Breaking Barriers with R&D
Lifelong farmers and founders of Total Acre, Randy Dowdy and David Hula share their Breaking Barriers agronomic insights to challenge farmers to think differently. While known for growing record-breaking corn and soybean yields, their primary focus is maximizing profits on every acre. Learn from the duo to focus on continual, measurable improvement on your farm.
From rethinking plant populations and fertility to SCO/ECO coverage, the two high-yield farmers share their plans for managing ongoing volatility.
World-record corn growers David Hula and Randy Dowdy share three essential practices that don’t cost a dime but could take your final yield numbers this fall from just OK to great.
A detailed “farming playbook” can help guide essential input investments and maximize ROI.
Commodity prices have not kept pace with rising costs, leaving many row crop growers struggling to keep their operations on positive footing headed into the new year.
Because every growing season is unique, agronomists are encouraging corn growers to make a management plan for the “driver diseases” they’re most likely to encounter in fields next year.
Corn yield champs say annual soil testing is the best way to make sure fields are up to the goal of delivering profitable high yields every season.
Planting more cover crops this fall is one way corn and soybean growers are addressing their 2026 nutrient needs and looking to trim expenses in the process.
Herbicides and defoliants are commonly used by farmers in southern regions to quicken the harvest period and reduce the risk of shatter loss and poor test weights. Now, Midwest growers and researchers are looking at how to use the practice.
The crop took it on the chin this season, with some Iowa farmers reporting huge yield losses as harvest gets underway. A one-time fungicide application helped, but it wasn’t enough to buck severe disease pressure, allowing it to return.
A prematurely collapsing ear shank stops grain fill, leading to yield reductions that can reach as high as 40%.
Marion Calmer is renown for his corn harvesting innovations. The fourth-generation Illinois farmer also has a wealth of practical knowledge about how to take more beans to the bin — and freely shares some of his insights and ideas here.
Nebraska grower Brian Herbek says a ‘finishing pass’ can help fill corn ears all the way to their tips with kernels and pack on more starch in the process. Hear more of Herbek’s insights along with David Hula and Randy Dowdy on Breaking Barriers With R&D.
More reports of ‘overly tight tassel wrap’ are coming in across the Corn Belt – including from the reigning world champion corn grower. Hula shares how he strategically uses his planter to minimize pollination risks.
Farmers and aerial applicators tell Randy Dowdy and David Hula some of the key considerations for effective fungicide applications are timing, droplet size and product reach in the crop canopy.
David Hula believes a high-quality carrier is so critical to the performance of his crop protection products that he loads and hauls all the water to the local airport that his aerial applicator uses.
Make adjustments as you plant because when those final steps are done poorly, corn germinates unevenly and there’s no way to go back and undo the damage.
GDUs offer a more reliable method to predict corn emergence and development than using calendar days, according to yield champions David Hula and Randy Dowdy. They also offer their pro tip on how to assess planting and germination depth.
Randy Hughes is continually refining his fertility program and has seen yields improve 40 bu. to 50 bu. per acre over the past six years. Hughes chats with corn yield champs David Hula and Randy Dowdy about the importance of being a lifelong student of the crop.
You want nutrients where corn roots can “luxury feed” on them without expending energy going and looking for them, say yield champions, David Hula and Randy Dowdy. They share some tips on how to accomplish that and make the most of your fertilizer dollars this season.
While macronutrients and micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and manganese contribute to high yields, yield champs say don’t overlook the importance of having soil pH in place first.
For high-yielding corn and soybean crops, there are some baseline fertility requirements you have to fund. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fine-tune practices and products and save some money. Here are four suggestions from high-yield champs David Hula and Randy Dowdy.
Add several thousand ears per acre to your yield results and boost ROI by getting your planter ready for the field. Be sure to download our free planter prep checklist.
When growing soybeans, the first thing farmers need to explore is where they can get those “free bushels,” says Randy Dowdy. One of the most important factors to consider is planting date, specifically the need to plant early.