Latest News From Crops

From Farm to Fire: First Soybased Fire Suppressant Hits the Market
From Farm to Fire: First Soybased Fire Suppressant Hits the Market

Since the 1950s, fire departments across the country have used products containing dangerous PFAS to put out fires. But the United Soybean Board has announced a greener alternative made from soybean meal.

Ferrie: In Dry Soils, Is It Better to Use Anhydrous and Strip-Till or a Zone Builder?
Ferrie: In Dry Soils, Is It Better to Use Anhydrous and Strip-Till or a Zone Builder?

Based on fieldwork he's done so far, the farmer asks, “Am I drying out the soil early in what looks to be a dry year? Or, am I making the soil more fit so roots can go down as they should?”

Skills Survey Reveals U.S. Agriculture & Food Industry Workforce Needs and Gaps
Skills Survey Reveals U.S. Agriculture & Food Industry Workforce Needs and Gaps

U.S. employers report challenges in finding suitable job candidates with work-ready skills to fill open roles in ag. The AgCareers.com U.S. Skills Survey offers insights, data and trends to address skill development.

Will The Collapse Of The Baltimore Key Bridge Impact Agriculture?
Will The Collapse Of The Baltimore Key Bridge Impact Agriculture?

Mike Steenhoek, executive director at the Soy Transportation Coalition, shares what the collapse could mean for the supply chain.

How To Earn Passive Income With Sustainability Programs
How To Earn Passive Income With Sustainability Programs

There are a number of practices that can create passive income on your operation, but the level of effort and investment to implement them varies.

AMS Adds Bushels And Good ROI To Missouri Farmer’s Soybeans
AMS Adds Bushels And Good ROI To Missouri Farmer’s Soybeans

Brian Ray is confident his soybeans will yield more this season, thanks to the use of 100 lb/A of ammonium sulfate preplant applied. He and his retailer, Brent Peters, anticipate a 4 bu/A average increase or higher.

Quickshot: Helena’s New Dual-Purpose Planter Box Treatment
Quickshot: Helena’s New Dual-Purpose Planter Box Treatment

Quickshot is Helena’s newest entrant in the field, which provides seed fluency in addition to crop nutrient package. For 2024, it’s available in limited quantities.

There's a Possibility USDA's Prospective Plantings Report Next Week Produces a Surprise in Corn
There's a Possibility USDA's Prospective Plantings Report Next Week Produces a Surprise in Corn

The March Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor found nearly 80% of those surveyed say soybeans pencils better than corn this year, but economists still increased their corn acreage projections slightly in the latest survey.

Bayer’s New Way Of Doing Business: The Future is Now For Crop Science
Bayer’s New Way Of Doing Business: The Future is Now For Crop Science

After launching an initial “frontrunner” a group in Illinois, Bayer says its Crop Science division is ready to roll out the company’s new operating model, Dynamic Shared Ownership (as it’s known internally, DSO).

A Potential Setback For Fieldwork Is On The Way
A Potential Setback For Fieldwork Is On The Way

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says areas that have been experiencing snow drought this winter, such as Minnesota and northern Iowa, could potentially see more snowfall in the next few weeks than they have all winter.

New Technology To Increase Carbon And Sunlight Capture In Corn
New Technology To Increase Carbon And Sunlight Capture In Corn

According to the company, the use of PhotoSeed technology has the potential to lower a crop’s carbon intensity score.

Scientists say the New Frontier for Corn Research is Found in the Crop's Roots
Scientists say the New Frontier for Corn Research is Found in the Crop's Roots

Researchers and agronomists are using a creative way to study corn plant root structures and hope it will lead to a new understanding of how below-ground root systems can impact yields and plant stress.

Is a Bottom in the Grain Markets Finally In?
Is a Bottom in the Grain Markets Finally In?

China canceled more wheat, but the grain markets seemed to shake off the negative news. DuWayne Bosse and Darren Frye make the case for why the lows in the grain markets may behind us.

The 4 Rs of Fertility
Farmer Asks How To Improve P and K On Rental Ground

A Minnesota grower asks Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, how to improve upon the soil fertility on 90 acres he is renting for the first time this year.

There's a New Way to Cash in on Your CI Score on the Farm, Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act
There's a New Way to Cash in on Your CI Score on the Farm, Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act

The new 45Z tax credit passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, means a farmer's carbon intensity score will soon be worth more, especially if your corn goes to an ethanol plant.

7 Ways to Make Data Pay
7 Ways to Make Data Pay

Here’s how to get the biggest ROI from your layers of data — and use the information to spot issues in time to improve this year's crop.

Data Opens Up New Solutions At The Farm Gate
Data Opens Up New Solutions At The Farm Gate

Whether it's planting, spraying, soil sampling or harvesting, new tools are turning the information you collect into actionable insights.

You Can't Afford to Be Complacent About Tar Spot
You Can't Afford to Be Complacent About Tar Spot

Just because tar spot was mostly a no-show in 2022 and 2023 doesn't mean that will be the case in 2024. Charting humidity levels can help predict if the disease will strike.

10 Easy Ways to Take Your Crop-Scouting Practices to the Next Level
10 Easy Ways to Take Your Crop-Scouting Practices to the Next Level

In a year with razor-thin margins, at best, corn and soybean growers can use a variety of new technology and tried-and-true agronomic tools to score higher yields this season.

Break Down The Barriers In The Biological Space
Break Down The Barriers In The Biological Space

The NewLeaf Symbiotics team says reluctance to try biologicals is often a result of feeling overwhelmed by the options available, making education key as the space continues to grow.

A Kick-Start For Corn: When to Use Plant Growth Regulators
A Kick-Start For Corn: When to Use Plant Growth Regulators

If weather stresses have you looking for ways to give your crop a stronger start this spring, consider whether a plant growth regulator could be part of the solution, especially in high-yield environments.

Use Technology to Build the Perfect Furrow
Use Technology to Build the Perfect Furrow

Your technology investment will maximize corn yield on every soil type.

Spring Weather, Drought Concerns and Price Impact Northern Plains Planting Decisions
Spring Weather, Drought Concerns and Price Impact Northern Plains Planting Decisions

Weather and prices are dictating acreage decisions in the Northern Plains this spring. So what are producers planning to plant?

2023 Crop Production Déjà Vu? USDA's Latest Report Shows Brazil's Crop Isn't A Disaster, Despite Crippling Drought Early On
2023 Crop Production Déjà Vu? USDA's Latest Report Shows Brazil's Crop Isn't A Disaster, Despite Crippling Drought Early On

USDA cut its estimate for Brazil’s soybean production by 1 MMT in the March WASDE report, which was less than what the trade expected. USDA didn’t make any cuts to Brazil’s corn.

Data From New Trials Boasts Yield Boosts With Biologicals
Data From New Trials Boasts Yield Boosts With Biologicals

Two new studies from Locus Ag and Pivot Bio found the use of biological products consistently increased yields in a variety of crops across a range of growing conditions.

Ferrie: Four Ways to Scratch the Planting Itch Without Regret
Ferrie: Four Ways to Scratch the Planting Itch Without Regret

Don't take equipment to fields too soon and create headaches that will linger all season. While you wait for the right timing, consider doing prep work and projects that can help set you up for yield success.

Farmers Share Biological Experiences Through New Mosaic Initiative
Farmers Share Biological Experiences Through New Mosaic Initiative

Through the Frontier Fields program, a select group of farmers will document their experiences with a biological product over the course of a year.

10 Tips to Shorten Your Cover Crop  Learning Curve
10 Tips to Shorten Your Cover Crop Learning Curve

Farm Journal Test Plot research proves practices that reduce soil disturbance and sequester carbon perform best in a vertical farming system, as opposed to horizontal tillage, which creates yield-limiting soil layers.

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5 Expert Tips to Plan a Resistance Management Strategy for Your Acres
5 Expert Tips to Plan a Resistance Management Strategy for Your Acres

Weed resistance is among the top challenges facing modern farmers. Resistant weed varieties continually spread to different geographies, as researchers continue discovering new cases of resistance.

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Follow These 4 Steps to Keep Herbicide Applications on Target
Follow These 4 Steps to Keep Herbicide Applications on Target

If you’ve ever dealt with herbicide drift, you know how damaging the outcomes can be.

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Bayer Says “Not Now” For Division Split Or Sell Off
Bayer Says “Not Now” For Division Split Or Sell Off

“We are a high-impact, mission-driven, life-science company with three strong businesses, but we have four challenges that urgently must be addressed,” said Bill Anderson.

3 Tips For Better Weed-Control Outcomes This Season
3 Tips For Better Weed-Control Outcomes This Season

Do you want to plant early-season soybeans? Do you grow non-GMO crops? If the answer to either question is yes, Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, says to address weeds in the process.

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Breaking Down the Environmental Benefits of Nitrogen Stabilizers
Breaking Down the Environmental Benefits of Nitrogen Stabilizers

Nitrogen fertilizer is essential to growing high-yielding corn. But with 12 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer applied to crops each year, it’s critical to keep that nitrogen where it’s applied.

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Bolt-On At-Plant Micronutrients
Bolt-On At-Plant Micronutrients

This is a new seed lubricity agent applied at plant as a talc/graphite replacement which also provides a micronutrient package (5% phosphate, 1% iron, 3% mnagenses, 2.5% molybendum, 10.5% zinc.)

China's Buys of Corn and Sorghum Are Surging Right Now, But Why?
China's Buys of Corn and Sorghum Are Surging Right Now, But Why?

Reports say China has purchased more than 20 cargoes of feed grain in the past two weeks. Where is China buying from, and what's behind the sudden surge?

New Water-Use Management Tool For Commercial Crops
New Water-Use Management Tool For Commercial Crops

Helena introduces Resgenix to help farmers manage the water available to crops and optimize its use.

Inside AMVAC's Strategy To Widen Precision Agriculture Adoption
Inside AMVAC's Strategy To Widen Precision Agriculture Adoption

Rick Rice, AMVAC director of application technology, says grant programs aren't meant to forever subsidize a particular practice, but instead act as a catalyst for new participants to see its benefits.

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Get ahead of potential nutrient deficiencies this year
Get ahead of potential nutrient deficiencies this year

As the temperature gets slightly warmer and the daylight a little longer, even if you don’t have seeds in the ground, it’s never too soon to curb crop deficiency.

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2 Ways to Protect Your Fertilizer Investment This Spring
2 Ways to Protect Your Fertilizer Investment This Spring

April showers bring … an increased risk of nitrogen loss in your fields. In fact, research shows that soil can lose more than 20% of its total nitrogen after just one or two spring rainfalls.

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4 Tips for On-target Herbicide Applications With the Enlist® Weed Control System
4 Tips for On-target Herbicide Applications With the Enlist® Weed Control System

Herbicide applications that don’t stay on target can be a huge headache for growers.

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Resistance Management: Choosing the Right Tools
Resistance Management: Choosing the Right Tools

Farmers hear it every year: Use different chemistries throughout the season to help avoid herbicide resistance.

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DPH Biologicals Expands Research to Quantify Potential of Biologicals
DPH Biologicals Expands Research to Quantify Potential of Biologicals

The company’s BioAgonomics project will focus on the connection between agronomic practices in crop production and the value provided by biologicals.

5 Trends To Watch In The Input Market
5 Trends To Watch In The Input Market

Experts are watching global dynamics to understand the input market’s longer-term outlook in the U.S. Among their top concerns are geopolitics, weather and low supply.

Simplot Grower Solutions’ New Biostimulant For Residue Breakdown: Evaness
Simplot Grower Solutions’ New Biostimulant For Residue Breakdown: Evaness

Benefits include reducing crop residue build-up on the soil surface, resulting in improved planting, seed placement, and germination.

Meristem Announces “Gold Standard” Fungicide At-Plant Treatment For Pythium and Phytophthora
Meristem Announces “Gold Standard” Fungicide At-Plant Treatment For Pythium and Phytophthora

The company sees this new formulation as a potential replacement for liquid seed treatment. 

New Purdue Report Says The Number Of Dust Explosions Is Unchanged
New Purdue Report Says The Number Of Dust Explosions Is Unchanged

There was a total of nine reported incidents in the U.S. last year – the same number as 2022. Those nine explosions led to 12 injuries with no fatalities.

Ferrie: It's Only February, but Iowa Farmers are Considering Field Work and Anhydrous Applications
Ferrie: It's Only February, but Iowa Farmers are Considering Field Work and Anhydrous Applications

Before heading to the field to apply anhydrous, firm up what crop you're going to plant. Growers have been kicking around the idea of going beans-on-beans, given the markets. But anhydrous essentially ties you to corn.

Top Advice For Pest Management in 2024: Spray Earlier
Top Advice For Pest Management in 2024: Spray Earlier

“We’re living in a world where it’s just a matter of time,” Harlan Asmus says referencing the development of resistance.

Bayer’s New Business Model: Magnitude of Change
Bayer’s New Business Model: Magnitude of Change

Dynamic Shared Ownership reduces the layers and brings the business management closer to the customer.

Pivot Bio’s Sustainabilty Program Pays Farmers $6 Million Over Two Years
Pivot Bio’s Sustainabilty Program Pays Farmers $6 Million Over Two Years

The program is structured so farmer users of Pivot Bio Proven 40 can participate in annual carbon insetting partnerships as a result of their change in practice.