Apr 17, 2018
This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Tom Dykstra, the founder and laboratory director at Dykstra Labs, who also has advanced degrees in entomology and has worked with Dr. Phil Callahan.
In this episode, we talk about plant and insect communications, and how plants can only see and feed on plants who are unhealthy (insects are only attracted to unhealthy plants). We also discuss Dr. Dykstra’s current day work in bioelectromagnetics, entomology, and agriculture. This episode is a truly amazing glimpse into these very fascinating areas and how they relate to plant physiology.
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Episode 4 - Dr. Dykstra - Highlights
3:00 - What memorable moments lead Tom to where he is today?
5:40 - What is the potential impact of Tom’s work on agriculture? What might farmers be able to apply?
8:30 - Photosynthesis thoughts. How much is it possible to increase photosynthesis beyond what is normal? What tools can optimize it?
17:30 - What can we do to increase energy flow in the soil profile?
25:00 - Cover crops or applying sugar directly
27:30 - Why has erosion become such a challenge?
28:40 - What has been something Tom has puzzled over for a long time?
31:20 - Why some insects are attracted to certain regions while others are not?
35:20 - What are some of the compounds that serve as insect attractants we could manage and monitor?
42:30 - Are nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen insect attractants?
48:10 - What are the possible detection distances for these insect signaling compounds?
50:20 - Why do some people seem to attract mosquitoes, and some do not?
54:10 - What are the differences between healthy and unhealthy mosquitoes?
57:00 - What has been something that has really surprised Tom?
1:01:20 - What does Tom believe to be true about agriculture that many others do not believe to be true?
1:06:30 - What is a book or resource Tom would recommend?
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