Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
No insecticides. No pests. No problem!
Jay Watte grows alfalfa and grasses for seed and forage in the dry, alkaline, and generally challenging environment of far southern California. It's been nearly 2 years since Jay has sprayed pesticides, but his pest pressure is a fraction of his neighbors. Instead Jay uses nutrient management, including hefty doses of boron, both soil-applied and foliar.
"If crops generally had adequate levels of boron . . . insecticide use would probably drop upwards of 80% across the entire industry."
Learn some of Jay's techniques in today's conversation with John Kempf, including:
➡️ The challenges of producing seed compared to forage
➡️ Reducing nitrogen to zero in certain fields
➡️ Improving alfalfa seed quality
➡️ Water management and irrigation challenges in a desert environment
➡️ Evolving management strategies to combat the rise in pest and disease pressure
➡️ Experiments with soil inoculations and cover crops
🎧 Listen: loom.ly/PAGVnu0
No insecticides. No pests. No problem!
Jay Watte grows alfalfa and grasses for seed and forage in the dry, alkaline, and generally challenging environment of far southern California. It's been nearly 2 years since Jay has sprayed pesticides, but his pest pressure is a fraction of his neighbors. Instead Jay uses nutrient management, including hefty doses of boron, both soil-applied and foliar.
"If crops generally had adequate levels of boron . . . insecticide use would probably drop upwards of 80% across the entire industry."
Learn some of Jay's techniques in today's conversation with John Kempf, including:
➡️ The challenges of producing seed compared to forage
➡️ Reducing nitrogen to zero in certain fields
➡️ Improving alfalfa seed quality
➡️ Water management and irrigation challenges in a desert environment
➡️ Evolving management strategies to combat the rise in pest and disease pressure
➡️ Experiments with soil inoculations and cover crops
🎧 Listen: loom.ly/PAGVnu0
