Dr. Rob Mikkelsen recently attended the American Society of Agronomy Conference. He reunited with many of his colleagues and we have the chance to bring two international influencers onto our podcast over the next couple weeks. In this week's podcast, we delve into the heart of modern agriculture with Dr. Fernando Garcia, a renowned expert in soil fertility and crop nutrition. Dr. Garcia is a Free Professor at the College of Agricultural Sciences of the National University of Mar del Plata, Argentina, and a consultant for various agricultural organizations, shares his valuable insights into ecologically intensified cropping systems and their impact on global agriculture.  Some of the topics we covered are  The Four Pillars of Agriculture: no-till farming, crop rotation, cover crops, and balanced nutrition. Dr. Garcia’s perspective on how these pillars contribute to sustainable agriculture. Comparative Agriculture: Argentina vs. North America.   Dr. Garcia outlines key challenges in modern agriculture and discusses innovative approaches and technologies in addressing these challenges with an emphasis on the importance of adapting to climate change and environmental pressures. Exploration of programs and strategies used by Argentinian farmers and how these practices can be examples for farmers globally. The role of government and private sector in supporting these initiatives. Make sure you check out next week's episode with Dr. John Ryan