Episode 187: Clearing Nitrogen "Constipation" in High-Yield Corn with Brody Benton

Brody Benton is an agronomist and no-till farmer in Guthrie County, Iowa, specializing in continuous corn rotations and hoop-barn hog manure management . Brody works with growers in Iowa and the midwest as an independent consultant through his company, Six B, using sap analysis and field trials to help growers reduce synthetic chemical dependency.

To forward regenerative agriculture, Brody focuses on restoring soil fungal communities, accelerating humification, and keeping living roots in the ground year-round through cover cropping . He advocates replacing synthetic fungicides with targeted trace mineral nutrition to resolve plant nutrient backlogs, boost photosynthesis, and rebuild natural crop immunity .

In this episode, John and Brody discuss:

The historical shift over the last 50 years from naturally maturing green corn to crops dependent on continuous synthetic inputs .

How late-season cover crops feed soil biology with exudates to increase organic matter and boost cash crop yields .

The severe impact of chemical herbicides on soil fungi and how proper planting depth protects biological inoculants .

How AEA ReBound trace minerals and PhotoMag clear nitrogen backlogs, lower plant nitrates, and reactivate photosynthesis .

The success of Pinion as a fungicide alternative that suppresses tar spot without harming soil biology .

How trace mineral nutrition prevents phantom yield loss by maintaining a reducing internal environment in the plant during grain fill .

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.