Welcome to GermiNation—the podcast where seeds tell their stories. I’m your host, Cindy Hicks, coming to you from the Iowa State University Seed Science Center, a global leader in seed research, education, and outreach.
Each episode, we dig into the beauty, wonder, and science of seeds—those tiny powerhouses at the heart of agriculture, biodiversity, and global food security. Through conversations with scientists, farmers, industry leaders, and changemakers around the world, we explore how seeds connect us, sustain us, and shape our future.
This is GermiNation—where every great story starts with a seed.
GermiNation S2E9 Seeds After the Storm: Helping Jamaica Grow Again
After Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica’s agriculture, farmers urgently needed quality seed to rebuild. Discover how Jamaican agricultural leaders, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and the Iowa State University Seed Science Center worked across borders to overcome testing and regulatory barriers, safely deliver donated organic seed, and plant the foundation for a more resilient food system.
19 Aug 2026
Getting to the Root of the Fertilizer Problem: How Nitrogen-Efficient Flax Could Help Farmers Grow More with Less
Can crops produce strong yields with less fertilizer? As fertilizer prices rise and concerns grow about nutrient runoff and greenhouse gas emissions, researchers are looking to plant genetics for solutions.
In this episode of GermiNation, host Cindy Hicks talks with Dr. Bourlaye Fofana, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Dr. Fofana and his collaborators identified more than 1,000 genes involved in how flax responds to nitrogen stress. Their findings could help breeders develop varieties with stronger root systems that use nitrogen more efficiently.
Discover how nitrogen-efficient flax could reduce farmers’ input costs, lessen agriculture’s environmental footprint and provide insights that may ultimately benefit other crops.
GermiNation is produced by the Iowa State University Seed Science Center, where every great story starts with a seed.
9 Jul 2026
GermiNation S2, E7 One Acre, Two Paychecks: The Promise of Relay Cropping Part 2 of 2 (Audio only)
Today's episode is Part Two of our special series from the Relay Cropping Field Day at Iowa State University's Sorenson Research Farm. In Part One, we learned about the promise of relay cropping from Dr. Shrishail Navi and heard firsthand how sixth-generation farmer Jason Russell of Big Boulder Farms is putting these conservation practices to work on his operation.
Today, we continue that conversation by looking at what's next. You'll hear from Matt Leavitt, an agronomist with the Forever Green Initiative, and Anna Teeter of Cargill about the growing opportunities surrounding winter camelina, an emerging oilseed crop creating new markets for farmers. Then we'll take to the skies with Dr. Fernando Mauri Marcos of Iowa State University's Remote Sensing and Imaging Lab to explore how drone technology is helping researchers, and soon, family farmers, collect the data needed to make smarter, more informed management decisions.
Contact GermiNation
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of GermiNation?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
