Mike Howell

Growing up on a university research farm in Mississippi, Mike Howell developed an interest in agriculture at a young age. Active in 4-H as a child, he cultivated a lifelong appreciation for agricultural science and the programs that would shape his career. 

Mike serves as a Senior Agronomist at Nutrien, a role he has held since 2012. He develops research protocols to generate data on Nutrien’s fertilizer products, delivers technical support to retail and grower customers, and promotes agricultural innovation through scientific presentations, publications, and outreach. Prior to joining Nutrien, Mike served as an Extension Instructor at Mississippi State University, where he developed educational programs and established two Peanut Learning Centers dedicated to applied research and grower training. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Farm Agronomic Research Manager for Monsanto, conducting field and lab experiments to support product development and improve agronomic practices 

Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Soil Science and a Master of Science in Entomology from Mississippi State University. With more than 20 years of experience in applied research and education, he is passionate about helping producers increase profitability and sustainability. Mike is also the host of “The Dirt: an eKonomics podKast,” where he highlights real-world agronomic challenges and insights from the field. 

Areas of expertise:

• Crops: Southern row crops (cotton, corn, soybeans, peanuts)
• Nutrients: Nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium
• Topics: Nutrient management/crop fertility for mid-south farmers

Geographic focus:

• USA: AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV

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