AgEmerge Podcast 184 with Dr. Michael McNeill | The Saga of Soggy Sauerkraut
From Ag Emerge Podcast by Hosted by Monte Bottens
March 24, 2026 · 1h 2m
About this episode
Dr. Michael McNeill discusses the negative impacts of glyphosate on farming and shares regenerative strategies to improve soil health and crop resilience.
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…
People in this episode
Host: Monte Bottens
Guest: Dr. Michael McNeill
Topics covered
- glyphosate
- soil health
- crop resilience
- regenerative agriculture
- microbial balance
- weed control
Keywords
- glyphosate
- soil biology
- crop health
- pathogenic fungi
- regenerative strategies
- cover crops
- microbial inoculants
- sauerkraut
- disease suppression
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Lactobacillus plantarum
Products: glyphosate, sauerkraut juice
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