The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast
Explore efforts to reduce nutrients in Illinois waterways from agricultural runoff to municipal wastewater with host Todd Gleason and producers Rachel Curry, and Nicole Haverback. Read the blog at extension.illinois.edu/nlr/blog

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University of Illinois Extension soil fertility specialist John Jones advises farmers to delay fall nitrogen applications until soil temperatures at a four-inch depth fall to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and continue cooling.
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Episode 86 | Making Every Nutrient Count: Fall Fertilizer Decisions for Productivity, Profitability, and Water Quality

University of Illinois Extension soil fertility specialist John Jones advises farmers to delay fall nitrogen applications until soil temperatures at a four-inch depth fall to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and continue cooling. To further prevent nitrogen loss through leaching, he recommends using...
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Episode 85 | Cover Crop Conversations: when to seed a cover crop

This episode of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast examines the crucial role of timing in cover crop establishment through discussions with regional farmers Adam Dahmer, Brent Fowler, and Greg Thoren. The speakers emphasize that optimal seeding dates depend on geographic location and...
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Episode 84 | Cover Crop Conversations: practical management advice

In Episode 84 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, Illinois farmers Adam Dahmer, Brent Fowler, and Greg Thoren share practical management advice from their experiences with cover crops and no-till across different parts of the state. The third installment of the cover crop...
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Episode 83 | Cover Crop Conversations: profitability, soil health and yield

This episode of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast examines the economic and agronomic realities of cover crops through a panel discussion with three diverse Illinois farmers. Adam Dahmer, Brent Fowler, and Greg Thoren argue that prioritizing profit per acre and soil structure proves...
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Episode 82 | Cover Crop Conversations: cultural and mindset shifts

Despite being the only in-field practice that efficiently reduces both nitrogen and phosphorus, cover crops are currently used on just 6% of Illinois cropland. To encourage wider adoption, the University of Illinois Extension launched the FLASH (Farmer-Led Advances for Soil Health) program,...
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Episode 81 | The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Reducing Nutrient Loss

In episode 81 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, Dr. Lizzie French and Mick Goedeken from Waypoint Analytical discuss how soil microbes influence nutrient cycling, soil structure, and nutrient retention within agricultural systems.

The conversation explores how soil...
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Episode 80 | Dust Storms, Starter Fertilizer, and Conservation Tillage

In episode 80 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, University of Illinois Assistant Professor and Extension agronomist Giovani Preza Fontes shares results from a research project evaluating soybean performance across different tillage systems and fertilizer strategies. 
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Episode 79 | Why You Should Use the N-Rate Calculator

In Episode 79 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, University of Illinois soil fertility specialist John Jones, agricultural economist Gary Schnitkey, and Illinois Corn Growers Association water quality specialist Laura Gentry share highlights from a live panel discussion recorded...
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Episode 78 | 35 Years of USDA Wetland Restoration

In Episode 78 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, University of Illinois agricultural economist Marin Skidmore discusses her study reviewing 35 years of USDA wetland restoration. She explains how these restorations reduce nitrogen concentrations in surface water, the data used to...
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Episode 77 | Batch and Grow with Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health (FLASH)

Farmers often learn best from one another, and the Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health (FLASH) program helps make those connections possible. In Episode 77, Morgan Cauble from AFT, Malina Przygoda from the Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Bobby Orman, a Coles County farmer...
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Podcast Hosts
Todd Gleason

Todd Gleason

Media Communications Specialist, News & Public Affairs (Radio)