This Week in Agribusiness, October 11, 2025

Mike Pearson starts this week's edition of This Week in Agribusiness by chatting with Haley Underwood, who lives in Peoria, Ill. She is the Nutrien Trial Lead who focuses on setting up on-farm trials for new products. The idea is to deliver data on the local levels. The idea is to give farmers an idea of what certain products can do for farmers. The one thing that has been found is that the highest level of management doesn't always pay.

In this week's Market Segment, Pearson talks with Mark Rosenbaum, Senior Grain and Oilseed Analyst for Terrain. The one thing that he sees happening in the near future is higher input prices for fertilizer, chemicals and repair costs. The only optimism he feels is in fuel prices remaining steady.

Rosenbaum says he sees ethanol climbing some which will create a bigger demand for corn.

Greg Soulje is in with a weather forecast for the week.

Also on the show is John Mays, Senior Director for Crop Life Sciences. He discusses some products the company offers to aide in grain storage. One product is Gravista, it protects grain so farmers can store it and keep it safe. It is offered in a dry and liquid form. He also says farmers need to do a pre-bin inspection and consider using Vista in the bin.

Up next was Max Armstrong leading the Plan Smart, Grow Smart with BASF segment and talking with Jeff Schluckbier, Vassar, Michigan. He is the third generation on the farm. The farm produces dry beans, sugar beets, corn and wheat. He talks about the diverse weed pressure, and it is increasing. He also talks about how many plants are weed resistant. Schluckbier says the farm takes pride in delivering a product with no weeds. He also talked about grain storage-- the farm only stores corn.

Related: Meat Institute selects 2026 class of Emerging Leaders

Greg is back with an extended weather outlook.

Pearson is back in the studio talking with Farm Futures Senior Editor Bruce Blythe about the absence of USDA reports due to the government shutdown. He says not having the reports leaves a big void to fill. One thing he did say is that he expects the corn yield numbers will fall but no one will know until the reports resume.

There's a 1959 John Deere 730 D in Max's Tractor Shed. He shares a special story about the family behind the tractor. The tractor is owned by Peyton Caplinger, Eaton, Ohio. Caplinger restored the tractor with his grandfather who was at the dealership working the day it was sold brand new. Now, the family owns the tractor and the farm it was delivered to once it was sold by the dealership.

Mark Stock shares the lineup for BigIron Auctions.

Related: Tight supplies and strong demand

The FFA tribute this week goes to Kash Majerus, Nebraska State FFA Vice President.

Majerus was looking for classes when his guidance counselor suggested a FFA class that involved animal science. He was already showing cattle and very interested in so he joined. Before long, he became a leader in the organization and loves talking to new members. His goal is to shake the hands of everyone he meets.

Majerus wants to major in animal science at college and become a large animal veterinarian in the future.

The weekly FFA Chapter Tribute is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the good work of your local chapter. Tell us about what you're doing, give us some history from your group and tell our viewers of the work you do in the community. FFA chapters across the country deserve recognition for the work they do, make sure we include yours.

To have your chapter considered for this weekly feature, send along information about your group by e-mail to Max Armstrong at [email protected] . They'll get your group on the list of those that will be covered in the future. It's a chance to share your story beyond the local community.

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of about 650,000 student members as part of 7,757 local FFA chapters. The National FFA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online www.ffa.org, on Facebook at facebook.com/nationalffa , on Twitter at twitter.com/nationalffa .

Related: Tyson, Cargill to pay $87.5M in beef price-fixing case

In the ag tech segment, Chad Colby, takes a look at the " Flying Ag " entry level drone kit. He shows viewers how good the camera is on the drone and it even comes with filters to avoid over exposure. It weighs less than 249 grams so it can be flown without the FAA regulations. IT has a 37–38-minute fly time. And the controller has a display, so operators don't have to use their phones and keeps focus.

In the final segment of the show, Max Armstrong talks with High Horsepower Marketing Manager Mark Burns at the Farm Progress Show about the Case IH 785 Quad Trac which is the newest member to the Steiger line. The tractor is best for tillage applications and air seeders. It also offers two different technology packages.

This Week in Agribusiness features market news, ag technology, weather and farms, weekly on RFD-TV, and can be found each week on FarmProgress.com .