Farmers spend countless hours choosing the right herbicide, the right rate, and the right timing. But what if the biggest factor in spray performance is something most growers never test?

The water in the tank.

In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with AGX to discuss how water quality and adjuvants impact herbicide performance — and why many spray failures have nothing to do with resistance or product choice.

Because the reality is, You’re mostly spraying water, not chemical.

And if that water isn’t conditioned properly, your herbicide may be neutralized before it even reaches the weed.

We break down the chemistry happening inside the spray tank.

• Roughly 90–95% of your spray tank is water
• Many growers have never tested their spray water
• Hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium can bind with herbicides like glyphosate
• Once herbicide binds to these ions, the reaction cannot be reversed

• What “hard water” actually means
• How calcium and magnesium deactivate herbicides
• Why spray water pH matters
• What alkaline hydrolysis is and why it can degrade chemistry quickly
• Why herbicide effectiveness can decline while you’re driving to the field

Many spray issues come from simply mixing products in the wrong order.

The correct order should be:

Water

Water conditioner / AMS / buffering agent

Herbicides

Surfactants or crop oils

Drift reduction products

If herbicide goes into bad water first, it can bind immediately and lose effectiveness.

• What adjuvants actually do
• The difference between surfactants, oils, buffers, and water conditioners
• Why glyphosate specifically requires conditioning
• The role of ammonium sulfate (AMS)
• Why dry AMS sometimes fails to solve the problem

We also compare the real costs:

• The cheap cost of conditioning water
• The expense of re-spraying fields
• The yield loss from surviving weeds

And we discuss an uncomfortable truth:

Some weeds labeled as “resistant” may actually be survivors of poor spray applications caused by water chemistry.

Proper adjuvant use and water conditioning can improve herbicide performance, reduce re-sprays, and potentially lower overall chemical usage.

Sometimes the cheapest yield protection available isn’t another chemical.

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Website: www.Farm4Profit.com

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In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with Lauryn and Colin Pinkston, a young couple from Lexington, Kentucky, who are building Pinkston Cattle Company while balancing off-farm careers and a rapidly growing social media following.

What makes their story unique is that neither of them grew up directly involved in production agriculture.

Lauryn grew up riding horses with family ties to the Kentucky racehorse industry, while Colin spent time helping friends on local tobacco farms before developing a deeper interest in cattle production.

After getting married in October 2024, the couple planned to build their first farm from the ground up. But when the right opportunity appeared, they made a bold move — purchasing a farm and downsizing their home to make the operation work.

Today they’re renovating the property while growing a commercial cattle and hay business.

Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!

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Don’t forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen!

Website: www.Farm4Profit.com

Shareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.com

Email address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.com

Call/Text: 515.207.9640

Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5Xqw

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In this episode of Farm4Profit, we sit down with Richard Fordyce, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, for a timely conversation about federal policy and what it means for American producers.

• What producers need to know
• How to apply
• Key deadlines and considerations
• How this support fits into today’s margin environment

• Online acreage reporting
• Technology upgrades within FSA and USDA
• Reducing paperwork and improving efficiency
• What modernization means for producers at the county office level

• The upcoming meeting between the U.S. President and China’s President
• What trade discussions could mean for U.S. agriculture
• The global backdrop farmers should be watching

• Priorities under Secretary Brooke Rollins
• What’s realistic in the coming year
• How the department is approaching policy in a tight fiscal and political climate
• What producers should prepare for heading into 2026

Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!

https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/

Don’t forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen!

Website: www.Farm4Profit.com

Shareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.com

Email address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.com

Call/Text: 515.207.9640

Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5Xqw

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