Paul Sullivan joins the show to talk about the challenges he and his farmers are dealing with in his area of Eastern Ontario. We discuss some really interesting population trials that he’s doing, fertility issues coming off years of high fertilizer prices, and what difference SWAT MAPS has made for him and his farmer customers. 

“When we look at yield, yield is a component of kernel number times kernel weight, and that gives us basically yield per acre. So with the definition of the SWAT MAPS we feel those  yield components, we can kind of connect the genetics with the water supplying capacity in addition to the management of the farm.” - Paul Sullivan

Paul is a certified crop consultant and agronomist in Eastern Ontario. He has operated his agronomy services firm, PT Sullivan Agro, since 1997, and started using SWAT MAPS in recent years. His area of the province, which is just outside of Ottawa, is mostly corn, soybeans and wheat. Paul’s work focuses on developing crop plans around nutrient management, pH, pesticides, and some genetic recommendations as well. 

Before starting the business, Paul spent eight years as a soil and crop advisor with the ministry of agriculture and food covering three counties with the provincial extension group there. So he has a long history of working directly with farmers to solve agronomic problems. 

00:00 Welcome to SWAT Agronomy Podcast
00:26 Introduction to Today's Episode
00:55 Meet Paul Sullivan
02:23 Paul's Agronomy Journey
02:49 Early Challenges and Solutions
04:48 Soil and Fertility Issues
06:18 Managing Crop Residue
08:28 Adopting SWAT MAPS
14:47 Population Trials and Hybrid Management
21:03 Impact of SWAT Maps on Business
23:20 Conclusion and Farewell