A Pesticide Scientist Approaches Research on Regenerative Citrus Farming with Herb Young
The Whole Farm Podcast
From Pesticide Research to Regenerative Citrus: Herb Young’s Data-Driven Approach to Soil Health
In this episode of the Whole Farm Podcast, Michael Piscotta and Herb Young discuss:
- Herb’s transition from pesticide research to regenerative citrus farming
- How cover crops support microbial diversity
- Why soil DNA testing changed Herb’s perspective
- What Haney soil health testing can reveal
- How regenerative trees responded differently after freeze events
- Why Herb believes nutrient density is the true goal of regenerative agriculture
- How growers can begin testing regenerative practices on their own farms
- The role CHONEX played in Herb’s organic nitrogen and microbial trial work
What happens when a pesticide researcher becomes a regenerative farmer?
That is the story behind this episode of the Whole Farm Podcast, where host Michael Piscotta sits down with Herb Young, a South Georgia citrus grower whose path into regenerative agriculture began after a long career in the pesticide industry.
Herb spent 38 years in agriculture, including 25 years doing field research. So when he started farming citrus, he brought a researcher’s mindset with him: test it, measure it, compare it, and prove it.
Today, Herb runs his citrus grove like a research farm. His operation includes replicated trials, check plots, soil DNA testing, Haney soil health testing, penetrometer readings, organic fertility comparisons, microbial inoculants, and side-by-side evaluations of conventional, organic, and regenerative systems.
But his biggest discovery was not just that regenerative practices could change the soil.
It was that living soil could change the entire crop system.
For Herb, regenerative agriculture starts with one simple idea: soil is alive.
That mindset has shaped nearly every decision in his citrus grove. Instead of treating soil as an inert medium that simply holds up the tree, Herb thinks about the ecosystem beneath the surface: bacteria, fungi, archaea, roots, exudates, organic matter, moisture, minerals, and microbial interactions.
His definition of regenerative agriculture is straightforward: bringing life back to the ecosystem in the soil.
That means protecting soil biology, feeding it, and measuring whether it is actually improving over time.
Herb’s approach includes diverse cover crops, organic fertility, compost tea, compost extract, commercial microbial inoculants, and regular applications designed to feed the microbes living around his citrus trees.
Why Cover Crops Matter
One of the most important tools in Herb’s system is cover cropping.
He uses diverse cover crop mixes, often with around 10 species in the spring and 10 in the fall. The goal is not just to keep the soil covered. It is to feed a wide range of microbes through plant root exudates.
Every cover crop species contributes something different underground. Those roots release sugars, proteins, enzymes, and other compounds that support microbial activity in the soil.
For growers who are curious about regenerative practices but unsure where to start, Herb sees cover crops as one of the most practical first steps.
They help protect the soil, reduce temperature stress, hold moisture, support aggregation, and feed the microbial community that crops depend on.
Measuring Soil Change in Real Time
A major theme in the episode is measurement.
Herb does not want to simply say that regenerative practices are working. He wants to see it in the field and in the data.
One of the simplest tools he uses is a penetrometer, which measures soil compaction and resistance. In parts of the grove where biology has become more active, Herb says the soil has become noticeably spongier. The penetrometer moves deeper into the ground with less resistance.
That kind of real-time feedback matters for growers.
It gives a practical way to compare treated and untreated areas, row middles and tree rows, or different management zones across the farm.
Michael and Herb also talk about the importance of leaving check plots. Whether a grower is testing a product, a fertility program, an inoculant, or a cover crop strategy, having an untreated comparison makes the results easier to see and trust.
As Herb puts it, leave off a row, a pass, a sprayer section, or an irrigation zone, and then come back and compare.
Soil DNA Testing: When Species “Explode”
Because of Herb’s research background, he wanted more than visual observation. He wanted proof of what was happening underground.
Using soil DNA testing, Herb compared conventional, organic, and regenerative treatments in his citrus grove. In the regenerative treatment, total bacterial and fungal species increased from about 670 to 1,100 in the first year.
For Herb, that was a major confirmation that his management practices were changing the soil ecosystem.
He also saw how quickly biology can be disrupted. In one conventional treatment, bare ground and a chemical treatment with fungicidal activity reduced fungal diversity and allowed one species, a dwarf puffball, to dominate the fungal population.
But when Herb began transitioning that area away from conventional management, brought cover crops back in, and shifted fertility practices, the soil began to rebound.
That was one of the most powerful lessons from the trial: soil biology can be damaged, but it can also recover when conditions improve.
Regenerative Trees vs. Conventional Trees
One of the most striking observations in Herb’s grove came after a freeze event.
In his replicated trial, the conventional citrus trees initially grew faster and fruited earlier than the regenerative trees. On the surface, that fast growth looked like an advantage.
Then came the freeze.
After two freeze events, the conventional trees suffered major defoliation. Some lost 40% to 80% of their leaves. Herb was concerned he might even lose some of those trees.
The regenerative trees, however, held up much better.
For Herb, the takeaway was clear: fast growth is not the same as resilience.
A tree can look impressive above ground, but if it does not have the cellular strength, nutritional balance, and biological support to handle stress, that growth may not translate into long-term performance.
The Role of the Haney Soil Health Test
Herb also uses the Haney soil health test to better understand microbial activity and nutrient cycling.
One of the most valuable measurements for him is soil microbial respiration. This measurement helps indicate how much biological activity is happening in the soil.
In the episode, Herb explains that when microbes are active, they breathe. The Haney test measures that respiration as CO₂, giving growers insight into how much microbial life is functioning in the sample.
Herb has used this test to compare fertility programs, microbial treatments, and different areas of the grove. He looks at microbial respiration alongside nitrogen forms, potassium availability, organic matter, pH, and other soil health indicators.
The power is not in one number by itself. It is in connecting the data to what the trees are doing in the field.
CHONEX, Organic Nitrogen, and Microbial Activity
Herb also discusses a replicated organic nitrogen trial that compared several fertility sources, including fish hydrolysate, Chilean nitrate, corn steep powder, soy hydrolysate, and combinations of products.
Each program included a microbial inoculant.
In that trial, the combination of Chilean nitrate and CHONEX stood out in the Haney test, especially in soil respiration. Herb also saw positive movement in potassium availability and total nitrogen.
That result shifted the way he thought about nitrogen sources and microbial inoculants in his grove.
For Herb, the question became bigger than simply “What nitrogen source am I applying?”
He wanted to understand how each fertility source interacted with soil biology, microbial respiration, nutrient availability, and tree performance.
Nutrient-Dense Fruit: Regenerative Agriculture’s True Goal
While soil health, resilience, and yield all matter, Herb believes one of the most important goals of regenerative agriculture is nutrient density.
After his first harvest, Herb compared his regeneratively grown citrus with conventionally grown fruit of the same variety, harvested at the same stage. He had the fruit analyzed for flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamins.
The results surprised him.
His regeneratively grown fruit tested dramatically higher in nutrient density. Herb says the fruit was eight times, or 800%, more nutrient-dense than the conventional comparison.
Several flavonoids were also missing entirely from the conventional fruit.
For Herb, this connected the dots between soil biology and food quality. The conventional groves had strong fertility programs and access to minerals, but Herb believes the difference came from the living microbial system in his regenerative grove.
His conclusion: soil life plays a major role in how nutrients move from the soil into the plant and ultimately into the food we eat.
Farming Like a Research Farm
One of the reasons Herb’s story is so compelling is that he is not approaching regenerative agriculture as a trend.
He is approaching it as a scientist and a farmer.
He spent decades in pesticide research. He understands conventional agriculture. He knows what it means to run trials, gather data, and compare results.
That background gives his regenerative work a different kind of credibility.
Herb is not asking growers to simply believe in biology. He is showing what happens when biology is measured.
From soil DNA testing to Haney tests, from freeze response to nutrient density, his grove has become a living case study in what regenerative practices can look like when they are tested in the real world.
Do These Practices Apply Beyond Citrus?
Toward the end of the episode, Michael raises a point many growers may be thinking:
Citrus is different than corn. Citrus is different than peanuts. Citrus is different than cotton.
That is true.
But many of the principles still overlap.
Living soil matters. Microbial activity matters. Cover crops matter. Measurement matters. Check plots matter. A clear goal matters.
The crop may change. The system may look different. The equipment, timing, fertility plan, and risk tolerance may vary from farm to farm.
But the foundation is the same: build a system that supports soil biology, plant health, and resilience.
Where Should Growers Start?
Herb’s advice to growers is simple: start by realizing that your soil is alive.
Then ask how your current practices affect that life.
Are you feeding it? Protecting it? Measuring it? Or are you unintentionally working against it?
For growers interested in transitioning part of their farm, Herb recommends starting with practical, observable changes. Try cover crops. Leave a check. Use a penetrometer. Talk to your soil lab about soil health testing. Compare different approaches. Measure what changes.
Regenerative agriculture does not have to begin with the whole farm overnight.
It can start with one field, one row, one treatment, or one comparison.