AgEmerge Podcast 184 with Dr. Michael McNeill | The Saga of Soggy Sauerkraut
Many farmers assume glyphosate is a reliable tool for weed control with minimal downsides, but Dr. Michael McNeill shows how this herbicide quietly disrupts the very foundation of productive farming—from soil biology to crop health and long-term field resilience.
In this eye-opening episode, Dr. McNeill explains the hidden journey of glyphosate through the farm system: how it lingers in manure from treated feed, carries over to contaminate even organic fields, and boosts pathogenic fungi and other disease pressures that hit yields hard. He shares research revealing glyphosate's antibiotic-like effects on soil microbes—shifting the microbial balance, weakening natural disease suppression, and making plants more vulnerable to outbreaks that cost farmers in inputs and lost production.
You'll hear about practical, farmer-tested ways to fight back, including using raw sauerkraut juice (loaded with beneficial fermentative microbes like Lactobacillus plantarum) to rapidly break down glyphosate residues in soil and feed crops—potentially slashing contamination by 80-90% in just months and freeing up bound nutrients for better plant uptake.
The discussion dives deep into proven regenerative strategies to reclaim fields: strategic cover crops, targeted microbial inoculants, balanced soil nutrition, and other biological practices that naturally crowd out weeds, curb pests and diseases, and rebuild robust soil structure—without leaning on chemicals that create dependency and hidden costs over time.
This episode lays bare how over-reliance on glyphosate often leads to nutrient lockups, escalating disease pressure, and rising input needs that eat into profits. But it also delivers real hope: a path to more resilient crops, healthier soils, lower long-term costs, and stronger farm sustainability.
Ideal for row-crop farmers, livestock producers, agronomists, and anyone managing land who wants to cut through the noise and explore science-backed ways to reduce chemical dependency while boosting productivity and soil vitality. If you're ready to rethink weed management and invest in farming biologically, this conversation is essential listening.
Read the journal article here: https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/59/11/article-p1618.xml
About Dr. Michael McNeill:
Over the past four decades, Dr. McNeill's focus as an agronomist has been in teaching the agricultural community an understanding of soil and plant nutrition, emphasizing its’ importance for animal and human health. His emphasis has been placed on developing farming systems that promote soil and plant health, as well as, conducting on farm research to develop efficient bio-remediation of soil and water contaminated with farm chemicals and fertilizer nutrients. Also, a major focus of his has been to teach farmers methods to evaluate soil health by measuring soil microbial life, water infiltration rates, soil density, soil compaction, soil fertility levels and how to develop corrective measures if problems are discovered.
Positions, Scientific Appointments
1983 – Present President of Ag Advisory, Ltd. (an agricultural consulting company)
1971 – 1983 Research Scientist and Manager of a regional corn breeding station located in Algona,
Iowa.
1969 – 1971 U.S. Army research pathologist, study of soybean and corn disease epiphytology.
1964 – 1969 Iowa State University, research associate.
Contributions to Science: Published papers in the following:
Crop Science, Horticulture Science, Egyptian Journal of Genetics, Plant Disease Reporter, Journal of
Genetics, Journal of Economic Entomology, Agronomy Journal, Iowa State University Extension
Service Bulletins
Popular Press articles: Farm Journal, Successful Farming, Farm Industry News, Iowa Farmer Today, Soybean Digest, Furrow
