Soil Talks™ Podcast

Brandon Kail

Soil Talks™ Podcast cuts through the slogans and gets straight to decisions that matter. Each week, we sit down with producers, agronomists, researchers, and product builders shaping the next decade of agriculture. We go beyond theory into timing, placement, risk, and verification. So you hear exactly how people are solving tough problems: compaction that returns, salinity and sodicity, nutrient “access vs. supply,” microbe persistence, drought-time irrigation tactics, and when it’s safe to pull inputs back without risking the crop. You won’t hear hype. You’ll listen to what worked, where it stalled, and the single change that restarted progress. . If you’re responsible for acres, budgets, or outcomes and want signal over noise this is your show.

  1. What Soil Tests Miss: The Biology Driving Real Soil Fertility | Dr. Lance Gunderson

    2D AGO

    What Soil Tests Miss: The Biology Driving Real Soil Fertility | Dr. Lance Gunderson

    If soil is the engine of agriculture, how do we measure its performance? For decades, agriculture has treated soil like a chemistry set. Measure nitrogen. Adjust phosphorus. Balance potassium. But soil is not a sterile laboratory. It is a living biological engine. In this episode of Soil Talks™ Podcast, Brandon Kail sits down with Dr. Lance Gunderson, president of Regen Ag Lab and one of the most experienced soil microbiology interpreters in agriculture today. With over 100,000 soil samples analyzed, Lance explains why traditional soil tests often miss the most important part of soil function: biology. We break down: • Why the soil microbiome controls nutrient availability • The limits of conventional salt extraction soil tests • How the Haney Test measures biological soil function • Why fungal:bacterial ratios influence carbon storage and drought resilience • The hidden role of protozoa and microbial grazing in nitrogen release • The difference between PLFA testing and DNA sequencing • How growers can reduce fertilizer dependency through biological nutrient cycling If soil is the engine of agriculture, this episode shows how to finally look under the hood. Because soil health isn't just chemistry. It's biology, structure, water, and time working together. 🎧 Share, Like & Subscribe to the Soil Talks™ Podcast Hosted by Rocky Mountain BioAg® Contact Dr. Gunderson at https://regenaglab.com Learn more with The Biological...Beyond Organic® Fundamentals Course #soilhealth #soilbiology #soilmicrobiome #soiltesting #haney test #regenerative agriculture #soilfertility #microbialnutrientcycling #plfasoiltesting #soilmicrobiology

    33 min
  2. Why Modern Agriculture Keeps Failing the Soil | Jon Stika on Soil Biology

    MAR 6

    Why Modern Agriculture Keeps Failing the Soil | Jon Stika on Soil Biology

    For decades, agriculture has treated soil like a chemical system. Add fertilizer to correct deficiencies. Increase yield. But what if the real problem isn’t nutrients, it’s biology? In this episode of Soil Talks Podcast, Brandon Kail sits down with Jon Stika, author of A Soil Owner’s Manual and a former NRCS agronomist with over 30 years of experience studying soil health and regenerative agriculture systems. Together, they unpack one of the most important shifts happening in modern farming: Soil is not a chemical system. Soil is a biological system. John explains why the Green Revolution pushed agriculture toward fertilizer dependency, how soil aggregates create habitat for billions of organisms, and why rebuilding soil biology may be the most profitable path forward for farmers. Inside this conversation: • Why modern agriculture became dependent on fertilizer • The hidden soil biology beneath every field • Why soil tests were built for degraded systems • How soil aggregates control water infiltration and nutrient cycling • Why yield per acre can be a misleading metric • The transition period when moving toward regenerative agriculture • How soil health affects nutrient density in food If agriculture is going to remain profitable and resilient, the conversation must move beyond inputs and toward restoring the biological systems that make soil function. Listen to understand why many farmers are shifting from a chemistry-first model to a biology-first approach. Guest: Jon Stika – Author of A Soil Owner’s Manual and former NRCS agronomist Connect with Jon Stika Email: physicus1@gmail.com Subscribe to Soil Talks™ Podcast YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Music #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilBiology #SustainableFarming #CarbonFarming #AgriculturePodcast #SoilTalks

    50 min
  3. The Death of NPK: Why Lazy Soils and Broken Yields Start with Modern Agronomy

    FEB 13

    The Death of NPK: Why Lazy Soils and Broken Yields Start with Modern Agronomy

    Every farmer knows the frustration following the book, applying the right NPK, investing in chemistry, only to watch soil resilience disappear. In this powerful episode of Soil Talks™, RMBA Founder Mark sits down with Gary Zimmer, the godfather of biological farming, to expose the broken mindset of modern agronomy and chart the path forward for the next agricultural revolution. Topics Covered: Why “perfect lab numbers” still lead to dead soilThe six foundational rules of biological farmingHow calcium drives the entire mineral and biological systemThe link between dairy cow digestion and soil biologyWhy regenerative and organic aren’t enough and “biological” is the futureHow farmers can earn the right to cut inputs, pesticides, and nitrogen⚡ Key Quote: “Soil isn’t a factory. It’s a massive living digestive system and we’ve been feeding it like it’s dead.” 🎯 Who It’s For: Farmers ready to move beyond NPK, consultants rethinking soil health, and anyone tired of the chemical treadmill. 🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube: 👉 Rocky Mountain BioAg® Soil Talks™ Channel 🧠 Join the Movement: Subscribe to the Biological…Beyond Organic® Newsletter on LinkedInEnroll in the Soil Fundamentals CourseFollow @RockyMountainBioAg on all major platforms#SoilTalks #BiologicalFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #GaryZimmer #RockyMountainBioAg #BeyondOrganic

    1h 7m
  4. Guessing Is Over: Real-Time Plant ‘Lie Detector’ With Picketa Systems CEO Xavier Hebert-Couturier

    FEB 6

    Guessing Is Over: Real-Time Plant ‘Lie Detector’ With Picketa Systems CEO Xavier Hebert-Couturier

    For decades, farmers and agronomists have been forced to guess what’s happening inside the crop or wait days to weeks for tissue results that can change before the lab report even arrives. In this episode of Soil Talks™, Brandon sits down with Xavier Hebert-Couturier, CEO & Founder of Picketa Systems, the team behind a handheld tool that uses light + AI to reveal what the human eye can’t: real-time nutrient status inside the leaf. We unpack how the Picketa “Lens” is closing the gap between scouting and action turning every field visit into a tissue test in about a minute and why this matters for: Faster, better decisions in-season (no more waiting on labs)Reducing wasted fertilizer and improving nutrient efficiencyHelping agronomists move from “diagnosing” to building a real planSupporting more precise, measurable transitions toward regenerative & biological systemsA future where sensing + application get tighter… all the way to automationXavier also shares how Picketa scaled from a university capstone project to a venture-backed ag tech company, why most ag tech fails, and what it will take to build the most reliable plant nutrition sensing system on earth. Learn more about Picketa Systems: Website: www.picketa.comEmail: info@picketa.com If you got value from this conversation, please leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts it helps us bring on more CEOs and innovators shaping the future of agriculture.

    1h 3m
  5. The Green Philosophy: Why Lawns Fail Without Soil Biology

    JAN 30

    The Green Philosophy: Why Lawns Fail Without Soil Biology

    For decades, lawn care has been built on schedules, products, and chemical fixes, yet lawns continue to decline, thin out, struggle with disease, and require more inputs every year. Why? Most lawn programs ignore the most important part of the system: soil biology. In this episode of the Soil Talks™ Podcast, we sit down with Rob Gaunt, Plant Pathologist and ISA Arborist, to break down The Green Philosophy a soil-first approach to lawn and landscape care that moves beyond chemicals, beyond guesswork, and into biological function. This conversation challenges the traditional lawn care model and explains why fertilizers and chemicals often fail long-term when biology is missing from the system. In this episode, we explore:• Why lawns fail even when “everything is done right” • How chemical programs mask problems instead of fixing them • What living soil actually means in turf systems • The role of microbes, fungi, and roots in long-term lawn health • Why biology, not products, drives resilience • How a soil-first approach changes the way we manage turf Rather than focusing on quick fixes, this discussion looks at lawns as biological systems, not chemical equations. When soil biology is ignored, inputs increase and results decline. When biology is restored, systems stabilize and begin to regenerate. Whether you’re a homeowner frustrated with recurring lawn problems, a lawn care professional looking for better outcomes, or someone managing turf at scale, this episode provides a foundational framework for understanding why lawns fail and what actually fixes them. Soil Talks™ Podcast is where we break down soil biology, plant health, and regenerative systems one conversation at a time. 📞 Have questions about your lawn or soil system? Our team is happy to help: 1-877-874-2334

    54 min

About

Soil Talks™ Podcast cuts through the slogans and gets straight to decisions that matter. Each week, we sit down with producers, agronomists, researchers, and product builders shaping the next decade of agriculture. We go beyond theory into timing, placement, risk, and verification. So you hear exactly how people are solving tough problems: compaction that returns, salinity and sodicity, nutrient “access vs. supply,” microbe persistence, drought-time irrigation tactics, and when it’s safe to pull inputs back without risking the crop. You won’t hear hype. You’ll listen to what worked, where it stalled, and the single change that restarted progress. . If you’re responsible for acres, budgets, or outcomes and want signal over noise this is your show.

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