker on cherries now 389 00:10:46,569 --> 00:10:47,369 that I mentioned it. 390 00:10:48,330 --> 00:10:49,289 Bacterial canker reversed. 391 00:10:49,610 --> 00:10:50,409 It disappeared. 392 00:10:50,590 --> 00:10:52,490 We had orchard blocks that were 393 00:10:52,490 --> 00:10:53,610 severely affected with bacterial 394 00:10:53,610 --> 00:10:54,909 canker. And the bacterial canker 395 00:10:54,909 --> 00:10:56,730 reversed itself, which has never 396 00:10:56,730 --> 00:10:57,850 been known to happen. 397 00:11:01,159 --> 00:11:01,959 Well, 398 00:11:02,279 --> 00:11:03,740 people then love to ask the 399 00:11:03,740 --> 00:11:04,740 question, because we're all 400 00:11:04,740 --> 00:11:05,639 looking for a silver bullet. 401 00:11:05,799 --> 00:11:06,680 I go, what did you do? 402 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:08,620 Well, what did we do? 403 00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:09,860 The answer is we did everything. 404 00:11:10,019 --> 00:11:11,600 We pulled SAP analysis. 405 00:11:11,819 --> 00:11:12,799 We pulled soil analysis. 406 00:11:13,139 --> 00:11:14,759 We balanced the microbiome. 407 00:11:14,879 --> 00:11:15,759 We balanced trace mineral 408 00:11:15,759 --> 00:11:18,480 attrition and material canker 409 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:19,279 went away. 410 00:11:19,879 --> 00:11:21,480 I can't point to one thing that 411 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:22,960 we did. I could maybe point to a 412 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:24,039 combination of half a dozen 413 00:11:24,039 --> 00:11:24,839 different things. 414 00:11:25,139 --> 00:11:25,940 And we've certainly, we've been 415 00:11:25,940 --> 00:11:27,659 able to replicate that result 416 00:11:27,659 --> 00:11:29,019 over and over again in different 417 00:11:29,019 --> 00:11:30,000 settings that were very 418 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:30,940 different from the original. 419 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:32,980 It all comes down to nutritional 420 00:11:32,980 --> 00:11:34,319 balance and microbiome balance. 421 00:11:34,379 --> 00:11:35,179 You balance those two. 422 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:36,759 things and these quote -unquote 423 00:11:36,759 --> 00:11:37,559 diseases 424 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:38,860 start, 425 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:40,360 they no longer express. 426 00:11:40,799 --> 00:11:41,599 And so 427 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:43,200 my 428 00:11:43,700 --> 00:11:45,379 confidence in making that 429 00:11:45,379 --> 00:11:47,620 substantial claim of being able 430 00:11:47,620 --> 00:11:48,960 to, crops being able to be 431 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:50,279 completely resistant to diseases 432 00:11:50,279 --> 00:11:52,320 and insects is because as 433 00:11:53,470 --> 00:11:54,269 of this point, 434 00:11:55,309 --> 00:11:57,830 this approach has never failed. 435 00:11:59,129 --> 00:11:59,950 It has never failed. 436 00:12:00,370 --> 00:12:02,809 No one has come to us with an 437 00:12:02,809 --> 00:12:04,009 incurable disease 438 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,120 and we've taken this approach 439 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:07,679 and failed to have success. 440 00:12:08,409 --> 00:12:09,209 And you 441 00:12:10,429 --> 00:12:12,289 do that enough times, we've done 442 00:12:12,289 --> 00:12:13,980 it usually several different 443 00:12:13,980 --> 00:12:15,240 disease and crop combinations 444 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:16,399 every year for the last 20 445 00:12:16,399 --> 00:12:17,399 years, and you develop some 446 00:12:17,399 --> 00:12:18,539 degree of confidence when 447 00:12:18,539 --> 00:12:19,339 everybody else, 448 00:12:19,940 --> 00:12:21,179 if every year you treat 449 00:12:21,179 --> 00:12:22,200 something that everyone else 450 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:23,559 says is impossible, and you 451 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:24,759 consistently do the impossible, 452 00:12:24,940 --> 00:12:26,080 you soon get the idea that the 453 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:27,419 impossible isn't so impossible 454 00:12:27,419 --> 00:12:28,219 after all. 455 00:12:28,490 --> 00:12:30,090 The problem with soluble NPK, 456 00:12:30,250 --> 00:12:31,529 and I know you can jump all over 457 00:12:31,529 --> 00:12:33,590 this one, if you would explain 458 00:12:33,590 --> 00:12:35,250 why high salt water soluble 459 00:12:35,250 --> 00:12:37,940 fertilizers often turn off a 460 00:12:37,940 --> 00:12:39,440 plant's natural immune system 461 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,039 and relationship with soil 462 00:12:42,039 --> 00:12:42,839 biology. 463 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:46,860 I could talk about both of those 464 00:12:46,860 --> 00:12:47,759 topics for an hour. 465 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:53,500 So in 466 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:54,799 short, 467 00:12:55,789 --> 00:12:58,330 Plants have this very close 468 00:12:58,330 --> 00:13:00,110 symbiotic relationship with the 469 00:13:00,110 --> 00:13:01,450 soil biology and the soil 470 00:13:01,450 --> 00:13:02,930 microbial community, given the 471 00:13:02,930 --> 00:13:04,110 opportunity to do so. 472 00:13:05,659 --> 00:13:08,319 But this relationship is an 473 00:13:08,319 --> 00:13:09,879 exchange that the plant 474 00:13:09,879 --> 00:13:11,519 controls. The biology doesn't 475 00:13:11,519 --> 00:13:12,639 control it. The plant 476 00:13:13,149 --> 00:13:14,450 transmits the signals. 477 00:13:15,090 --> 00:13:15,889 The 478 00:13:15,779 --> 00:13:18,480 plant is required to engage, 479 00:13:19,580 --> 00:13:21,240 and it dictates the 480 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:22,039 relationship. 481 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:24,740 When the plant is given 482 00:13:25,379 --> 00:13:28,610 large amounts of free soluble 483 00:13:28,610 --> 00:13:29,409 nutrients, 484 00:13:29,820 --> 00:13:31,259 then it 485 00:13:32,529 --> 00:13:34,429 tells the soil microbes I don't 486 00:13:34,429 --> 00:13:35,229 need you. 487 00:13:35,820 --> 00:13:38,240 I don't need to invest sugar 488 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:39,299 energy in 489 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:41,519 facilitating a relationship with 490 00:13:41,519 --> 00:13:43,480 a biology that is going to bring 491 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:44,980 me phosphorus and nitrogen and 492 00:13:44,980 --> 00:13:46,179 potassium and a whole host of 493 00:13:46,179 --> 00:13:47,759 other elements because I already 494 00:13:47,759 --> 00:13:48,580 have plenty. 495 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:50,519 I live in a luxury environment. 496 00:13:50,759 --> 00:13:51,879 I don't need biology. 497 00:13:53,250 --> 00:13:54,429 That's what happens when you 498 00:13:54,429 --> 00:13:56,029 apply a rose starter solution at 499 00:13:56,029 --> 00:13:57,149 planting. And then, of course, 500 00:13:57,309 --> 00:13:59,230 that luxury environment of those 501 00:13:59,230 --> 00:14:01,850 luxurious free nutrient ions, 502 00:14:02,750 --> 00:14:03,929 particularly in the case of 503 00:14:03,929 --> 00:14:04,830 phosphorous and potassium, 504 00:14:04,970 --> 00:14:06,129 starts to fade away and 505 00:14:06,129 --> 00:14:07,070 disappear over time. 506 00:14:08,210 --> 00:14:09,450 And nitrogen, of course, is 507 00:14:09,450 --> 00:14:10,870 often applied in abundant 508 00:14:10,870 --> 00:14:12,129 amounts to make sure that that 509 00:14:12,129 --> 00:14:12,929 doesn't happen. 510 00:14:13,870 --> 00:14:16,649 But so that is that is kind of 511 00:14:16,649 --> 00:14:18,350 the one level, 512 00:14:18,789 --> 00:14:20,490 one level of the answer to your 513 00:14:20,490 --> 00:14:22,230 question. And then there is the 514 00:14:22,539 --> 00:14:23,799 other aspect, which 515 00:14:24,210 --> 00:14:25,009 is 516 00:14:25,470 --> 00:14:27,929 I framed this conversation, I've 517 00:14:27,929 --> 00:14:28,729 started 518 00:14:29,139 --> 00:14:31,759 having this discussion in the 519 00:14:31,759 --> 00:14:33,620 context of electrolyte nutrition 520 00:14:33,620 --> 00:14:35,220 versus microbial nutrition. 521 00:14:36,169 --> 00:14:36,969 If 522 00:14:37,620 --> 00:14:39,639 you want to shut down the soil 523 00:14:39,639 --> 00:14:41,059 microbial community, 524 00:14:41,970 --> 00:14:43,870 and if you want to shut down the 525 00:14:43,870 --> 00:14:46,090 plant's microbial interactions, 526 00:14:46,149 --> 00:14:47,190 not just within the soil 527 00:14:47,190 --> 00:14:48,569 environment, but inside the 528 00:14:48,569 --> 00:14:49,369 plant itself, 529 00:14:49,789 --> 00:14:51,610 this will maybe make a slight 530 00:14:51,610 --> 00:14:52,409 diversion here. 531 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:54,120 We're now coming to understand 532 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:55,899 that within our own bodies, we 533 00:14:55,899 --> 00:14:56,699 have, 534 00:14:56,659 --> 00:14:57,720 I forget the exact number, but 535 00:14:57,720 --> 00:14:58,919 something like 10 times more 536 00:14:58,919 --> 00:15:00,360 bacterial cells than we do human 537 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:01,159 cells. 538 00:15:01,340 --> 00:15:02,940 The same concept also is true of 539 00:15:02,940 --> 00:15:03,740 plants. 540 00:15:03,740 --> 00:15:05,559 Plants are colonized by 541 00:15:05,559 --> 00:15:06,879 endophytes, bacteria, 542 00:15:07,039 --> 00:15:08,519 microalgae, fungi that live 543 00:15:08,519 --> 00:15:09,480 throughout the entire plant 544 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:10,460 structure that live on the leaf 545 00:15:10,460 --> 00:15:11,259 surface. 546 00:15:11,450 --> 00:15:13,250 There is no location on or in 547 00:15:13,250 --> 00:15:14,789 the plant that is not colonized 548 00:15:14,789 --> 00:15:16,649 by these associated endophytes. 549 00:15:17,819 --> 00:15:19,620 Plants have the ability to 550 00:15:20,250 --> 00:15:22,069 signal to the microbial 551 00:15:22,069 --> 00:15:22,869 community, 552 00:15:23,340 --> 00:15:25,539 I need more of X and less of Y 553 00:15:25,539 --> 00:15:27,600 or they can selectively absorb, 554 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:29,940 they can selectively absorb 555 00:15:29,940 --> 00:15:31,740 manganese and zinc and copper 556 00:15:31,740 --> 00:15:32,960 and they can reject excessive 557 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:33,820 levels of aluminum, 558 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:35,279 for example, 559 00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:36,740 or sodium or chloride. 560 00:15:36,879 --> 00:15:38,600 As long as the 561 00:15:39,429 --> 00:15:41,549 plant system is not overloaded 562 00:15:41,549 --> 00:15:43,009 with excess electrolytes. 563 00:15:43,740 --> 00:15:45,000 The moment you give the plant 564 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:45,960 excessive levels of 565 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,600 electrolytes, it loses its 566 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:48,899 ability to self -regulate. 567 00:15:49,299 --> 00:15:50,460 It loses its ability for 568 00:15:50,460 --> 00:15:51,980 homeostasis of nutrient 569 00:15:51,980 --> 00:15:52,779 absorption. 570 00:15:53,299 --> 00:15:54,299 And that 571 00:15:55,220 --> 00:15:56,120 means all 572 00:15:56,429 --> 00:15:57,529 of a sudden the plant starts 573 00:15:57,529 --> 00:15:59,070 absorbing excessive levels of 574 00:15:59,070 --> 00:16:00,250 certain nutrients and 575 00:16:00,250 --> 00:16:01,289 deficiencies of others. 576 00:16:01,750 --> 00:16:02,549 And so 577 00:16:02,590 --> 00:16:04,289 this is really a signal, like 578 00:16:04,289 --> 00:16:06,129 how many times do you walk out 579 00:16:06,129 --> 00:16:07,809 into the forest and you observe 580 00:16:07,809 --> 00:16:08,870 plants that have severe 581 00:16:08,870 --> 00:16:09,990 nutritional deficiencies? 582 00:16:11,100 --> 00:16:12,200 Not very often. 583 00:16:12,399 --> 00:16:13,799 And there's all kinds of 584 00:16:14,110 --> 00:16:15,850 arguments that people would like 585 00:16:15,850 --> 00:16:16,889 to make about the relative 586 00:16:16,889 --> 00:16:19,309 productivity or nutrient removal 587 00:16:19,309 --> 00:16:20,409 of a forest versus 588 00:16:20,919 --> 00:16:22,279 agricultural soil but the bottom 589 00:16:22,279 --> 00:16:23,700 line is the reason you don't see 590 00:16:23,700 --> 00:16:25,100 those nutrient deficiencies is 591 00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:26,059 because you 592 00:16:26,370 --> 00:16:29,500 have this very close plant and 593 00:16:29,500 --> 00:16:31,139 microbiome signaling and the 594 00:16:31,139 --> 00:16:32,559 plants are able to maintain 595 00:16:32,559 --> 00:16:33,940 nutrients through this 596 00:16:33,940 --> 00:16:35,180 homeostasis process. 597 00:16:35,340 --> 00:16:36,819 They self -regulate up and down 598 00:16:36,819 --> 00:16:38,100 just like we self -regulate our 599 00:16:38,100 --> 00:16:38,899 body temperature. 600 00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:40,539 Well, 601 00:16:41,450 --> 00:16:43,210 you destroy the plant's ability 602 00:16:43,210 --> 00:16:44,590 to self -regulate its 603 00:16:44,590 --> 00:16:45,389 nutritional 604 00:16:45,750 --> 00:16:47,809 integrity when 605 00:16:48,730 --> 00:16:49,750 you give it excessive 606 00:16:49,750 --> 00:16:50,629 electrolytes. 607 00:16:51,639 --> 00:16:53,259 Your common electrolytes in 608 00:16:53,259 --> 00:16:54,240 plants and soils 609 00:16:54,710 --> 00:16:55,730 which can easily become 610 00:16:55,730 --> 00:16:56,529 excessive 611 00:16:56,669 --> 00:16:58,500 are chloride, 612 00:16:59,190 --> 00:16:59,990 potassium, 613 00:17:00,620 --> 00:17:01,419 soluble magnesium, 614 00:17:03,230 --> 00:17:04,029 nitrogen. 615 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:07,119 Did I miss one? 616 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:08,519 I think those are the major 617 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:09,279 ones. 618 00:17:09,259 --> 00:17:10,140 Sodium, of course. 619 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:11,259 Sodium is kind of the obvious 620 00:17:11,259 --> 00:17:12,059 one. 621 00:17:13,150 --> 00:17:13,990 So when 622 00:17:14,940 --> 00:17:16,059 you think about what that means, 623 00:17:16,299 --> 00:17:18,319 if you give a plant 624 00:17:19,109 --> 00:17:20,369 large levels of 625 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:21,960 I'll use nitrogen as a 626 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:23,660 discussion point, although the 627 00:17:23,660 --> 00:17:25,259 other electrolytes would also be 628 00:17:25,259 --> 00:17:26,299 true for them. If you give a 629 00:17:26,299 --> 00:17:27,220 plant a large dose of 630 00:17:27,220 --> 00:17:28,460 electrolytes, two things happen, 631 00:17:28,579 --> 00:17:29,379 several things happen. 632 00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:31,500 One is it 633 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:34,799 no longer needs the soil biology 634 00:17:34,799 --> 00:17:36,940 to deliver nitrogen, so it stops 635 00:17:36,940 --> 00:17:38,059 feeding soil biology. 636 00:17:38,809 --> 00:17:40,990 But secondly, you also have 637 00:17:40,990 --> 00:17:42,509 destroyed that plant's ability 638 00:17:42,509 --> 00:17:43,470 to self -regulate. 639 00:17:43,829 --> 00:17:45,950 So you've shut down the 640 00:17:45,950 --> 00:17:46,829 communication system, 641 00:17:47,380 --> 00:17:49,539 and you have destroyed the 642 00:17:49,539 --> 00:17:50,740 homeostasis capability. 643 00:17:51,220 --> 00:17:52,859 So now you have put that plant 644 00:17:52,859 --> 00:17:55,220 into a state of dependency for 645 00:17:55,599 --> 00:17:57,259 the rest of its lifespan or for 646 00:17:57,259 --> 00:17:58,480 the rest of that season where it 647 00:17:58,480 --> 00:17:59,900 is now dependent on 648 00:18:00,269 --> 00:18:01,809 an ongoing diet 649 00:18:02,380 --> 00:18:04,579 of soluble nutrients. 650 00:18:05,039 --> 00:18:05,839 So 651 00:18:06,059 --> 00:18:07,900 you could in many ways say that 652 00:18:07,900 --> 00:18:10,640 you have created a dependency on 653 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,539 a ultra processed foods diet and 654 00:18:12,539 --> 00:18:13,859 then you wonder why the plant 655 00:18:13,859 --> 00:18:15,660 has obesity and diabetes and 656 00:18:15,660 --> 00:18:17,640 needs drug drugs to recover. 657 00:18:18,039 --> 00:18:19,440 That's exactly right and at the 658 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:20,420 end of the day that's what's 659 00:18:20,420 --> 00:18:21,980 happening in so many situations 660 00:18:21,980 --> 00:18:22,779 right the 661 00:18:23,029 --> 00:18:24,730 NPK is dumped on the 662 00:18:25,230 --> 00:18:26,509 crops are dependent on it's like 663 00:18:26,509 --> 00:18:28,190 a drug addict you know and they 664 00:18:28,190 --> 00:18:30,009 don't stop the soils don't stop 665 00:18:30,009 --> 00:18:31,089 the plants don't stop 666 00:18:31,789 --> 00:18:33,250 until you can reverse that get 667 00:18:33,250 --> 00:18:34,869 it back to the way it should be. 668 00:18:35,599 --> 00:18:36,720 you know, healthy, thriving 669 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:38,299 microbial communities in the 670 00:18:38,299 --> 00:18:40,759 soil that self regulating mining 671 00:18:40,759 --> 00:18:42,259 the nutrition that's needed as 672 00:18:42,259 --> 00:18:43,440 the plants call for it. 673 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:45,920 Yeah, soluble, soluble ionic 674 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,599 nutrients for fertilizer, excuse 675 00:18:47,599 --> 00:18:49,000 me, soluble fertilizers for 676 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,240 plants are like ultra processed 677 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:52,039 foods for people. 678 00:18:52,279 --> 00:18:53,960 Yeah, the passive versus active 679 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:54,940 plant. Let's discuss the 680 00:18:54,940 --> 00:18:56,119 difference between a plant that 681 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:57,539 is spoon fed nutrients, 682 00:18:58,329 --> 00:18:59,589 right? So that would be again, 683 00:18:59,609 --> 00:19:00,829 going back to that soluble, 684 00:19:01,140 --> 00:19:01,940 right? 685 00:19:02,029 --> 00:19:03,690 versus a plant that is actively 686 00:19:03,690 --> 00:19:05,930 mining the soil through root 687 00:19:05,930 --> 00:19:06,730 exudates. 688 00:19:07,369 --> 00:19:08,430 Let's talk about that a little 689 00:19:08,430 --> 00:19:09,549 bit, passive versus active 690 00:19:09,549 --> 00:19:10,349 plant. 691 00:19:10,230 --> 00:19:12,309 Oh boy, this is a fun one. 692 00:19:12,650 --> 00:19:13,450 So 693 00:19:13,450 --> 00:19:16,720 the concept of passive immunity 694 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,259 versus active immunity is 695 00:19:18,259 --> 00:19:19,559 essentially a 696 00:19:19,900 --> 00:19:21,700 rethinking of 697 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:23,519 the disease triangle. 698 00:19:24,059 --> 00:19:24,859 So 699 00:19:24,650 --> 00:19:26,109 most everyone's familiar with 700 00:19:26,109 --> 00:19:26,909 the disease triangle. 701 00:19:27,029 --> 00:19:28,450 You have the combination of a 702 00:19:28,450 --> 00:19:29,410 susceptible host, 703 00:19:29,829 --> 00:19:31,029 the appropriate environment, and 704 00:19:31,029 --> 00:19:32,069 the presence of a pathogen. 705 00:19:32,970 --> 00:19:33,869 And I 706 00:19:34,180 --> 00:19:35,440 would suggest that we haven't 707 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:37,920 thought deeply enough about what 708 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:39,440 it means to be a susceptible 709 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,480 host and what is an appropriate 710 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:42,279 environment. 711 00:19:42,660 --> 00:19:43,700 The 712 00:19:44,210 --> 00:19:47,230 usual thinking is that 713 00:19:47,230 --> 00:19:50,619 if you have a particular plant, 714 00:19:50,740 --> 00:19:52,420 a crop, let's say you have an 715 00:19:52,420 --> 00:19:53,220 apple tree, 716 00:19:54,369 --> 00:19:57,509 and if you have a scab presence 717 00:19:58,109 --> 00:20:00,009 in the ecosystem, in the 718 00:20:00,009 --> 00:20:00,809 environment, 719 00:20:01,069 --> 00:20:02,529 the simple fact that the apple 720 00:20:02,529 --> 00:20:04,609 tree is an apple tree means that 721 00:20:04,609 --> 00:20:05,409 it is 722 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:06,680 inherently susceptible. 723 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:09,220 That's usually as far as the 724 00:20:09,220 --> 00:20:10,720 thinking goes. Well, we know 725 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:11,859 that that's not true and it's 726 00:20:11,859 --> 00:20:13,059 not just because of genetics. 727 00:20:13,380 --> 00:20:14,680 You can have some resistant 728 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:15,559 varieties, you can have 729 00:20:15,559 --> 00:20:16,680 susceptible varieties, but you 730 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:17,480 also have 731 00:20:17,769 --> 00:20:19,390 susceptible varieties that have 732 00:20:19,390 --> 00:20:20,750 been provided with very good 733 00:20:20,750 --> 00:20:21,690 nutrition that are completely 734 00:20:21,690 --> 00:20:22,490 resistant. 735 00:20:23,450 --> 00:20:24,250 And so 736 00:20:24,759 --> 00:20:25,559 as 737 00:20:25,859 --> 00:20:27,180 we started looking 738 00:20:27,529 --> 00:20:29,069 at what was happening with plant 739 00:20:29,069 --> 00:20:30,509 physiology and how plants were 740 00:20:30,509 --> 00:20:31,309 interacting with their 741 00:20:31,250 --> 00:20:32,049 microbiome, 742 00:20:32,559 --> 00:20:34,160 we observed kind of two 743 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:35,759 different states of immunity. 744 00:20:36,859 --> 00:20:38,640 The one state of the passive 745 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:39,440 immunity 746 00:20:39,819 --> 00:20:42,880 is simply a function of mineral 747 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:43,839 -nutritional balance. 748 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:44,880 This is at the bottom of the 749 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:46,000 plant health pyramid, the first 750 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:46,799 two levels. 751 00:20:47,460 --> 00:20:49,079 And at these first two levels, 752 00:20:49,339 --> 00:20:50,380 these plants become 753 00:20:50,910 --> 00:20:53,410 resistant to soil -borne 754 00:20:53,410 --> 00:20:54,369 diseases and they become 755 00:20:54,369 --> 00:20:56,309 resistant to some groups of 756 00:20:56,309 --> 00:20:57,109 insects 757 00:20:57,049 --> 00:20:59,349 simply as a result of changing 758 00:20:59,349 --> 00:21:01,369 the plant's internal nutritional 759 00:21:01,369 --> 00:21:02,169 state, 760 00:21:02,829 --> 00:21:03,950 changing the carbohydrate 761 00:21:03,950 --> 00:21:05,769 profile, changing the amino acid 762 00:21:05,769 --> 00:21:07,289 profile, changing the peptide 763 00:21:07,289 --> 00:21:09,190 profile. That change of the 764 00:21:09,190 --> 00:21:10,390 plant's internal nutritional 765 00:21:10,750 --> 00:21:12,829 basically to no longer have 766 00:21:12,829 --> 00:21:14,150 excess of electrolytes 767 00:21:14,809 --> 00:21:16,930 removes that plant as a possible 768 00:21:16,930 --> 00:21:17,730 food source. 769 00:21:17,950 --> 00:21:19,369 So the plant isn't actively 770 00:21:19,369 --> 00:21:21,829 trying to kill powdery mildew or 771 00:21:21,829 --> 00:21:23,349 to kill scab or anything at this 772 00:21:23,349 --> 00:21:24,650 point. It's just simply no 773 00:21:24,650 --> 00:21:25,730 longer, it is no longer a 774 00:21:25,730 --> 00:21:27,480 susceptible host because its 775 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:28,819 nutritional profile has changed. 776 00:21:29,420 --> 00:21:30,799 So that is passive immunity. 777 00:21:30,940 --> 00:21:32,319 That's that's level one and 778 00:21:32,319 --> 00:21:33,319 level two of the plant health 779 00:21:33,319 --> 00:21:34,119 pyramid. 780 00:21:34,779 --> 00:21:36,599 But then the second half, level 781 00:21:36,599 --> 00:21:37,660 three, level four of the plant 782 00:21:37,660 --> 00:21:38,819 health pyramid is when the plant 783 00:21:38,819 --> 00:21:40,259 switches to active immunity. 784 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:41,480 And 785 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:42,380 in active immunity, 786 00:21:43,569 --> 00:21:44,650 there's some interesting things 787 00:21:44,650 --> 00:21:45,829 that happen here where plants 788 00:21:46,140 --> 00:21:47,880 now start getting the majority 789 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:48,940 of their nutrition from 790 00:21:49,099 --> 00:21:50,039 microbes. 791 00:21:50,900 --> 00:21:52,940 They're absorbing live microbes 792 00:21:52,940 --> 00:21:54,359 from the soil, moving them into 793 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:55,159 the plant. 794 00:21:55,730 --> 00:21:56,529 And 795 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:57,960 in this process, 796 00:21:58,920 --> 00:21:59,940 these 797 00:22:01,819 --> 00:22:03,700 plants become very energy 798 00:22:03,700 --> 00:22:04,500 efficient. 799 00:22:04,660 --> 00:22:05,980 And the microbes themselves 800 00:22:05,980 --> 00:22:07,799 produce lots of these compounds 801 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,359 that we call phytonutrients. 802 00:22:10,519 --> 00:22:12,160 These are phenolic compounds and 803 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,160 terpenoids and bioflavonoids. 804 00:22:14,259 --> 00:22:15,279 In plain English, we call them 805 00:22:15,279 --> 00:22:16,079 essential oils. 806 00:22:16,849 --> 00:22:19,329 And these are the plant's co 807 00:22:19,329 --> 00:22:20,829 -evolutionary arms race, 808 00:22:21,569 --> 00:22:23,690 where this is their biological 809 00:22:23,690 --> 00:22:25,970 warfare version of how they 810 00:22:25,970 --> 00:22:27,369 can't run away from diseases. 811 00:22:28,289 --> 00:22:29,650 So they develop all these 812 00:22:29,650 --> 00:22:31,210 compounds as plant protectants 813 00:22:31,210 --> 00:22:32,269 to protect themselves from 814 00:22:32,269 --> 00:22:33,529 ultraviolet radiation, from 815 00:22:33,529 --> 00:22:34,789 insect attack and disease 816 00:22:34,789 --> 00:22:36,150 attack, and from overgrazing and 817 00:22:36,150 --> 00:22:36,950 so forth. 818 00:22:37,279 --> 00:22:39,099 And I don't think it's not 819 00:22:39,099 --> 00:22:40,779 commonly realized, we're now 820 00:22:40,779 --> 00:22:41,980 starting to study the human 821 00:22:41,980 --> 00:22:42,980 health impact of these 822 00:22:42,980 --> 00:22:44,099 compounds, but many of these 823 00:22:44,099 --> 00:22:44,899 compounds 824 00:22:45,410 --> 00:22:46,210 have, 825 00:22:47,460 --> 00:22:49,849 they have the capacity to kill 826 00:22:50,190 --> 00:22:50,990 directly. 827 00:22:51,750 --> 00:22:53,369 They are antiviral, 828 00:22:53,789 --> 00:22:55,130 they're antifungal, they're 829 00:22:55,130 --> 00:22:56,069 antibacterial, 830 00:22:56,650 --> 00:22:59,130 and they inhibit the digestive 831 00:22:59,130 --> 00:23:00,569 processes of insects. 832 00:23:01,319 --> 00:23:02,859 So, they're anti -herbivory. 833 00:23:03,450 --> 00:23:05,009 They have the capacity, this is 834 00:23:05,009 --> 00:23:06,490 a the plant shifting from a 835 00:23:06,490 --> 00:23:08,009 passive immunity to an active 836 00:23:08,009 --> 00:23:09,650 immunity state where it is 837 00:23:09,650 --> 00:23:11,430 actively resisting 838 00:23:11,799 --> 00:23:14,400 infection by a whole host, an 839 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:15,579 array of different organisms. 840 00:23:16,390 --> 00:23:17,190 And you know, 841 00:23:17,299 --> 00:23:19,220 some of these compounds or 842 00:23:19,849 --> 00:23:22,369 some of these plant essential 843 00:23:22,369 --> 00:23:24,049 oil combinations are 844 00:23:24,420 --> 00:23:25,579 so potent. 845 00:23:26,660 --> 00:23:27,940 There was a couple of years ago, 846 00:23:27,980 --> 00:23:29,019 a study was published on 847 00:23:29,019 --> 00:23:29,819 cinnamon oil. 848 00:23:30,230 --> 00:23:32,670 for the control or the treatment 849 00:23:32,670 --> 00:23:34,369 of antibiotic resistant Staph 850 00:23:34,369 --> 00:23:36,490 aureus. So we now have Staph in 851 00:23:36,490 --> 00:23:37,730 hospital environments, which is 852 00:23:37,730 --> 00:23:39,150 resistant to multiple types of 853 00:23:39,150 --> 00:23:39,950 antibiotics, 854 00:23:40,369 --> 00:23:41,549 different groups of antibiotics. 855 00:23:42,950 --> 00:23:44,190 They studied cinnamon oil 856 00:23:44,190 --> 00:23:45,329 extensively. They're now using 857 00:23:45,329 --> 00:23:46,630 cinnamon oil as a cleaning agent 858 00:23:46,630 --> 00:23:47,609 in some of these environments. 859 00:23:48,809 --> 00:23:50,329 Cinnamon oil, so each of these 860 00:23:50,329 --> 00:23:52,150 antibiotics has usually one 861 00:23:52,150 --> 00:23:54,390 specific mechanism or mode of 862 00:23:54,390 --> 00:23:55,829 action against Staph. 863 00:23:57,549 --> 00:23:59,089 Cinnamon oil has over 300. 864 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:01,980 Do you think Staph aureus is 865 00:24:01,980 --> 00:24:03,099 ever going to become resistant 866 00:24:03,099 --> 00:24:03,899 to cinnamon oil? 867 00:24:04,630 --> 00:24:05,430 No way. 868 00:24:06,039 --> 00:24:06,920 Highly doubt it. 869 00:24:07,079 --> 00:24:08,140 You know, too many compounds, 870 00:24:08,319 --> 00:24:09,259 too many different mechanisms, 871 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:10,200 too many different modes of 872 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:11,000 action. 873 00:24:11,289 --> 00:24:12,630 Cinnamon oil is just one that 874 00:24:12,630 --> 00:24:14,650 what we do know that it is that 875 00:24:14,650 --> 00:24:15,609 it is very potent, 876 00:24:16,180 --> 00:24:18,000 but it just happens to be much 877 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:18,799 more 878 00:24:18,980 --> 00:24:20,720 studied and much better studied 879 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:21,519 than many of these other 880 00:24:21,420 --> 00:24:22,640 compounds. The reality is 881 00:24:23,140 --> 00:24:25,279 a tomato plant or a corn plant 882 00:24:25,279 --> 00:24:27,140 also produces these exact same 883 00:24:27,140 --> 00:24:27,940 compounds. 884 00:24:28,819 --> 00:24:29,960 Only when they're healthy, 885 00:24:30,039 --> 00:24:30,839 though, correct? 886 00:24:30,599 --> 00:24:31,839 When it has the proper, yeah, 887 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,359 when they have proper nutrient 888 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:34,900 density, there are certain 889 00:24:34,900 --> 00:24:36,099 things that have to be there. 890 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:38,880 No, that's and that's 891 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:39,759 interesting. And that's and 892 00:24:39,759 --> 00:24:41,000 that's really how they mind they 893 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:41,940 mind what they're needing, 894 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,299 right? Those exudates in the 895 00:24:43,299 --> 00:24:44,579 soil are saying, Hey, I need 896 00:24:44,579 --> 00:24:46,740 this. I need this nutritional 897 00:24:46,740 --> 00:24:47,819 piece to my diet, 898 00:24:48,319 --> 00:24:49,519 please provide it to me or 899 00:24:49,519 --> 00:24:50,920 whatever that may look like. 900 00:24:51,319 --> 00:24:52,579 But the reality is then those 901 00:24:52,579 --> 00:24:53,660 plants are up taking that 902 00:24:53,660 --> 00:24:54,460 nutrition, 903 00:24:55,069 --> 00:24:56,670 building very, very healthy, 904 00:24:56,750 --> 00:24:58,450 healthy, healthy, you know, 905 00:24:58,829 --> 00:24:59,990 bio systems, not only in the 906 00:24:59,990 --> 00:25:01,319 soil, soil, but also plant 907 00:25:01,319 --> 00:25:02,519 defenses on the plant 908 00:25:02,829 --> 00:25:03,670 all in one, 909 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:06,500 you know, um, not to mention 910 00:25:06,500 --> 00:25:07,960 increasing bricks levels, things 911 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:08,759 like that. Correct. 912 00:25:09,250 --> 00:25:10,710 I mean, it's the whole gamut. 913 00:25:11,130 --> 00:25:12,750 Well, the bottom line 914 00:25:13,410 --> 00:25:16,130 driver of this whole system 915 00:25:16,990 --> 00:25:18,569 is the plant's photosynthesis 916 00:25:18,569 --> 00:25:19,369 engine. 917 00:25:19,970 --> 00:25:22,309 The plant regulates what happens 918 00:25:22,309 --> 00:25:23,710 with the soil microbiome. 919 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:26,019 The plant vectors its own 920 00:25:26,019 --> 00:25:28,160 microbiome inside the seed and 921 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:29,359 hopefully on the seed if it 922 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:30,200 hasn't been nuked with 923 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:31,519 fungicides and insecticides and 924 00:25:31,519 --> 00:25:32,319 everything else. 925 00:25:33,089 --> 00:25:33,889 And 926 00:25:33,750 --> 00:25:35,430 so 927 00:25:35,839 --> 00:25:36,639 there 928 00:25:39,180 --> 00:25:40,480 are all of these conversations 929 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,319 about how we can regenerate soil 930 00:25:42,319 --> 00:25:44,559 health by adding compost and by 931 00:25:44,559 --> 00:25:45,799 adding different soil amendments 932 00:25:45,799 --> 00:25:47,119 and balancing soil mineral 933 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:48,019 profiles. And 934 00:25:48,430 --> 00:25:49,769 all of those things can be 935 00:25:49,769 --> 00:25:50,569 beneficial. 936 00:25:50,650 --> 00:25:52,569 I'm certainly made many 937 00:25:52,569 --> 00:25:54,089 recommendations for those types 938 00:25:54,089 --> 00:25:55,170 of amendments and those types of 939 00:25:55,170 --> 00:25:56,410 approaches in different contexts 940 00:25:56,410 --> 00:25:57,210 and settings. 941 00:25:58,349 --> 00:25:59,490 But I think what is 942 00:25:59,490 --> 00:26:00,990 underappreciated is 943 00:26:01,299 --> 00:26:03,380 the fastest way to regenerate 944 00:26:03,380 --> 00:26:04,920 soil and the fastest way to 945 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:06,619 regenerate a microbiome is to 946 00:26:06,619 --> 00:26:08,460 have green plants that are 947 00:26:08,460 --> 00:26:09,299 photosynthesizing. 948 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:11,119 When you do the arithmetic, 949 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:14,359 you know, if you go back into 950 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:15,539 the historical agronomic 951 00:26:15,539 --> 00:26:17,539 literature in the 50s and 60s 952 00:26:17,539 --> 00:26:18,599 and even through the 70s, 953 00:26:19,170 --> 00:26:20,609 if you ask the agronomists of 954 00:26:20,609 --> 00:26:22,509 the day the fastest way to build 955 00:26:22,509 --> 00:26:23,349 soil organic matter, 956 00:26:23,940 --> 00:26:25,259 the prevailing answer was the 957 00:26:25,259 --> 00:26:26,140 fastest way to build soil 958 00:26:26,140 --> 00:26:27,240 organic matter is to grow a corn 959 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:28,039 crop. 960 00:26:28,690 --> 00:26:30,670 Today, somehow, we've come to 961 00:26:30,670 --> 00:26:32,230 the expectation that the fastest 962 00:26:32,230 --> 00:26:33,529 way to lose organic matter is to 963 00:26:33,529 --> 00:26:34,329 grow a corn crop. 964 00:26:34,730 --> 00:26:35,769 So what's different? 965 00:26:35,950 --> 00:26:36,750 What's changed? 966 00:26:36,609 --> 00:26:37,409 Well, 967 00:26:37,450 --> 00:26:38,490 one of the significant things 968 00:26:38,490 --> 00:26:39,710 that has changed is the quantity 969 00:26:39,710 --> 00:26:40,849 of nitrogen that we use, but 970 00:26:40,849 --> 00:26:41,910 that's another conversation. 971 00:26:42,710 --> 00:26:43,970 But when you start looking at 972 00:26:43,970 --> 00:26:44,769 the math, 973 00:26:45,210 --> 00:26:47,849 the quantity of sugars 974 00:26:48,809 --> 00:26:51,829 in the roots and root exudates 975 00:26:51,829 --> 00:26:53,170 combined on 976 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:55,670 a healthy corn crop, roughly 977 00:26:55,670 --> 00:26:57,250 double the quantity of sugars 978 00:26:57,250 --> 00:26:58,130 removed in the grain. 979 00:27:00,740 --> 00:27:01,599 And you 980 00:27:01,980 --> 00:27:03,220 look at that and you say, 981 00:27:03,859 --> 00:27:04,659 my goodness, 982 00:27:04,940 --> 00:27:05,740 we're removing, 983 00:27:06,900 --> 00:27:07,759 I don't know, I'm making up 984 00:27:07,759 --> 00:27:09,039 numbers here. We're removing 5 985 00:27:09,039 --> 00:27:11,500 ,000 pounds of sugars per acre 986 00:27:11,500 --> 00:27:12,299 on 987 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:14,339 a grain crop. That means we've 988 00:27:14,339 --> 00:27:17,000 got 10 ,000 pounds of sugars at 989 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:17,799 the soil profile. 990 00:27:18,079 --> 00:27:18,900 Now, again, the caveat, 991 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:20,660 the qualifier here is that this 992 00:27:20,660 --> 00:27:21,579 is a healthy crop. 993 00:27:23,289 --> 00:27:25,130 Not all crops and most crops 994 00:27:25,130 --> 00:27:26,309 today don't do this because 995 00:27:26,309 --> 00:27:27,369 they're not photosynthesizing 996 00:27:27,369 --> 00:27:28,169 well enough. 997 00:27:28,369 --> 00:27:29,289 But you look at that and you 998 00:27:29,289 --> 00:27:30,549 say, well, my goodness, you 999 00:27:30,549 --> 00:27:32,210 cannot economically afford to 1000 00:27:32,210 --> 00:27:34,529 put on enough compost or carbon 1001 00:27:34,529 --> 00:27:36,710 in any form to match with that. 1002 00:27:37,140 --> 00:27:37,940 You can't. 1003 00:27:38,730 --> 00:27:39,529 The best, 1004 00:27:39,589 --> 00:27:41,509 the most economical way to 1005 00:27:41,509 --> 00:27:43,250 regenerate soil is to regenerate 1006 00:27:43,250 --> 00:27:45,069 soil while we are growing a crop 1007 00:27:45,069 --> 00:27:46,490 or by growing cover crops. 1008 00:27:46,589 --> 00:27:47,389 That is how 1009 00:27:47,630 --> 00:27:49,130 You build carbon and build 1010 00:27:49,130 --> 00:27:50,789 sugars into the soil in the most 1011 00:27:50,789 --> 00:27:52,809 efficient and most effective and 1012 00:27:52,809 --> 00:27:54,150 inexpensive way possible. 1013 00:27:54,430 --> 00:27:56,589 Yes. You know, just a quick 1014 00:27:56,589 --> 00:27:58,549 sidebar, but I know there have 1015 00:27:58,549 --> 00:28:00,609 been several growers who we've 1016 00:28:00,609 --> 00:28:01,690 worked with over the years who 1017 00:28:01,690 --> 00:28:02,650 I've learned from. 1018 00:28:04,180 --> 00:28:06,869 They say that, and this is one 1019 00:28:06,869 --> 00:28:08,630 end of the spectrum was Chef's 1020 00:28:08,630 --> 00:28:09,829 Garden in Sandusky, Ohio. 1021 00:28:09,950 --> 00:28:10,970 On the other end of the spectrum 1022 00:28:10,970 --> 00:28:12,490 is Brian 1023 00:28:13,250 --> 00:28:14,089 McGuire from 1024 00:28:14,460 --> 00:28:16,599 Nebraska, who's a mainstream 1025 00:28:16,599 --> 00:28:17,399 crop farmer. 1026 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,859 and very, very challenged 1027 00:28:20,859 --> 00:28:22,099 economics of corn and soybean 1028 00:28:22,099 --> 00:28:22,899 production. 1029 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:24,480 They both have come to the same 1030 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:25,279 conclusion. 1031 00:28:25,650 --> 00:28:27,069 The conclusion is that you 1032 00:28:27,420 --> 00:28:29,460 must treat your cover crops like 1033 00:28:29,460 --> 00:28:30,319 a cash crop. 1034 00:28:30,859 --> 00:28:32,579 They fertilize their cover crops 1035 00:28:32,579 --> 00:28:34,819 and they foliar feed their cover 1036 00:28:34,819 --> 00:28:35,619 crops. 1037 00:28:35,799 --> 00:28:36,660 Because if 1038 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,809 they have figured out that if 1039 00:28:39,809 --> 00:28:40,609 they put, 1040 00:28:41,259 --> 00:28:42,059 I 1041 00:28:42,670 --> 00:28:43,549 don't know, I'm making up 1042 00:28:43,549 --> 00:28:44,569 numbers here, but if they put 1043 00:28:44,569 --> 00:28:46,910 $10 worth of nutrients and 1044 00:28:46,910 --> 00:28:48,130 foliar applications into that 1045 00:28:48,130 --> 00:28:48,930 cover crop, 1046 00:28:49,220 --> 00:28:51,799 that will be reduced 10 times to 1047 00:28:51,799 --> 00:28:55,299 20 times to 50 times over in the 1048 00:28:55,299 --> 00:28:57,400 nutrients that are contained in 1049 00:28:57,400 --> 00:28:59,059 that cover crop biomass and in 1050 00:28:59,059 --> 00:29:00,099 the root exudates for the 1051 00:29:00,099 --> 00:29:00,899 following crop. 1052 00:29:01,539 --> 00:29:03,940 So their cover crops are an 1053 00:29:03,940 --> 00:29:06,190 accelerator where they can put 1054 00:29:06,190 --> 00:29:08,630 on 10 pounds of nitrogen on a 1055 00:29:08,630 --> 00:29:10,150 cover crop and have that cover 1056 00:29:10,150 --> 00:29:11,450 crop contain 60 pounds of 1057 00:29:11,450 --> 00:29:12,730 nitrogen because they've 1058 00:29:12,730 --> 00:29:13,990 accelerated its growth 1059 00:29:14,359 --> 00:29:15,740 And it's vegetative biomass to 1060 00:29:15,740 --> 00:29:16,539 such a degree. 1061 00:29:17,109 --> 00:29:18,529 And they've both figured out, 1062 00:29:18,849 --> 00:29:20,069 and there's many other farmers 1063 00:29:20,069 --> 00:29:20,869 that have figured this out as 1064 00:29:20,869 --> 00:29:21,669 well, is that 1065 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:24,799 fertilizing cover crops is the 1066 00:29:24,799 --> 00:29:26,599 least expensive way of adding 1067 00:29:26,599 --> 00:29:27,799 fertilizer into the ecosystem 1068 00:29:27,799 --> 00:29:28,740 because you get this 1069 00:29:28,740 --> 00:29:30,039 disproportionately larger 1070 00:29:30,039 --> 00:29:31,700 response in available nutrients 1071 00:29:31,700 --> 00:29:32,559 for the following crop. 1072 00:29:33,289 --> 00:29:34,089 Absolutely. 1073 00:29:34,569 --> 00:29:35,769 Absolutely. And I think that's 1074 00:29:35,769 --> 00:29:36,670 great that you say that. 1075 00:29:36,809 --> 00:29:37,769 And that's it. And that's what's 1076 00:29:37,769 --> 00:29:39,190 exciting about it is if you can 1077 00:29:39,190 --> 00:29:39,990 grow 1078 00:29:40,740 --> 00:29:43,799 a crop there, right, a cover 1079 00:29:43,799 --> 00:29:45,420 crop, whatever that may be. 1080 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:46,819 And at the end of the day, 1081 00:29:47,420 --> 00:29:48,519 You're fixing, like you said, 1082 00:29:48,579 --> 00:29:51,339 you got $10 of fertilizer costs, 1083 00:29:52,180 --> 00:29:54,400 and you're putting 60 or 50 in 1084 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:55,220 your pocket because it's 1085 00:29:55,220 --> 00:29:56,019 costing, you know, you're 1086 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:56,920 getting 60 out of it. 1087 00:29:57,059 --> 00:29:58,079 I mean, think about it. 1088 00:29:59,119 --> 00:30:00,819 At the end of the day, price 1089 00:30:00,819 --> 00:30:02,960 -wise, not only that poundage of 1090 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:04,359 nitrogen being put into the 1091 00:30:04,359 --> 00:30:05,579 system, all of those things. 1092 00:30:06,319 --> 00:30:07,480 Out where we're at, a lot of 1093 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:08,579 people have a hard time growing 1094 00:30:08,579 --> 00:30:09,839 cover crops, John, and I'm going 1095 00:30:09,839 --> 00:30:10,799 to be honest with you. 1096 00:30:11,329 --> 00:30:12,129 Okay. 1097 00:30:12,210 --> 00:30:13,009 Yeah. I get it. 1098 00:30:12,930 --> 00:30:14,630 Yeah. You know, and so we run 1099 00:30:14,630 --> 00:30:16,089 into a lot of furrow irrigation, 1100 00:30:16,089 --> 00:30:17,730 things like that, you know, I 1101 00:30:17,730 --> 00:30:18,829 mean, we're really, we're in a 1102 00:30:18,829 --> 00:30:19,629 high desert, 1103 00:30:19,869 --> 00:30:20,669 let's be honest. 1104 00:30:20,569 --> 00:30:21,670 Right. But you're using furrow 1105 00:30:21,670 --> 00:30:22,849 irrigation. How much sense does 1106 00:30:22,849 --> 00:30:24,069 that make? It's hard. 1107 00:30:24,269 --> 00:30:25,329 I know. And that's the way the 1108 00:30:25,329 --> 00:30:26,769 system's designed at this point. 1109 00:30:27,250 --> 00:30:28,470 That's the hardest part, right? 1110 00:30:28,529 --> 00:30:30,250 It's, it's, it's fed out of the, 1111 00:30:30,250 --> 00:30:31,849 uh, the Gunnison tunnel and a 1112 00:30:31,849 --> 00:30:33,109 few other ways, a few other 1113 00:30:33,109 --> 00:30:33,950 water tributaries. 1114 00:30:33,950 --> 00:30:34,890 And I agree with you. 1115 00:30:35,589 --> 00:30:36,710 It's, it's really tough. 1116 00:30:36,849 --> 00:30:38,430 So at the end of the day, 1117 00:30:38,849 --> 00:30:40,309 If the guys that we're seeing 1118 00:30:40,309 --> 00:30:41,849 that are actually planting cover 1119 00:30:41,849 --> 00:30:43,109 crops on their soils, 1120 00:30:43,750 --> 00:30:44,690 the regeneration 1121 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,140 happens at a much rapid pace, 1122 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:49,079 much more rapid pace at the end 1123 00:30:49,079 --> 00:30:49,879 of the day, 1124 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:50,759 you know, 1125 00:30:50,799 --> 00:30:52,000 and helps you deal with 1126 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:53,299 irrigation water quality issues 1127 00:30:53,299 --> 00:30:54,180 as well. I don't know if that's 1128 00:30:54,180 --> 00:30:54,980 an issue for you. 1129 00:30:54,819 --> 00:30:56,279 But if it is, yeah, help with 1130 00:30:56,279 --> 00:30:57,079 that. 1131 00:30:56,940 --> 00:30:57,880 Well, that and then not only 1132 00:30:57,880 --> 00:30:58,900 that, but the guy that can take 1133 00:30:58,900 --> 00:31:00,720 in more photosynthesis on their 1134 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:01,900 fields are the guy that's gonna 1135 00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:02,700 win, right? 1136 00:31:02,799 --> 00:31:04,119 That's the farmer, that's the 1137 00:31:04,119 --> 00:31:05,880 producer that who can capture 1138 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:07,519 more light energy over an acre 1139 00:31:07,519 --> 00:31:08,319 of ground. 1140 00:31:09,049 --> 00:31:10,130 is going to be the guy that 1141 00:31:10,130 --> 00:31:12,329 grows more, more production, 1142 00:31:13,599 --> 00:31:15,380 healthier crops, all of those 1143 00:31:15,380 --> 00:31:16,180 things. 1144 00:31:16,259 --> 00:31:17,059 Would you agree? 1145 00:31:17,619 --> 00:31:18,419 Well, 1146 00:31:18,319 --> 00:31:19,220 yes, I would agree. 1147 00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:20,779 That's very true in the long 1148 00:31:20,779 --> 00:31:22,619 term. And we need to figure out, 1149 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:24,259 I shouldn't say we need to 1150 00:31:24,259 --> 00:31:25,400 figure it out because we've 1151 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:26,259 already, many people have 1152 00:31:26,259 --> 00:31:27,059 already figured it out. 1153 00:31:27,039 --> 00:31:29,460 But we need to describe how that 1154 00:31:29,460 --> 00:31:30,720 is possible, not just in the 1155 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:31,759 long term, but also in the short 1156 00:31:31,759 --> 00:31:33,220 term. I mean, there's been far 1157 00:31:33,220 --> 00:31:34,720 too many conversations as far as 1158 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:35,519 I'm concerned, 1159 00:31:35,839 --> 00:31:37,720 about this regenerative model of 1160 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:38,920 agriculture being, oh, we'll 1161 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:40,000 grow cover crops and we'll 1162 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,220 rebuild soil health and we'll 1163 00:31:41,220 --> 00:31:42,740 get better crop results in five 1164 00:31:42,740 --> 00:31:43,539 years. 1165 00:31:43,740 --> 00:31:44,539 Well, 1166 00:31:44,549 --> 00:31:46,670 that doesn't work economically, 1167 00:31:47,390 --> 00:31:48,930 particularly not in the current 1168 00:31:48,930 --> 00:31:50,089 macroeconomic environment. 1169 00:31:51,109 --> 00:31:53,750 And so what needs to happen 1170 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:55,279 is, 1171 00:31:56,119 --> 00:31:57,140 and this is something we've 1172 00:31:57,140 --> 00:31:59,059 obsessed over for the last two 1173 00:31:59,059 --> 00:32:00,940 decades, is what are the 1174 00:32:00,940 --> 00:32:03,200 agronomic recommendations that 1175 00:32:03,509 --> 00:32:05,190 can start guiding us in a 1176 00:32:05,190 --> 00:32:06,690 different direction, a state of 1177 00:32:06,690 --> 00:32:07,549 less dependency, 1178 00:32:08,349 --> 00:32:09,849 and that produce and deliver 1179 00:32:09,849 --> 00:32:11,690 immediate economic crop 1180 00:32:11,690 --> 00:32:13,430 response, immediate as in 1181 00:32:13,430 --> 00:32:15,480 current year, or in the case of 1182 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:16,819 cover crops, subsequent season, 1183 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:17,799 subsequent year, 1184 00:32:18,940 --> 00:32:19,900 there has to be an immediate 1185 00:32:19,900 --> 00:32:20,700 ROI. 1186 00:32:20,859 --> 00:32:22,059 And if it doesn't deliver an 1187 00:32:22,059 --> 00:32:23,500 immediate ROI in the current 1188 00:32:23,500 --> 00:32:25,079 marketplace, you can't expect 1189 00:32:25,079 --> 00:32:26,180 people to adopt it. 1190 00:32:27,369 --> 00:32:28,169 That's right. 1191 00:32:29,420 --> 00:32:30,299 They can't lose money. 1192 00:32:31,980 --> 00:32:33,119 And there's only, you know, I 1193 00:32:33,119 --> 00:32:34,259 mean, these farms, they can't. 1194 00:32:34,359 --> 00:32:35,339 And that's the thing is they 1195 00:32:35,339 --> 00:32:36,619 have loans, they have, you know, 1196 00:32:36,700 --> 00:32:37,500 payments to make, 1197 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:39,160 you know, you do run into a few 1198 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:40,660 of those ranches a few of those 1199 00:32:40,660 --> 00:32:41,759 farms that at the end of the 1200 00:32:41,759 --> 00:32:42,880 day, if you look at it, 1201 00:32:43,259 --> 00:32:44,420 they might have other sources of 1202 00:32:44,420 --> 00:32:45,740 income that they want to do this 1203 00:32:45,740 --> 00:32:46,680 to their land, correct? 1204 00:32:47,529 --> 00:32:49,130 But you can't have that lag. 1205 00:32:49,289 --> 00:32:50,890 You have to be able to show a 1206 00:32:50,890 --> 00:32:51,769 return on investment 1207 00:32:51,769 --> 00:32:52,569 immediately. 1208 00:32:52,630 --> 00:32:54,750 Yeah. The pieces that I 1209 00:32:55,289 --> 00:32:56,089 would say 1210 00:32:57,890 --> 00:32:59,410 depends a little bit on how you 1211 00:32:59,410 --> 00:33:00,829 define immediately, but our 1212 00:33:00,829 --> 00:33:02,789 experience has been that the 1213 00:33:02,789 --> 00:33:04,710 single greatest ROI 1214 00:33:05,309 --> 00:33:08,049 and most immediate ROI 1215 00:33:08,529 --> 00:33:09,329 is 1216 00:33:09,349 --> 00:33:10,470 seed treatments, 1217 00:33:10,910 --> 00:33:11,990 microbial inoculant seed 1218 00:33:11,990 --> 00:33:12,789 treatments. 1219 00:33:13,460 --> 00:33:15,000 We have a product called BioCoat 1220 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,279 Gold that costs $4 an acre to 1221 00:33:17,279 --> 00:33:18,440 apply on corn and soybeans. 1222 00:33:19,539 --> 00:33:20,339 And the 1223 00:33:20,900 --> 00:33:22,960 ROI, as you can imagine, the ROI 1224 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:24,500 threshold there is very small. 1225 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:25,880 And the crop that 1226 00:33:26,190 --> 00:33:27,970 response that it produces 1227 00:33:28,529 --> 00:33:29,450 What is interesting about 1228 00:33:29,450 --> 00:33:31,430 biococcal is its consistency of 1229 00:33:31,430 --> 00:33:34,150 response, that it produces a 1230 00:33:34,150 --> 00:33:35,890 yield response the majority of 1231 00:33:35,890 --> 00:33:36,690 the time. 1232 00:33:36,789 --> 00:33:38,470 There's lots of microbinoculants 1233 00:33:38,470 --> 00:33:40,029 that produce tremendous 1234 00:33:40,029 --> 00:33:41,369 responses some of the time, 1235 00:33:42,269 --> 00:33:43,670 but what we really need is 1236 00:33:43,670 --> 00:33:45,309 product performance consistency. 1237 00:33:46,049 --> 00:33:47,690 So the applications that we 1238 00:33:47,690 --> 00:33:49,380 found to be consistent 1239 00:33:49,380 --> 00:33:50,779 performers are seed treatments, 1240 00:33:51,410 --> 00:33:52,450 well -designed foliar 1241 00:33:52,450 --> 00:33:53,250 applications, 1242 00:33:53,750 --> 00:33:55,049 And then in some settings, in 1243 00:33:55,049 --> 00:33:56,410 some contexts, treating your 1244 00:33:56,410 --> 00:33:59,029 cover crop as a cash crop for 1245 00:33:59,029 --> 00:34:00,710 the following crop also carries 1246 00:34:00,710 --> 00:34:01,609 a substantial ROI. 1247 00:34:02,140 --> 00:34:03,279 Isn't that how nature works? 1248 00:34:04,049 --> 00:34:05,789 I ask the question sometimes 1249 00:34:05,789 --> 00:34:07,029 because I want to really 1250 00:34:07,029 --> 00:34:08,250 understand things from a first 1251 00:34:08,250 --> 00:34:09,170 principles perspective. 1252 00:34:09,210 --> 00:34:10,949 And I ask the question, how did 1253 00:34:10,949 --> 00:34:12,269 we get to this place in 1254 00:34:12,269 --> 00:34:13,869 agriculture? How did we arrive 1255 00:34:13,869 --> 00:34:14,670 here? 1256 00:34:14,690 --> 00:34:16,510 And because a lot of this 1257 00:34:16,510 --> 00:34:18,170 knowledge of how to do things 1258 00:34:18,170 --> 00:34:20,230 differently was prevailing 1259 00:34:20,969 --> 00:34:22,409 knowledge and it was there were 1260 00:34:22,409 --> 00:34:24,409 many pioneers and voices in the 1261 00:34:24,409 --> 00:34:26,110 40s and 50s and 60s who said, 1262 00:34:26,210 --> 00:34:27,190 hey, we need to go down a 1263 00:34:27,190 --> 00:34:27,990 different pathway. 1264 00:34:28,449 --> 00:34:29,889 But we ended up not going down a 1265 00:34:29,889 --> 00:34:30,869 different pathway than the one 1266 00:34:30,869 --> 00:34:31,670 we've gone down. 1267 00:34:31,610 --> 00:34:32,869 And then I tried to wanted to 1268 00:34:32,869 --> 00:34:33,670 understand why. 1269 00:34:34,570 --> 00:34:35,510 And I'm 1270 00:34:36,039 --> 00:34:36,840 of the persuasion 1271 00:34:37,590 --> 00:34:40,469 that the foundational reason why 1272 00:34:40,469 --> 00:34:41,730 we've gone down this pathway 1273 00:34:41,730 --> 00:34:43,510 that we have in agriculture is 1274 00:34:43,789 --> 00:34:44,789 because of our intellectual 1275 00:34:44,789 --> 00:34:46,170 property protection framework. 1276 00:34:47,260 --> 00:34:49,440 You can patent a pesticide that 1277 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:50,940 has a specific mechanism or mode 1278 00:34:50,940 --> 00:34:51,740 of action. 1279 00:34:51,940 --> 00:34:53,460 You can patent a GMO. 1280 00:34:53,739 --> 00:34:54,539 You can patent 1281 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:56,440 all types of different 1282 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:57,260 intellectual property. 1283 00:34:57,300 --> 00:34:59,159 You can patent one particular 1284 00:34:59,159 --> 00:35:01,260 bug, one particular microbe to 1285 00:35:01,260 --> 00:35:02,659 treat one particular disease. 1286 00:35:03,269 --> 00:35:04,409 You know what you can't patent? 1287 00:35:04,809 --> 00:35:06,230 You cannot patent or you cannot 1288 00:35:06,230 --> 00:35:07,489 protect the intellectual 1289 00:35:07,489 --> 00:35:09,289 property of having a consortium 1290 00:35:09,289 --> 00:35:10,909 of 20 or 30 different microbes 1291 00:35:10,909 --> 00:35:13,050 that in concert with each other 1292 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:14,760 produce an interesting effect. 1293 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:17,079 And yet that's how natural 1294 00:35:17,079 --> 00:35:18,719 ecosystems actually work. 1295 00:35:19,769 --> 00:35:20,570 And so we 1296 00:35:20,909 --> 00:35:24,039 have all of these various 1297 00:35:24,039 --> 00:35:25,380 products that are, 1298 00:35:26,630 --> 00:35:28,409 there are developed specific 1299 00:35:28,409 --> 00:35:30,329 mechanisms, specific modes of 1300 00:35:30,329 --> 00:35:31,969 action or specific microbes for 1301 00:35:31,969 --> 00:35:32,929 specific problems. 1302 00:35:33,670 --> 00:35:35,510 But what we should be doing is 1303 00:35:35,510 --> 00:35:36,630 we should be using broad 1304 00:35:36,630 --> 00:35:38,070 spectrums. We should be using 1305 00:35:38,070 --> 00:35:39,710 consortiums and groups of 1306 00:35:39,710 --> 00:35:40,869 microbes because that is how 1307 00:35:40,869 --> 00:35:41,989 natural ecosystems actually 1308 00:35:41,989 --> 00:35:42,789 work. 1309 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:44,940 And I'm of the persuasion that 1310 00:35:44,940 --> 00:35:46,460 if there were an intellectual 1311 00:35:46,460 --> 00:35:47,940 property protection framework to 1312 00:35:47,940 --> 00:35:49,619 protect that, we would be much, 1313 00:35:49,780 --> 00:35:50,920 we would have gone down a much 1314 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:51,720 further, 1315 00:35:51,739 --> 00:35:52,739 we would have gone down a very 1316 00:35:52,739 --> 00:35:54,739 different pathway 60 years ago. 1317 00:35:54,860 --> 00:35:55,980 We wouldn't have, if there were 1318 00:35:55,980 --> 00:35:58,179 a, if there were a pathway for 1319 00:35:58,460 --> 00:35:59,260 protecting 1320 00:36:00,260 --> 00:36:02,420 crop genetic improvements other 1321 00:36:02,420 --> 00:36:04,219 than GMOs, we probably wouldn't 1322 00:36:04,219 --> 00:36:05,920 have GMOs. So how do microbes 1323 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:07,199 act as the engine that pushes 1324 00:36:07,199 --> 00:36:08,500 the plant up these levels? 1325 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:10,300 We're talking back again about 1326 00:36:10,300 --> 00:36:11,260 your plant health pyramid. 1327 00:36:11,639 --> 00:36:12,960 Well, I'm trying to think of how 1328 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:14,320 to compress this long 1329 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:15,739 conversation down into a few 1330 00:36:15,739 --> 00:36:16,539 minutes. 1331 00:36:16,659 --> 00:36:18,840 The simple framework is that 1332 00:36:19,690 --> 00:36:21,670 we have been taught in 1333 00:36:21,670 --> 00:36:23,590 mainstream agronomy for the last 1334 00:36:23,590 --> 00:36:24,390 half 1335 00:36:24,739 --> 00:36:26,320 century or longer that 1336 00:36:26,849 --> 00:36:28,389 plants primarily absorb 1337 00:36:28,389 --> 00:36:30,659 nutrients as soluble ions from 1338 00:36:30,659 --> 00:36:32,119 the soil solution, where we have 1339 00:36:32,119 --> 00:36:33,840 calcium ions and magnesium and 1340 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:35,059 sodium and nitrogen ions in the 1341 00:36:35,059 --> 00:36:36,219 soil solution and plants absorb 1342 00:36:36,219 --> 00:36:37,019 those. 1343 00:36:38,010 --> 00:36:38,849 And we're 1344 00:36:39,380 --> 00:36:40,920 now coming to understand that, 1345 00:36:41,059 --> 00:36:41,900 well, first of all, that is 1346 00:36:41,900 --> 00:36:42,860 true. Plants do have the 1347 00:36:42,860 --> 00:36:43,860 capacity to do that. 1348 00:36:44,460 --> 00:36:45,420 After all, that's how 1349 00:36:45,420 --> 00:36:46,239 hydroponics works. 1350 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:49,400 And if we depend on that model 1351 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:50,480 of plant nutrition, 1352 00:36:51,019 --> 00:36:52,500 that hydroponic model for 1353 00:36:53,449 --> 00:36:54,969 our agricultural nutrient 1354 00:36:54,969 --> 00:36:55,949 delivery, then 1355 00:36:56,769 --> 00:36:58,190 How much sense does that make, 1356 00:36:58,309 --> 00:36:59,130 particularly in the environment 1357 00:36:59,130 --> 00:37:00,230 that you're in, Brandon, in a 1358 00:37:00,230 --> 00:37:01,030 dryland environment? 1359 00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:03,010 Why would you rely on a 1360 00:37:03,010 --> 00:37:04,690 fundamentally hydroponic model 1361 00:37:04,940 --> 00:37:06,280 for a dryland environment 1362 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:08,360 agriculture? It makes no sense, 1363 00:37:08,380 --> 00:37:09,380 because what 1364 00:37:09,690 --> 00:37:12,039 happens when you either A, have 1365 00:37:12,039 --> 00:37:13,820 too much water, or B, you have 1366 00:37:13,820 --> 00:37:14,620 too little water? 1367 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:16,639 Your water -soluble nutrients 1368 00:37:16,639 --> 00:37:18,199 are either diluted or 1369 00:37:18,539 --> 00:37:19,340 unavailable. 1370 00:37:20,730 --> 00:37:21,530 And 1371 00:37:22,489 --> 00:37:23,989 over the last, 1372 00:37:25,219 --> 00:37:26,800 this has been knowledge that 1373 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:28,380 actually has been around a long 1374 00:37:28,380 --> 00:37:29,639 time. There were pioneers who 1375 00:37:29,639 --> 00:37:30,800 pointed in this direction. 1376 00:37:31,389 --> 00:37:32,809 But the knowledge has really 1377 00:37:32,809 --> 00:37:34,030 accelerated in the last 20 1378 00:37:34,030 --> 00:37:35,010 years, the realization that 1379 00:37:35,010 --> 00:37:36,889 there is another model of plant 1380 00:37:37,079 --> 00:37:38,219 nutrient absorption. 1381 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,800 And this model is based on 1382 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,039 plants absorbing nutrition 1383 00:37:43,039 --> 00:37:44,679 through biology, where we 1384 00:37:44,679 --> 00:37:45,619 understand that 1385 00:37:46,349 --> 00:37:49,010 this is going to be a rather 1386 00:37:49,010 --> 00:37:50,230 crude oversimplification. 1387 00:37:50,449 --> 00:37:51,769 But for the interest of time, 1388 00:37:51,829 --> 00:37:53,010 I'll just oversimplify it to 1389 00:37:53,010 --> 00:37:54,769 say, I'll frame it in terms of 1390 00:37:54,769 --> 00:37:55,570 bacteria. 1391 00:37:58,190 --> 00:37:59,090 Yeah, but 1392 00:37:59,590 --> 00:38:01,699 I'll frame it in terms of 1393 00:38:01,699 --> 00:38:02,500 bacteria 1394 00:38:02,860 --> 00:38:03,699 are 1395 00:38:04,449 --> 00:38:05,570 bags of nutrients. 1396 00:38:06,090 --> 00:38:07,329 Bacteria are nutrient 1397 00:38:07,329 --> 00:38:08,869 transporters. They are nutrient 1398 00:38:08,869 --> 00:38:09,670 truckers. 1399 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:12,150 Bacteria are in the soil. 1400 00:38:12,369 --> 00:38:13,690 They extract minerals from the 1401 00:38:13,690 --> 00:38:14,530 soil mineral matrix. 1402 00:38:14,670 --> 00:38:15,769 They incorporate them into their 1403 00:38:15,769 --> 00:38:17,650 own cells. Then they migrate 1404 00:38:17,989 --> 00:38:21,090 into the mycorrhizal fungi and 1405 00:38:21,090 --> 00:38:22,929 mycelial network or directly 1406 00:38:22,929 --> 00:38:23,750 into plant roots. 1407 00:38:23,849 --> 00:38:24,929 They have the capacity to do 1408 00:38:24,929 --> 00:38:27,800 both. and they move rapidly 1409 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:30,039 through the mycorrhizal fungi 1410 00:38:30,039 --> 00:38:31,920 and mycelial network into the 1411 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:33,619 root system and then they move 1412 00:38:33,780 --> 00:38:35,769 up through the plant to wherever 1413 00:38:35,769 --> 00:38:36,769 the plant needs them. 1414 00:38:36,909 --> 00:38:38,590 They unload nutrients and they 1415 00:38:38,590 --> 00:38:39,969 can go back into the soil and do 1416 00:38:39,969 --> 00:38:41,489 the exact same thing over again. 1417 00:38:41,690 --> 00:38:43,010 They're like a dump truck that's 1418 00:38:43,010 --> 00:38:44,329 moving nutrients back and forth. 1419 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:46,639 Bacteria have the capacity to do 1420 00:38:46,639 --> 00:38:47,940 that. There is this very 1421 00:38:47,940 --> 00:38:49,039 different model of plant 1422 00:38:49,039 --> 00:38:49,840 nutrition. 1423 00:38:50,690 --> 00:38:52,429 based on the pioneering work of 1424 00:38:52,429 --> 00:38:53,409 Dr. James White and his 1425 00:38:53,409 --> 00:38:54,250 colleagues that they call the 1426 00:38:54,250 --> 00:38:55,150 Rhizophagy Cycle. 1427 00:38:56,219 --> 00:38:58,239 And there's been some other 1428 00:38:58,239 --> 00:38:59,539 interesting complementary work 1429 00:38:59,539 --> 00:39:00,340 to this as well. 1430 00:39:00,539 --> 00:39:01,900 But the short version is that 1431 00:39:02,219 --> 00:39:04,980 this model of biological 1432 00:39:04,980 --> 00:39:06,679 delivery of plant nutrients, 1433 00:39:07,059 --> 00:39:09,000 we are coming to understand can 1434 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,219 also deliver the large majority 1435 00:39:11,219 --> 00:39:12,599 of crop nutrients, 1436 00:39:13,269 --> 00:39:15,309 even in high yielding 1437 00:39:15,309 --> 00:39:16,829 agricultural environments. 1438 00:39:17,619 --> 00:39:18,639 So this model, 1439 00:39:19,579 --> 00:39:20,500 This model already, 1440 00:39:20,940 --> 00:39:21,740 like if you have an 1441 00:39:21,659 --> 00:39:23,360 undomesticated ecosystem, if you 1442 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:24,960 have wild forest soil, 1443 00:39:27,119 --> 00:39:29,519 the concentrations of soluble 1444 00:39:29,519 --> 00:39:32,019 nutrient ions in that type of 1445 00:39:32,019 --> 00:39:33,900 environment are very, very low. 1446 00:39:34,119 --> 00:39:35,579 Your levels of nitrates and 1447 00:39:35,579 --> 00:39:37,000 soluble potassium and 1448 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:38,079 phosphorous and so forth are 1449 00:39:38,079 --> 00:39:39,480 going to be very, very low. 1450 00:39:40,219 --> 00:39:42,420 So this process, this rhizophagy 1451 00:39:42,420 --> 00:39:43,400 cycle in 1452 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:45,179 that environment, in that 1453 00:39:45,179 --> 00:39:47,320 ecosystem delivers upwards of 90 1454 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:48,599 % of a plant's nutrient 1455 00:39:48,789 --> 00:39:50,329 requirements. 1456 00:39:51,579 --> 00:39:53,179 And one of the first questions 1457 00:39:53,179 --> 00:39:54,099 that I asked Dr. 1458 00:39:54,179 --> 00:39:55,099 White when I was discovering 1459 00:39:55,099 --> 00:39:56,139 this process was, well, 1460 00:39:56,679 --> 00:39:58,400 how does this transfer into an 1461 00:39:58,400 --> 00:39:59,300 agricultural environment? 1462 00:39:59,380 --> 00:40:00,659 And to what degree can we 1463 00:40:00,659 --> 00:40:02,239 deliver a crop's nutritional 1464 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:03,800 requirements with this response? 1465 00:40:04,530 --> 00:40:05,690 At the time I asked that 1466 00:40:05,690 --> 00:40:06,889 question half a dozen years ago, 1467 00:40:06,909 --> 00:40:07,750 we didn't know the answer. 1468 00:40:07,849 --> 00:40:08,650 But now, 1469 00:40:09,050 --> 00:40:10,530 based on a lot of field 1470 00:40:10,530 --> 00:40:11,750 experience, it's obviously, it's 1471 00:40:11,750 --> 00:40:12,889 difficult to measure this and 1472 00:40:12,889 --> 00:40:13,769 prove this definitively. 1473 00:40:13,829 --> 00:40:15,309 But you can look at the absence 1474 00:40:15,309 --> 00:40:17,030 of free soil ions in the soil 1475 00:40:17,030 --> 00:40:17,830 solution. 1476 00:40:18,030 --> 00:40:19,489 And you can look at the quantity 1477 00:40:19,489 --> 00:40:20,829 of nutrients are being removed 1478 00:40:20,829 --> 00:40:21,630 by the crop, 1479 00:40:22,099 --> 00:40:24,000 and you can do some basic 1480 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:25,340 arithmetic, 1481 00:40:25,820 --> 00:40:28,420 and it's becoming apparent that 1482 00:40:28,820 --> 00:40:30,320 we can deliver the great 1483 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:32,260 majority of high -yielding 1484 00:40:32,260 --> 00:40:33,440 crop's nutritional requirements 1485 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:35,679 through this microbial feeding 1486 00:40:35,679 --> 00:40:36,480 process. 1487 00:40:37,679 --> 00:40:39,000 And when that happens, 1488 00:40:40,159 --> 00:40:42,880 these plants become very robust. 1489 00:40:43,059 --> 00:40:44,480 They have very robust immune 1490 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:45,519 systems because 1491 00:40:46,260 --> 00:40:47,940 I find this intriguing, you 1492 00:40:47,940 --> 00:40:48,760 know, when you start really 1493 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:49,560 studying 1494 00:40:49,679 --> 00:40:52,139 the plant and the plant 1495 00:40:52,139 --> 00:40:54,159 microbiome after a while, it 1496 00:40:54,159 --> 00:40:56,239 becomes difficult to tell where 1497 00:40:56,679 --> 00:40:57,980 the plant ends and the 1498 00:40:57,980 --> 00:40:59,039 microbiome begins. 1499 00:41:00,139 --> 00:41:02,280 We have all of these different 1500 00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:03,760 compounds, 1501 00:41:04,469 --> 00:41:05,409 such as 1502 00:41:06,300 --> 00:41:07,960 plant hormones, we call them 1503 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:08,960 phytohormones, 1504 00:41:09,750 --> 00:41:10,889 and we have these plant 1505 00:41:10,889 --> 00:41:12,269 secondary metabolites that we 1506 00:41:12,269 --> 00:41:13,610 call phytonutrients. 1507 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,559 Oh, but as time goes on, one by 1508 00:41:17,559 --> 00:41:19,320 one, we discover that 1509 00:41:20,269 --> 00:41:21,630 Perhaps, in fact, 1510 00:41:22,309 --> 00:41:24,349 the biology is synthesizing the 1511 00:41:24,349 --> 00:41:25,530 majority of each of those 1512 00:41:25,530 --> 00:41:26,330 compounds. 1513 00:41:26,860 --> 00:41:28,300 Perhaps it's biology that's 1514 00:41:28,300 --> 00:41:29,659 synthesizing the majority of 1515 00:41:29,659 --> 00:41:31,659 phytonutrients and not just the 1516 00:41:31,849 --> 00:41:32,989 plants alone. Like we know, 1517 00:41:33,639 --> 00:41:35,440 we have this entire group of 1518 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:36,500 bacteria that 1519 00:41:36,809 --> 00:41:39,530 we call PGPRs, plant growth 1520 00:41:39,530 --> 00:41:41,070 -promoting rhizobacteria. 1521 00:41:41,210 --> 00:41:42,010 Why? 1522 00:41:42,090 --> 00:41:43,570 Because they synthesize 1523 00:41:43,570 --> 00:41:45,969 phytohormones such as cytokinins 1524 00:41:45,969 --> 00:41:47,369 and feed them to plants to 1525 00:41:47,369 --> 00:41:48,809 change the plant's behavior and 1526 00:41:48,809 --> 00:41:49,610 to change the plant's 1527 00:41:49,570 --> 00:41:50,370 expression. 1528 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:51,800 Yeah. 1529 00:41:53,389 --> 00:41:54,630 It is 1530 00:41:56,769 --> 00:41:57,650 the microbes that are 1531 00:41:57,650 --> 00:41:58,989 synthesizing them, not just the 1532 00:41:58,989 --> 00:41:59,789 plants alone. 1533 00:42:00,210 --> 00:42:01,750 You know, as you get these 1534 00:42:01,750 --> 00:42:03,349 microbes built into plants, 1535 00:42:03,980 --> 00:42:05,400 like you said, they're robust, 1536 00:42:06,059 --> 00:42:06,860 they're energetic, 1537 00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:10,019 they have just amazing health. 1538 00:42:10,519 --> 00:42:12,300 On this spectrum of vibrantly 1539 00:42:12,300 --> 00:42:14,059 healthy versus pre -disease 1540 00:42:14,059 --> 00:42:14,940 versus a disease, 1541 00:42:15,460 --> 00:42:16,840 they are now on the vibrantly 1542 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:17,960 healthy end of the spectrum. 1543 00:42:18,079 --> 00:42:18,920 And the reality is, 1544 00:42:19,340 --> 00:42:20,140 this 1545 00:42:20,489 --> 00:42:22,469 is difficult to convey to 1546 00:42:23,070 --> 00:42:24,989 people who've never observed it. 1547 00:42:25,050 --> 00:42:27,900 Most of us have never observed 1548 00:42:27,900 --> 00:42:29,099 crops that were vibrantly 1549 00:42:29,099 --> 00:42:30,280 healthy. I mean, my goodness, 1550 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:31,679 most of us have never observed 1551 00:42:31,679 --> 00:42:33,019 crops that were resistant to 1552 00:42:33,019 --> 00:42:33,980 disease. They weren't even in 1553 00:42:33,980 --> 00:42:34,900 the pre -disease state. 1554 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:36,780 Most of us have never observed 1555 00:42:36,780 --> 00:42:38,139 crops that were truly resistant 1556 00:42:38,139 --> 00:42:39,179 to diseases and insects. 1557 00:42:39,789 --> 00:42:40,789 And I hate to say it, some 1558 00:42:40,789 --> 00:42:42,130 farmers at the end of the day, 1559 00:42:43,070 --> 00:42:44,510 they aren't even observant of 1560 00:42:44,510 --> 00:42:45,409 any of their crops. 1561 00:42:46,179 --> 00:42:47,280 And that's when disease and 1562 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:48,300 those things take over. 1563 00:42:49,570 --> 00:42:50,610 Some of them, you know? 1564 00:42:51,510 --> 00:42:52,530 What do you think about that? 1565 00:42:53,860 --> 00:42:55,159 Well, there's this Chinese 1566 00:42:55,159 --> 00:42:55,960 proverb, 1567 00:42:56,260 --> 00:42:57,500 something to the effect of, 1568 00:42:58,219 --> 00:42:59,760 the best fertilizer is the 1569 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:00,560 farmer's footsteps. 1570 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:01,800 Sure. 1571 00:43:01,679 --> 00:43:03,780 And I think us being in the 1572 00:43:03,780 --> 00:43:05,360 field and being observant, I 1573 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:07,239 don't work with many farmers who 1574 00:43:08,730 --> 00:43:09,730 aren't out in their fields. 1575 00:43:09,829 --> 00:43:10,670 I mean the people that we work 1576 00:43:10,670 --> 00:43:11,550 with are out there, they're 1577 00:43:11,550 --> 00:43:12,350 paying attention. 1578 00:43:12,829 --> 00:43:15,070 So I don't have the experience 1579 00:43:15,070 --> 00:43:16,829 of the comment that you made, 1580 00:43:16,929 --> 00:43:19,690 but the reality is it is our 1581 00:43:19,690 --> 00:43:21,409 presence and our observation in 1582 00:43:21,409 --> 00:43:23,010 the field that is fundamental to 1583 00:43:23,010 --> 00:43:24,769 determining our or to 1584 00:43:24,769 --> 00:43:25,869 influencing our degree of 1585 00:43:25,869 --> 00:43:27,409 success in whatever path or 1586 00:43:27,409 --> 00:43:28,429 direction we're going down. 1587 00:43:29,380 --> 00:43:31,199 It's our care and intention and 1588 00:43:31,199 --> 00:43:32,239 stewardship that matters. 1589 00:43:32,500 --> 00:43:33,300 Absolutely. 1590 00:43:33,139 --> 00:43:34,300 And that's going to take it into 1591 00:43:34,300 --> 00:43:35,179 the long, long term. 1592 00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:36,920 Let's walk into the next part of 1593 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:38,079 this, the valley of death. 1594 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:39,780 Let's think about this. 1595 00:43:40,219 --> 00:43:42,039 Many growers fear a yield drag 1596 00:43:42,039 --> 00:43:43,619 when moving over, right, to a 1597 00:43:43,619 --> 00:43:44,820 regenerative practice, John. 1598 00:43:45,829 --> 00:43:47,389 We all know, you know, when we 1599 00:43:47,389 --> 00:43:48,389 talked about this a little bit 1600 00:43:48,389 --> 00:43:49,969 before, but if you would explain 1601 00:43:49,969 --> 00:43:51,710 how to navigate the first one to 1602 00:43:51,710 --> 00:43:52,769 three years of transition. 1603 00:43:53,230 --> 00:43:54,590 If you could lay that out, I 1604 00:43:54,590 --> 00:43:55,670 think that's the most important 1605 00:43:55,670 --> 00:43:56,909 part, John, because I think 1606 00:43:56,909 --> 00:43:58,050 that's what's holding some of 1607 00:43:58,050 --> 00:43:58,850 these guys back. 1608 00:44:00,559 --> 00:44:04,019 The art and the science of 1609 00:44:04,550 --> 00:44:06,809 regenerative agronomy that 1610 00:44:06,809 --> 00:44:09,329 delivers an immediate ROI... 1611 00:44:10,519 --> 00:44:11,320 figuring 1612 00:44:11,889 --> 00:44:13,929 out how to navigate 1613 00:44:14,719 --> 00:44:16,800 providing an on -ramp for 1614 00:44:16,800 --> 00:44:18,059 biology and 1615 00:44:18,500 --> 00:44:20,219 biological nutrition while 1616 00:44:20,219 --> 00:44:22,119 simultaneously providing an off 1617 00:44:22,119 --> 00:44:24,139 -ramp for electrolyte nutrition. 1618 00:44:24,869 --> 00:44:25,969 That's it. That's the 1619 00:44:25,969 --> 00:44:27,429 fundamental bottom line is 1620 00:44:27,429 --> 00:44:29,070 figuring out how you balance 1621 00:44:29,070 --> 00:44:30,070 those two pieces 1622 00:44:30,730 --> 00:44:31,530 and 1623 00:44:31,909 --> 00:44:33,670 I'll frame it in terms of 1624 00:44:33,670 --> 00:44:35,230 nitrogen management on a corn 1625 00:44:35,230 --> 00:44:36,949 crop because that's a common 1626 00:44:36,949 --> 00:44:38,650 crop and a common scenario that 1627 00:44:38,650 --> 00:44:39,710 people can easily relate to. 1628 00:44:39,789 --> 00:44:41,150 You can adapt the information to 1629 00:44:41,150 --> 00:44:42,409 all types of other contexts. 1630 00:44:43,070 --> 00:44:43,870 Perfect. 1631 00:44:43,590 --> 00:44:44,390 So 1632 00:44:44,460 --> 00:44:45,880 traditional 1633 00:44:46,900 --> 00:44:47,700 nitrogen management. 1634 00:44:47,800 --> 00:44:49,219 Let's just say for the sake of 1635 00:44:49,219 --> 00:44:51,460 discussion that in a particular 1636 00:44:51,460 --> 00:44:54,219 given region, soil type, crop, 1637 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:55,659 rainfall patterns and so forth 1638 00:44:55,659 --> 00:44:57,280 that it's common to apply 200 1639 00:44:57,280 --> 00:44:58,579 units of nitrogen to 1640 00:44:58,900 --> 00:45:00,159 a corn crop, the majority of 1641 00:45:00,159 --> 00:45:01,059 that being pre -plant. 1642 00:45:01,690 --> 00:45:03,070 Perhaps it's fall applied, 1643 00:45:03,230 --> 00:45:04,289 perhaps it's spring applied, but 1644 00:45:04,289 --> 00:45:05,349 it's all applied either at 1645 00:45:05,349 --> 00:45:06,409 planting or before planting. 1646 00:45:07,659 --> 00:45:08,460 That 1647 00:45:09,050 --> 00:45:09,850 type of environment, 1648 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:12,579 you've shut down any opportunity 1649 00:45:12,579 --> 00:45:15,510 for microbial collaboration with 1650 00:45:15,510 --> 00:45:16,909 that plant because you have this 1651 00:45:17,250 --> 00:45:20,090 abundance of free nutrients and 1652 00:45:20,090 --> 00:45:21,090 free electrolytes in the soil 1653 00:45:21,090 --> 00:45:21,890 solution. 1654 00:45:22,230 --> 00:45:24,769 So the way to manage that 1655 00:45:24,769 --> 00:45:26,590 and to produce a different 1656 00:45:26,590 --> 00:45:28,269 response is to time the 1657 00:45:28,269 --> 00:45:29,710 applications differently and to 1658 00:45:29,710 --> 00:45:31,409 change the amounts to only match 1659 00:45:31,409 --> 00:45:33,250 peak crop needs. 1660 00:45:33,670 --> 00:45:35,670 and peak crop demand when the 1661 00:45:35,670 --> 00:45:36,550 crop actually needs it. 1662 00:45:36,610 --> 00:45:38,570 So, we change the applications 1663 00:45:38,570 --> 00:45:40,309 in time and we change them in 1664 00:45:40,309 --> 00:45:41,110 efficiency. 1665 00:45:41,769 --> 00:45:43,289 So, here's an example. 1666 00:45:43,809 --> 00:45:45,130 Actually, I'll add one more 1667 00:45:45,130 --> 00:45:46,550 thought, one more frame of 1668 00:45:46,550 --> 00:45:47,510 reference and that is 1669 00:45:47,980 --> 00:45:50,820 depending on who you listen to, 1670 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:52,039 which university, which part of 1671 00:45:52,039 --> 00:45:53,179 the country, the 1672 00:45:53,590 --> 00:45:55,730 nitrogen requirement to grow a 1673 00:45:55,730 --> 00:45:56,989 bushel of corn is anywhere from 1674 00:45:56,989 --> 00:45:59,409 1 to 1 .3 pounds per bushel of 1675 00:45:59,409 --> 00:46:00,210 corn. 1676 00:46:00,670 --> 00:46:02,489 And yet, there are many 1677 00:46:02,489 --> 00:46:03,530 biological farmers 1678 00:46:04,460 --> 00:46:06,619 are using cover crops or perhaps 1679 00:46:06,619 --> 00:46:07,699 they're using manure compost 1680 00:46:07,699 --> 00:46:08,559 applications. They're 1681 00:46:08,559 --> 00:46:09,360 experimenting with different 1682 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:10,120 things. 1683 00:46:09,980 --> 00:46:12,039 It's very common to get to 1684 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:15,199 only be able to account for 0 1685 00:46:15,199 --> 00:46:17,239 .65 to 0 .75 pounds of nitrogen 1686 00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:18,039 per bushel of corn. 1687 00:46:18,639 --> 00:46:20,860 And there are many growers who 1688 00:46:20,860 --> 00:46:21,820 are pushing that envelope even 1689 00:46:21,820 --> 00:46:22,800 further and they're still 1690 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:25,360 producing average to better than 1691 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:26,579 regional average yields with 1692 00:46:26,579 --> 00:46:28,579 only a half a pound of nitrogen 1693 00:46:28,579 --> 00:46:29,960 per bushel of corn that they can 1694 00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:30,760 account for. 1695 00:46:31,230 --> 00:46:32,670 So there might be some coming 1696 00:46:32,670 --> 00:46:33,710 from biological nutrition that 1697 00:46:33,710 --> 00:46:34,630 they're not accounting for, but 1698 00:46:34,630 --> 00:46:35,769 that's what they can account for 1699 00:46:35,769 --> 00:46:36,570 in the system. 1700 00:46:37,449 --> 00:46:38,250 So 1701 00:46:38,110 --> 00:46:39,429 the 1702 00:46:40,739 --> 00:46:43,199 way that I'll just give an 1703 00:46:43,199 --> 00:46:44,780 example of a type of 1704 00:46:44,780 --> 00:46:46,239 recommendation that we would 1705 00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:47,940 make in our consulting at AEA 1706 00:46:48,090 --> 00:46:49,469 when I'm running completely 1707 00:46:49,469 --> 00:46:50,829 blind. I know nothing. 1708 00:46:50,929 --> 00:46:52,610 I know nothing about the soil 1709 00:46:52,610 --> 00:46:54,329 context, the crop context, the 1710 00:46:54,329 --> 00:46:55,210 history, the irrigation. 1711 00:46:55,409 --> 00:46:56,210 I'm just, 1712 00:46:56,230 --> 00:46:57,590 I'm just, this is, this is a 1713 00:46:57,590 --> 00:46:58,409 starting point. 1714 00:46:58,690 --> 00:46:59,829 This is a template and a 1715 00:46:59,829 --> 00:47:01,130 starting point from which to 1716 00:47:01,130 --> 00:47:02,730 adapt. Yeah, absolutely. 1717 00:47:04,090 --> 00:47:07,079 I would start with 40 units of 1718 00:47:07,079 --> 00:47:07,880 nitrogen 1719 00:47:07,900 --> 00:47:10,980 maximum at planting in the form 1720 00:47:10,980 --> 00:47:12,860 of ammonium and nitrate, no urea 1721 00:47:12,860 --> 00:47:13,660 or 1722 00:47:13,670 --> 00:47:14,809 limited urea, I shouldn't say no 1723 00:47:14,809 --> 00:47:16,610 urea, but I don't want 100 % of 1724 00:47:16,610 --> 00:47:17,410 it urea. 1725 00:47:17,630 --> 00:47:18,630 And I'm making that caveat 1726 00:47:18,630 --> 00:47:19,949 because everything else for the 1727 00:47:19,949 --> 00:47:21,170 rest of the season, I want as 1728 00:47:21,170 --> 00:47:21,970 urea. 1729 00:47:23,380 --> 00:47:24,239 And so 1730 00:47:24,969 --> 00:47:26,210 there's some reasons for that. 1731 00:47:26,269 --> 00:47:27,610 I won't go into the detail in 1732 00:47:27,610 --> 00:47:28,789 the time that we have here, but 1733 00:47:28,789 --> 00:47:31,989 then I want to add and 1734 00:47:32,139 --> 00:47:33,750 that nitrogen, 1735 00:47:35,159 --> 00:47:36,699 is ideally applied at planting 1736 00:47:36,699 --> 00:47:37,559 or before planting. 1737 00:47:38,099 --> 00:47:40,239 And I want it off to the side of 1738 00:47:40,239 --> 00:47:41,480 the seed, not in the furrow. 1739 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:43,280 Preferably it can be strip 1740 00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:44,659 tilled, it can be in a two by, I 1741 00:47:44,659 --> 00:47:45,820 don't want it any closer than a 1742 00:47:45,820 --> 00:47:47,039 two by two. I would prefer it 1743 00:47:47,039 --> 00:47:48,239 even be farther away than a two 1744 00:47:48,239 --> 00:47:49,739 by two, but that's the closest I 1745 00:47:49,739 --> 00:47:50,539 want it to be. 1746 00:47:51,170 --> 00:47:51,970 And I 1747 00:47:52,650 --> 00:47:54,389 want that, we've, we've put 1748 00:47:54,389 --> 00:47:55,369 together what we call a nitrogen 1749 00:47:55,369 --> 00:47:56,329 efficiency program. 1750 00:47:56,630 --> 00:47:57,710 People can find it online. 1751 00:47:58,239 --> 00:47:59,280 But the short version is we 1752 00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:00,080 combine that 1753 00:48:00,409 --> 00:48:02,719 with sulfate 1754 00:48:03,219 --> 00:48:04,400 in some form, either ammonium 1755 00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:06,139 sulfate or thiosulfate, whatever 1756 00:48:06,139 --> 00:48:07,440 makes sense for the given 1757 00:48:07,440 --> 00:48:08,240 application. 1758 00:48:08,559 --> 00:48:11,099 We want a minimum of a 10 to 1 1759 00:48:11,099 --> 00:48:12,280 nitrogen to sulfur ratio. 1760 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:14,320 And then we also add, to make 1761 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:15,120 substances, 1762 00:48:15,099 --> 00:48:16,440 a humicarb at 3 % of the 1763 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:18,000 solution, and we add rebound 1764 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:19,300 molybdenum at a pint per acre. 1765 00:48:19,889 --> 00:48:21,289 And the reason for those things 1766 00:48:21,289 --> 00:48:23,789 is it drives and accelerates the 1767 00:48:23,789 --> 00:48:25,690 conversion of the applied 1768 00:48:25,690 --> 00:48:27,210 nitrogen into microbial 1769 00:48:27,210 --> 00:48:28,989 nitrogen. So bacterial cells are 1770 00:48:28,989 --> 00:48:29,789 now holding it. 1771 00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:32,099 And that means that it is 1772 00:48:32,099 --> 00:48:32,900 available, 1773 00:48:32,900 --> 00:48:34,079 but no longer water soluble. 1774 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:35,080 It doesn't leach. 1775 00:48:36,059 --> 00:48:37,639 And so we're putting on a 1776 00:48:37,639 --> 00:48:38,460 smaller dose. 1777 00:48:39,860 --> 00:48:41,400 And my preference would be to 1778 00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:42,880 put on less than 40 pounds. 1779 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:45,239 I would like to go down to as 1780 00:48:45,239 --> 00:48:47,099 little as 10 to 20, but I'm not 1781 00:48:47,099 --> 00:48:47,980 comfortable making that 1782 00:48:47,980 --> 00:48:49,159 recommendation without more 1783 00:48:49,159 --> 00:48:50,559 information and knowing what the 1784 00:48:50,559 --> 00:48:51,780 history is and where the soil is 1785 00:48:51,780 --> 00:48:52,580 coming from. 1786 00:48:52,659 --> 00:48:53,460 That's perfect. 1787 00:48:53,219 --> 00:48:54,019 Then the 1788 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:56,260 second application would be 1789 00:48:56,480 --> 00:48:59,039 somewhere between V3 and V5, 1790 00:48:59,119 --> 00:49:00,539 depending on soil context and 1791 00:49:00,539 --> 00:49:01,340 continuity, 1792 00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:03,809 an additional 40 pounds, 1793 00:49:04,769 --> 00:49:07,050 side dressed, vertigated, top 1794 00:49:07,050 --> 00:49:08,349 dressed, whatever fits the 1795 00:49:08,349 --> 00:49:09,889 application or the farming 1796 00:49:09,889 --> 00:49:10,989 context. And 1797 00:49:13,050 --> 00:49:15,230 This 40 pounds is again combined 1798 00:49:15,230 --> 00:49:16,489 with our nitrogen efficiency 1799 00:49:16,489 --> 00:49:17,289 program. 1800 00:49:17,449 --> 00:49:19,650 And I want a minimum in these 1801 00:49:19,650 --> 00:49:20,829 two applications, I want a 1802 00:49:20,829 --> 00:49:22,289 minimum of 25 pounds of sulfur 1803 00:49:22,289 --> 00:49:23,090 per acre. 1804 00:49:23,699 --> 00:49:25,360 And we can, we know that we can, 1805 00:49:25,670 --> 00:49:28,309 we can count the first 25 pounds 1806 00:49:28,309 --> 00:49:30,070 of sulfur, you can count as the 1807 00:49:30,070 --> 00:49:31,309 equivalent of a nitrogen unit in 1808 00:49:31,309 --> 00:49:32,570 terms of the crop response that 1809 00:49:32,570 --> 00:49:33,370 they get. 1810 00:49:34,010 --> 00:49:36,369 So then we've now applied a 1811 00:49:36,369 --> 00:49:37,250 total of 80 pounds. 1812 00:49:37,429 --> 00:49:39,519 And then I want to come back and 1813 00:49:39,519 --> 00:49:41,280 plan for two foliar 1814 00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:42,080 applications. 1815 00:49:44,019 --> 00:49:46,519 And this is different from what 1816 00:49:46,519 --> 00:49:47,599 lots of farms have been doing 1817 00:49:47,599 --> 00:49:49,099 historically and extremely 1818 00:49:49,099 --> 00:49:49,900 valuable. 1819 00:49:50,110 --> 00:49:51,030 So I want two foliar 1820 00:49:51,030 --> 00:49:52,190 applications, the first one 1821 00:49:52,190 --> 00:49:53,409 around tasseling and the first 1822 00:49:53,409 --> 00:49:54,269 one around R1. 1823 00:49:57,519 --> 00:49:59,159 Those two foliar applications 1824 00:49:59,159 --> 00:50:01,539 will each be 10 units of 1825 00:50:01,539 --> 00:50:02,340 nitrogen 1826 00:50:02,570 --> 00:50:04,289 as melted urea, 1827 00:50:04,690 --> 00:50:06,730 as low biuret urea. 1828 00:50:08,300 --> 00:50:11,179 There's been a number of farmers 1829 00:50:11,179 --> 00:50:12,320 that we've worked with, people 1830 00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:13,400 who've done interesting work, 1831 00:50:14,179 --> 00:50:15,780 documented their research quite 1832 00:50:15,780 --> 00:50:16,580 well. 1833 00:50:16,929 --> 00:50:19,590 Our rule of thumb is that at 1834 00:50:19,590 --> 00:50:21,690 minimum, most conservatively, 1835 00:50:21,949 --> 00:50:25,150 every pound of nitrogen that is 1836 00:50:25,150 --> 00:50:26,070 applied as a foliar, 1837 00:50:26,699 --> 00:50:28,059 and in terms of foliar urea, 1838 00:50:28,610 --> 00:50:30,269 will produce the same crop yield 1839 00:50:30,269 --> 00:50:31,909 response as four pounds of 1840 00:50:31,909 --> 00:50:33,070 nitrogen applied to the soil. 1841 00:50:34,199 --> 00:50:35,820 At best, that's the most 1842 00:50:35,820 --> 00:50:36,940 conservative. We've even had 1843 00:50:36,940 --> 00:50:38,159 some crops go all the way up to 1844 00:50:38,159 --> 00:50:39,380 one to seven ratio. 1845 00:50:40,719 --> 00:50:42,119 So now we're 1846 00:50:42,659 --> 00:50:44,079 doing these two applications and 1847 00:50:44,079 --> 00:50:45,880 ideally we also like to add some 1848 00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:46,760 of this nitrogen efficiency 1849 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:48,460 program to these foliars as 1850 00:50:48,460 --> 00:50:49,260 well. 1851 00:50:49,030 --> 00:50:50,130 So now you think about what I 1852 00:50:50,130 --> 00:50:50,930 just described. 1853 00:50:51,010 --> 00:50:52,630 We did 40 units of N, 1854 00:50:53,070 --> 00:50:54,889 40 units of N, 10 and 10. 1855 00:50:54,969 --> 00:50:56,309 We've got 100 units of N and 25 1856 00:50:56,309 --> 00:50:57,110 pounds of sulfur. 1857 00:50:57,869 --> 00:50:58,849 With that application, 1858 00:50:59,349 --> 00:51:00,949 you will get a greater crop 1859 00:51:00,949 --> 00:51:03,110 yield and higher quality than 1860 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:05,059 you will with 200 pounds of 1861 00:51:05,059 --> 00:51:06,059 nitrogen applied up front. 1862 00:51:07,750 --> 00:51:09,889 And your costs, if you figure in 1863 00:51:09,889 --> 00:51:11,309 the application costs 1864 00:51:11,679 --> 00:51:13,519 and for additional further 1865 00:51:13,519 --> 00:51:14,679 applications, you figure in the 1866 00:51:14,679 --> 00:51:15,639 nitrogen efficiency program, 1867 00:51:16,139 --> 00:51:17,579 your cost per acre is going to 1868 00:51:17,579 --> 00:51:18,719 be roughly a wash. 1869 00:51:19,110 --> 00:51:20,389 but you've applied half the 1870 00:51:20,389 --> 00:51:21,190 quantity of N. 1871 00:51:21,519 --> 00:51:23,159 Now that's the first half of the 1872 00:51:23,159 --> 00:51:24,659 coin. You now have an off -ramp 1873 00:51:24,659 --> 00:51:25,460 for nutrition, 1874 00:51:26,070 --> 00:51:26,969 for electrolyte nutrition. 1875 00:51:27,130 --> 00:51:28,869 Now the next step is the on 1876 00:51:28,869 --> 00:51:29,670 -ramp for biology. 1877 00:51:29,869 --> 00:51:31,630 Now you add BioCoat Gold as a 1878 00:51:31,630 --> 00:51:32,430 seed treatment. 1879 00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:33,820 Perhaps you add 1880 00:51:34,420 --> 00:51:36,059 another microbial inoculant in 1881 00:51:36,059 --> 00:51:37,039 the furrow with your starter. 1882 00:51:37,809 --> 00:51:40,030 And that is the on -ramp for 1883 00:51:40,030 --> 00:51:40,989 biology piece. 1884 00:51:41,559 --> 00:51:43,380 And then you do that year one. 1885 00:51:43,699 --> 00:51:45,500 Year two, you come back based on 1886 00:51:45,500 --> 00:51:46,559 what you've learned and you 1887 00:51:46,559 --> 00:51:48,239 adapt. Instead of 40 units of N, 1888 00:51:48,300 --> 00:51:49,400 maybe you're now down to 10 1889 00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:50,200 units of N in the furrow. 1890 00:51:50,429 --> 00:51:52,050 and 30 units side risk. 1891 00:51:52,150 --> 00:51:53,409 But usually like if you're going 1892 00:51:53,409 --> 00:51:54,449 to hone something in. 1893 00:51:55,039 --> 00:51:56,320 you're going to be taking soil 1894 00:51:56,320 --> 00:51:57,760 samples, you know, throughout 1895 00:51:57,760 --> 00:51:58,560 this. 1896 00:51:58,619 --> 00:51:59,800 What I'm what I'm giving you is 1897 00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:00,880 a template starting point. 1898 00:52:01,179 --> 00:52:02,139 All of these starting point 1899 00:52:02,139 --> 00:52:03,639 recommendations would be revised 1900 00:52:03,639 --> 00:52:04,980 and adapted based on SAP 1901 00:52:04,980 --> 00:52:06,139 analysis or soil analysis 1902 00:52:06,139 --> 00:52:06,960 results. Absolutely. 1903 00:52:07,380 --> 00:52:08,180 Perfect. 1904 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:08,800 All right, let's hear it. 1905 00:52:08,860 --> 00:52:10,039 So keep on going, buddy. 1906 00:52:10,139 --> 00:52:11,719 So we're on year two now. 1907 00:52:11,980 --> 00:52:13,539 So year two, you're looking at 1908 00:52:13,539 --> 00:52:15,199 further reducing usually. 1909 00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:16,860 OK, again, there's context 1910 00:52:16,860 --> 00:52:18,019 dependent, but usually you're 1911 00:52:18,019 --> 00:52:19,219 looking at further reducing the 1912 00:52:19,219 --> 00:52:20,300 nitrogen applications at 1913 00:52:20,300 --> 00:52:22,800 planting and perhaps 1914 00:52:23,500 --> 00:52:24,800 putting more in the side dress. 1915 00:52:24,820 --> 00:52:25,620 And it's actually 1916 00:52:26,110 --> 00:52:28,090 Getting the nitrogen number as 1917 00:52:28,250 --> 00:52:29,989 low as possible at planting is 1918 00:52:29,989 --> 00:52:30,969 actually quite important. 1919 00:52:31,650 --> 00:52:33,829 We don't want it at zero in most 1920 00:52:33,829 --> 00:52:36,869 cases. We want a touch of 1921 00:52:36,869 --> 00:52:38,570 nitrate because nitrate really 1922 00:52:38,570 --> 00:52:41,929 drives the synthesis of a 1923 00:52:41,929 --> 00:52:43,690 whole range of different plant 1924 00:52:43,690 --> 00:52:45,489 phytohormones, the cytokinins, 1925 00:52:45,610 --> 00:52:47,010 the gibberellins, the auxins, 1926 00:52:47,130 --> 00:52:47,930 etc. 1927 00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:50,239 If we want to develop this large 1928 00:52:50,239 --> 00:52:52,119 root system and plant biomass 1929 00:52:52,119 --> 00:52:54,119 very quickly, we want a small 1930 00:52:54,119 --> 00:52:55,119 dose of nitrates. 1931 00:52:55,380 --> 00:52:56,800 The key word being small. 1932 00:52:57,980 --> 00:52:59,800 You can do this with two pounds 1933 00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:00,659 of nitrates per acre. 1934 00:53:00,820 --> 00:53:01,760 It doesn't take much. 1935 00:53:04,960 --> 00:53:05,760 If 1936 00:53:05,630 --> 00:53:08,309 you 1937 00:53:09,010 --> 00:53:11,409 keep nitrogen levels low in 1938 00:53:11,409 --> 00:53:12,869 those first couple of weeks 1939 00:53:12,869 --> 00:53:13,690 after germination, 1940 00:53:14,949 --> 00:53:17,070 you develop not zero, small 1941 00:53:17,070 --> 00:53:18,469 amounts of nitrates, but not an 1942 00:53:18,469 --> 00:53:19,809 overabundance of nitrogen. 1943 00:53:20,670 --> 00:53:22,550 the biology will drive the 1944 00:53:22,550 --> 00:53:24,750 development of this extensive, 1945 00:53:25,329 --> 00:53:26,750 robust root system. 1946 00:53:27,760 --> 00:53:29,320 And you get this large root 1947 00:53:29,320 --> 00:53:30,980 biomass and you get very good 1948 00:53:30,980 --> 00:53:32,199 microbial colonization. 1949 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:34,039 And now the plant has 1950 00:53:34,039 --> 00:53:36,340 established that community. 1951 00:53:36,900 --> 00:53:39,079 It hasn't been, you haven't 1952 00:53:39,079 --> 00:53:41,059 created a drug dependency for 1953 00:53:41,059 --> 00:53:41,920 the rest of its life. 1954 00:53:42,889 --> 00:53:43,949 You've set it up. 1955 00:53:44,469 --> 00:53:46,309 It's like baby animal receiving 1956 00:53:46,309 --> 00:53:47,349 colostrum. 1957 00:53:47,750 --> 00:53:49,449 You've set it up where you have 1958 00:53:49,449 --> 00:53:50,570 this microbial knock on it. 1959 00:53:50,650 --> 00:53:53,130 It's now set up for success with 1960 00:53:53,340 --> 00:53:55,780 this microbiome for the rest of 1961 00:53:55,780 --> 00:53:56,580 its life. 1962 00:53:56,880 --> 00:53:57,960 And this is why I would actually 1963 00:53:57,960 --> 00:53:59,820 prefer to have smaller amounts 1964 00:53:59,820 --> 00:54:01,280 of nitrogen at planting and 1965 00:54:01,280 --> 00:54:02,559 larger amounts in the side dress 1966 00:54:02,559 --> 00:54:04,099 because it gives us that initial 1967 00:54:04,349 --> 00:54:06,610 critical several week window to 1968 00:54:06,610 --> 00:54:08,309 set up the microbiome so that we 1969 00:54:08,789 --> 00:54:10,469 have an opportunity for greater 1970 00:54:10,469 --> 00:54:11,550 success for the rest of the 1971 00:54:11,550 --> 00:54:12,350 season. 1972 00:54:12,210 --> 00:54:13,289 Yeah. What about year three? 1973 00:54:13,409 --> 00:54:15,190 Do you have one more step or is 1974 00:54:15,190 --> 00:54:15,990 that it? 1975 00:54:16,190 --> 00:54:17,130 And then you're pretty well on 1976 00:54:17,130 --> 00:54:18,389 your, you're pretty well on your 1977 00:54:18,389 --> 00:54:19,409 way at that point, John. 1978 00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:21,639 At this point, you're well on 1979 00:54:21,639 --> 00:54:23,679 your way, but also we 1980 00:54:24,119 --> 00:54:25,619 make all these decisions going 1981 00:54:25,619 --> 00:54:26,739 forward based on data. 1982 00:54:26,860 --> 00:54:27,960 That's great. Like what does the 1983 00:54:27,960 --> 00:54:29,619 data tell us? How, how much can 1984 00:54:29,619 --> 00:54:30,800 we reduce? How much can we 1985 00:54:30,800 --> 00:54:31,600 reduce further? 1986 00:54:31,400 --> 00:54:32,679 Like what else is in the system? 1987 00:54:32,739 --> 00:54:33,800 Or is there nitrogen coming from 1988 00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:34,619 cover crops? There's, 1989 00:54:35,159 --> 00:54:36,260 there's lots of variables in 1990 00:54:36,260 --> 00:54:38,559 this, but you make, you just, 1991 00:54:39,199 --> 00:54:40,099 You don't guess. 1992 00:54:40,340 --> 00:54:41,940 I think that's been one of the 1993 00:54:41,940 --> 00:54:43,260 foundational aspects of our 1994 00:54:43,260 --> 00:54:44,579 success in our consulting work 1995 00:54:44,579 --> 00:54:46,480 at AEA is you do not guess about 1996 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:47,539 something that is possible to 1997 00:54:47,539 --> 00:54:48,340 measure. 1998 00:54:48,239 --> 00:54:49,940 It is possible to measure a 1999 00:54:49,940 --> 00:54:51,099 soil's ability to contribute 2000 00:54:51,099 --> 00:54:51,900 nitrogen. 2001 00:54:51,940 --> 00:54:53,340 It's possible to measure a 2002 00:54:53,340 --> 00:54:54,500 crop's nitrogen status. 2003 00:54:54,980 --> 00:54:56,400 And so you don't guess. 2004 00:54:56,739 --> 00:54:58,139 And it's because of that. 2005 00:54:59,210 --> 00:55:01,570 You started this question by 2006 00:55:01,570 --> 00:55:02,530 asking me about the Valley of 2007 00:55:02,530 --> 00:55:03,330 Death. 2008 00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:05,500 I'm of the persuasion, there is 2009 00:55:05,500 --> 00:55:07,019 this narrative that 2010 00:55:08,300 --> 00:55:10,440 You should expect to see yield 2011 00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:12,260 losses and yield drag the first 2012 00:55:12,260 --> 00:55:13,239 couple of years during a 2013 00:55:13,239 --> 00:55:14,059 regenerative agriculture 2014 00:55:14,059 --> 00:55:14,860 transition. 2015 00:55:16,820 --> 00:55:18,679 I vehemently disagree. 2016 00:55:19,409 --> 00:55:20,210 If you do, 2017 00:55:21,159 --> 00:55:22,920 it is not the result of 2018 00:55:22,920 --> 00:55:23,800 regenerative agriculture. 2019 00:55:24,079 --> 00:55:25,480 It's the result of poor 2020 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:27,079 agronomic management decisions. 2021 00:55:27,659 --> 00:55:28,460 I'd 2022 00:55:28,920 --> 00:55:30,119 have to agree 100 % with you on 2023 00:55:30,119 --> 00:55:31,440 that. Might take some time to 2024 00:55:31,440 --> 00:55:32,579 set up the entire system. 2025 00:55:32,840 --> 00:55:34,239 But the bottom line is the ROI 2026 00:55:34,239 --> 00:55:35,280 is going to be back in your 2027 00:55:35,280 --> 00:55:36,080 pocket. You're going to be 2028 00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:37,460 making more money as a producer. 2029 00:55:38,500 --> 00:55:39,340 And that's really where the 2030 00:55:39,340 --> 00:55:40,140 money should be going. 2031 00:55:40,070 --> 00:55:40,870 If you ask me, 2032 00:55:41,150 --> 00:55:42,349 you know, at the end of the day, 2033 00:55:43,460 --> 00:55:44,860 to farmers, to producers, to 2034 00:55:44,860 --> 00:55:45,660 ranchers, 2035 00:55:46,690 --> 00:55:48,110 the ROI starts going back in the 2036 00:55:48,110 --> 00:55:49,050 right person's pocket. 2037 00:55:49,250 --> 00:55:50,050 Well, 2038 00:55:50,010 --> 00:55:50,929 when you think about all the 2039 00:55:50,929 --> 00:55:51,949 less money that you're spending 2040 00:55:51,949 --> 00:55:52,750 on nitrogen, 2041 00:55:53,570 --> 00:55:55,610 spending on nutrients now in the 2042 00:55:55,610 --> 00:55:56,489 first couple of years, 2043 00:55:57,400 --> 00:55:58,200 we 2044 00:56:00,210 --> 00:56:01,969 every every farm in every 2045 00:56:01,969 --> 00:56:03,070 context is unique. 2046 00:56:04,530 --> 00:56:06,309 But in the first couple of 2047 00:56:06,309 --> 00:56:08,570 years, we often don't expect to 2048 00:56:08,570 --> 00:56:09,370 see 2049 00:56:09,679 --> 00:56:12,179 inputs go down significantly. 2050 00:56:12,420 --> 00:56:13,360 They just go to different 2051 00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:14,619 places. They're going to cover 2052 00:56:14,619 --> 00:56:15,940 crop seed or they're going to 2053 00:56:15,940 --> 00:56:17,139 microbial inoculants or they're 2054 00:56:17,139 --> 00:56:18,900 going to more sulfur and less 2055 00:56:18,900 --> 00:56:19,960 nitrogen. They're going to the 2056 00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:20,800 nitrogen efficiency program. 2057 00:56:20,880 --> 00:56:21,680 They're going in different 2058 00:56:21,619 --> 00:56:22,420 places. 2059 00:56:23,699 --> 00:56:24,920 But also we 2060 00:56:25,679 --> 00:56:27,000 do not expect to see yields go 2061 00:56:27,000 --> 00:56:27,800 down. 2062 00:56:28,500 --> 00:56:30,639 We expect pesticide applications 2063 00:56:30,639 --> 00:56:31,719 to go down and 2064 00:56:32,159 --> 00:56:33,619 we expect profitability to go 2065 00:56:33,619 --> 00:56:34,420 up. 2066 00:56:34,889 --> 00:56:35,690 So 2067 00:56:35,440 --> 00:56:37,019 that often that increased 2068 00:56:37,019 --> 00:56:38,619 profitability comes from 2069 00:56:38,619 --> 00:56:40,840 incremental yield advantages and 2070 00:56:40,840 --> 00:56:42,460 it comes from reduced pesticide 2071 00:56:42,460 --> 00:56:43,260 requirements. 2072 00:56:43,570 --> 00:56:45,849 and then over time it comes from 2073 00:56:45,849 --> 00:56:46,849 reduced inputs. 2074 00:56:47,519 --> 00:56:49,500 We don't, we don't, we're not, 2075 00:56:49,760 --> 00:56:51,219 I'm not particularly aligned 2076 00:56:51,219 --> 00:56:52,019 with 2077 00:56:52,010 --> 00:56:53,630 low inputs year one. 2078 00:56:55,110 --> 00:56:55,910 Reducing, 2079 00:56:56,250 --> 00:56:57,050 look, 2080 00:56:57,510 --> 00:56:59,329 there is no other industry, 2081 00:56:59,849 --> 00:57:01,469 there is no other place outside 2082 00:57:01,469 --> 00:57:02,829 of agriculture and region of 2083 00:57:02,829 --> 00:57:04,349 agriculture where you have this 2084 00:57:04,349 --> 00:57:06,170 idea that you can save yourself 2085 00:57:06,170 --> 00:57:06,970 successful. 2086 00:57:08,230 --> 00:57:09,670 Don't save yourself successful. 2087 00:57:10,440 --> 00:57:12,079 It's in how do you make the 2088 00:57:12,079 --> 00:57:14,099 smart and wise investments. 2089 00:57:15,139 --> 00:57:16,480 particularly in a transition 2090 00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:17,280 period. 2091 00:57:18,380 --> 00:57:19,360 And that's what all those are 2092 00:57:19,579 --> 00:57:20,500 cover crops, 2093 00:57:21,260 --> 00:57:22,500 biological inoculants. 2094 00:57:22,599 --> 00:57:23,820 It's all an investment at the 2095 00:57:23,820 --> 00:57:24,620 end of the day. 2096 00:57:24,659 --> 00:57:25,619 These aren't things that are 2097 00:57:25,619 --> 00:57:26,739 going to be here this year and 2098 00:57:26,739 --> 00:57:27,539 then gone next. 2099 00:57:28,269 --> 00:57:29,070 You know, 2100 00:57:28,989 --> 00:57:30,190 I mean, when it comes down to 2101 00:57:30,190 --> 00:57:31,250 it, and you start to put inputs 2102 00:57:31,250 --> 00:57:32,050 onto a farm, 2103 00:57:32,469 --> 00:57:33,530 and that's one of the things we 2104 00:57:33,530 --> 00:57:34,909 talked to, you know, you know, 2105 00:57:35,219 --> 00:57:36,599 the growers we work with in the 2106 00:57:36,599 --> 00:57:37,800 ranches we work with. 2107 00:57:38,579 --> 00:57:39,380 It's the same thing. 2108 00:57:40,139 --> 00:57:41,139 Hey, man, are you if you're 2109 00:57:41,139 --> 00:57:41,940 going to spend this money? 2110 00:57:41,960 --> 00:57:43,000 Are you going to put like you 2111 00:57:43,000 --> 00:57:44,719 said, cover crops on and gain 60 2112 00:57:44,719 --> 00:57:45,519 or 2113 00:57:45,599 --> 00:57:46,400 50 2114 00:57:46,710 --> 00:57:48,250 pounds, right? What are you what 2115 00:57:48,250 --> 00:57:49,050 are you going to do? 2116 00:57:48,929 --> 00:57:49,730 Correct. 2117 00:57:49,940 --> 00:57:51,239 And at the end of the day, john, 2118 00:57:51,300 --> 00:57:52,119 would you I 2119 00:57:52,750 --> 00:57:54,510 mean, you you look at it and you 2120 00:57:54,510 --> 00:57:55,310 think about it. 2121 00:57:57,030 --> 00:57:58,110 And the amount of money that 2122 00:57:58,110 --> 00:57:59,010 they're spending is just an 2123 00:57:59,010 --> 00:58:00,530 investment. So where do you want 2124 00:58:00,530 --> 00:58:01,469 to just put your money you want 2125 00:58:01,469 --> 00:58:02,750 to put in investments or direct 2126 00:58:02,750 --> 00:58:03,550 expenses? 2127 00:58:04,360 --> 00:58:06,039 Well, many farms, many farms 2128 00:58:06,039 --> 00:58:07,239 today don't have the financial 2129 00:58:07,239 --> 00:58:08,760 resources to put significantly 2130 00:58:08,760 --> 00:58:11,099 to make any investments, even 2131 00:58:11,099 --> 00:58:12,119 though there's an argument that 2132 00:58:12,119 --> 00:58:13,320 can be made from a soil 2133 00:58:13,320 --> 00:58:14,199 amendments perspective. 2134 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:15,240 I mean, 2135 00:58:15,360 --> 00:58:16,780 we have so many agricultural 2136 00:58:16,780 --> 00:58:18,039 soils now that are completely 2137 00:58:18,039 --> 00:58:19,619 depleted of cobalt and 2138 00:58:19,619 --> 00:58:21,360 molybdenum and selenium and all 2139 00:58:21,360 --> 00:58:22,360 these important trace minerals 2140 00:58:22,360 --> 00:58:23,559 that add a great deal of 2141 00:58:23,559 --> 00:58:24,519 economic value. 2142 00:58:25,610 --> 00:58:27,210 But regenerating the 2143 00:58:27,519 --> 00:58:28,340 levels of those 2144 00:58:28,869 --> 00:58:30,539 is an investment. 2145 00:58:30,699 --> 00:58:32,400 It belongs on the CAPEX side of 2146 00:58:32,400 --> 00:58:33,200 the ledger, 2147 00:58:33,260 --> 00:58:35,000 not in operating expenses. 2148 00:58:36,710 --> 00:58:39,980 and so that's that's yeah that's 2149 00:58:39,980 --> 00:58:41,099 an interesting conversation 2150 00:58:41,099 --> 00:58:42,360 that's worth digging into but 2151 00:58:42,610 --> 00:58:44,030 let's get down to some closing 2152 00:58:44,030 --> 00:58:45,429 and rapid fire what do you say 2153 00:58:46,000 --> 00:58:48,070 yep go for it one piece of 2154 00:58:48,070 --> 00:58:50,090 advice for a grower who only has 2155 00:58:50,090 --> 00:58:51,849 the budget to change one thing 2156 00:58:51,849 --> 00:58:53,590 this season what should it be 2157 00:58:53,809 --> 00:58:54,869 the one thing john 2158 00:58:55,340 --> 00:58:57,829 seed treatments and 10 books 10 2159 00:58:57,829 --> 00:58:59,030 books yep 2160 00:58:59,659 --> 00:59:02,280 read good books okay i like it 2161 00:59:02,280 --> 00:59:03,480 all right the 2162 00:59:04,010 --> 00:59:05,530 region legacy what does john 2163 00:59:05,530 --> 00:59:07,050 want the landscape to look like 2164 00:59:07,050 --> 00:59:08,010 what do you want it to look like 2165 00:59:08,010 --> 00:59:09,389 john in 20 years 2166 00:59:09,829 --> 00:59:11,010 Well, in 20 years, 2167 00:59:11,619 --> 00:59:13,619 my dream would be that there is 2168 00:59:13,619 --> 00:59:15,139 no such thing as a region of 2169 00:59:15,139 --> 00:59:16,480 agriculture and conventional 2170 00:59:16,480 --> 00:59:17,280 agriculture. 2171 00:59:17,539 --> 00:59:18,900 It's just agriculture. 2172 00:59:19,159 --> 00:59:20,260 It's the way we do it. 2173 00:59:20,820 --> 00:59:21,860 Where to follow you, if you 2174 00:59:21,860 --> 00:59:22,660 would? 2175 00:59:22,380 --> 00:59:23,180 Websites, 2176 00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:24,200 social media, 2177 00:59:24,659 --> 00:59:25,599 where to get your book? 2178 00:59:25,980 --> 00:59:26,780 Most anywhere. 2179 00:59:27,019 --> 00:59:28,900 I have a personal website at 2180 00:59:28,900 --> 00:59:30,960 JonKempf .com. I have a blog up 2181 00:59:30,960 --> 00:59:31,760 there. 2182 00:59:32,139 --> 00:59:33,400 I have a podcast of the Region 2183 00:59:33,400 --> 00:59:34,340 of Agriculture podcast. 2184 00:59:34,340 --> 00:59:36,380 You can find me on many of the 2185 00:59:36,380 --> 00:59:37,699 mainstream social media 2186 00:59:37,699 --> 00:59:38,500 platforms. 2187 00:59:39,039 --> 00:59:40,460 Well, John, no, I appreciate it 2188 00:59:40,460 --> 00:59:41,539 for sure. You know, and our 2189 00:59:41,539 --> 00:59:42,440 audience, you know, 2190 00:59:42,840 --> 00:59:44,579 I just want to ask our audience 2191 00:59:44,579 --> 00:59:45,800 if you would follow us, you 2192 00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:47,179 know, like this, share it with 2193 00:59:47,179 --> 00:59:48,860 everybody. This right here is 2194 00:59:49,079 --> 00:59:50,460 what agriculture is. 2195 00:59:50,820 --> 00:59:51,659 It's not the future. 2196 00:59:51,780 --> 00:59:52,820 We're not living in the future. 2197 00:59:53,099 --> 00:59:53,900 It's now. 2198 00:59:54,239 --> 00:59:55,599 And it was like this even years 2199 00:59:55,599 --> 00:59:57,360 ago, but it just took time to, I 2200 00:59:57,360 --> 00:59:59,280 feel like, blossom completely. 2201 00:59:59,420 --> 01:00:00,220 But this is 2202 01:00:00,900 --> 01:00:02,579 moving forward the way 2203 01:00:02,579 --> 01:00:04,380 agriculture will be done. 2204 01:00:04,599 --> 01:00:06,019 Talking to John about it, having 2205 01:00:06,019 --> 01:00:07,780 him spill out his knowledge, we 2206 01:00:07,780 --> 01:00:08,659 appreciate it, John. 2207 01:00:09,289 --> 01:00:10,530 We appreciate that you've shared 2208 01:00:10,530 --> 01:00:11,829 it with our audience and just 2209 01:00:11,829 --> 01:00:13,860 taking the time to literally 2210 01:00:13,860 --> 01:00:15,840 spend it with us and sharing 2211 01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:16,679 this wisdom. 2212 01:00:17,280 --> 01:00:18,159 Yeah, glad to be here. 2213 01:00:18,239 --> 01:00:19,039 Thanks for having me on, 2214 01:00:19,119 --> 01:00:20,119 Brandon. I look forward to more 2215 01:00:20,119 --> 01:00:20,940 conversations in the future. 2216 01:00:21,079 --> 01:00:22,280 Absolutely. Happy growing season 2217 01:00:22,280 --> 01:00:23,900 to everyone. Yeah, same to you. 2218 01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:25,059 Happy growing season to you and 2219 01:00:25,059 --> 01:00:26,079 we definitely appreciate you, 2220 01:00:26,219 --> 01:00:27,019 John. Have a great day. 2221 01:00:37,519 --> 01:00:39,179 The team at AEA and I are 2222 01:00:39,179 --> 01:00:40,699 dedicated to bringing this show 2223 01:00:40,699 --> 01:00:42,300 to you because we believe that 2224 01:00:42,300 --> 01:00:44,000 knowledge and information is the 2225 01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:45,679 foundation of successful 2226 01:00:45,679 --> 01:00:46,980 regenerative systems. 2227 01:00:47,690 --> 01:00:49,670 At AEA, we believe that growing 2228 01:00:49,670 --> 01:00:51,389 better quality food and making 2229 01:00:51,389 --> 01:00:52,929 more money from your crops is 2230 01:00:52,929 --> 01:00:53,730 possible. 2231 01:00:53,949 --> 01:00:55,070 And since 2006, 2232 01:00:55,389 --> 01:00:56,289 we've worked with leading 2233 01:00:56,289 --> 01:00:57,630 professional growers to help 2234 01:00:57,630 --> 01:00:58,610 them do just that. 2235 01:00:59,340 --> 01:01:00,980 At AEA, we don't guess. 2236 01:01:01,260 --> 01:01:02,480 We test. We analyze. 2237 01:01:03,190 --> 01:01:04,409 And we provide recommendations 2238 01:01:04,409 --> 01:01:06,170 based on scientific data, 2239 01:01:06,630 --> 01:01:07,489 knowledge, and experience. 2240 01:01:08,170 --> 01:01:09,329 We've developed products that 2241 01:01:09,329 --> 01:01:10,630 are uniquely positioned to help 2242 01:01:10,630 --> 01:01:12,130 growers make more money with 2243 01:01:12,130 --> 01:01:13,090 regenerative agriculture. 2244 01:01:13,880 --> 01:01:15,219 If you are a professional grower 2245 01:01:15,219 --> 01:01:17,079 who believes in testing instead 2246 01:01:17,079 --> 01:01:17,880 of guessing, 2247 01:01:18,420 --> 01:01:19,519 someone who believes in a 2248 01:01:19,519 --> 01:01:20,940 better, more regenerative way to 2249 01:01:20,940 --> 01:01:21,740 grow, 2250 01:01:21,989 --> 01:01:24,429 visit advancingecoag .com and 2251 01:01:24,429 --> 01:01:26,179 contact us. see if AEA is right 2252 01:01:26,179 --> 01:01:26,980 for you. 2253 01:01:27,679 --> 01:01:28,880 Thank you for listening, and we 2254 01:01:28,880 --> 01:01:29,760 look forward to working with 2255 01:01:29,760 --> 01:01:30,560 you.