The first spot-spraying “green-on-brown” sprayers were rolling into test plots 30 years ago, in the mid-1990s. So why isn’t every Midwestern cornfield crawling with self-driving sprayers today, spritzing minute amounts of finely calibrated herbicide mixes onto individual weeds?
At Iowa State University, Amina Moro is advancing research that could reshape how farmers balance productivity with environmental sustainability.
Wisconsin continues to experience significant climate-change impacts, including warming temperatures, increased precipitation and more-frequent extreme-weather events. The Extreme Weather Index, developed by the University of Wisconsin-Wisconsin State Climatology Office, shows that the 2010s…
Tile drainage is common in U.S. Midwest agricultural fields, helping to remove excess water and aerate the soil. While the practice enhances crop productivity, it can cause phosphorus to leak into nearby waterways, where it contributes to harmful algal blooms. Directing tile-drain runoff thr…
University of Minnesota Extension nutrient management specialist Dan Kaiser recently finished a four-year study on potassium fertilizer application for corn and soybeans. The study aimed to determine the optimal potassium rate for both crops, assess if spring application of potash negatively…
Farmers comprise just a little more than 1 percent of the U.S. population. There’s never been a larger gap between the farming and non-farming communities, said Darin Strauss, co-owner of Majestic Crossing Dairy. That’s why he welcomes the opportunity to talk about farming to the general public.
May brings a profound rhythm of celebration. Across rural communities and small towns caps and gowns appear, cameras flash and families gather to witness far more than the awarding of a diploma. From high schools to technical colleges and universities, graduates cross the stage not merely as…
Every year in the Midwest, the reality is clear -- alfalfa stands face the threat of winterkill. Winterkill occurs when alfalfa is unable to survive winter conditions – exceeding its cold tolerance threshold or breaking dormancy too early in the spring.
“Farmers are ahead of schedule this year,” said Jacob Scriver, agronomy location manager for Allied Cooperative in West Salem, Wisconsin. “Almost all the planting in the area is wrapping up. We’ve finished with the pre-emerge soybean spraying and we’re just getting started on the corn post-e…
Everybody knows it matters how we treat the land. Since ancient times, soil amendments, land improvements, cultivation of specific plants and other practices have been used to increase crop production. But the path to the most efficient and best use of a piece of land is not always obvious. …
It's that time of the year again. Agri-View offers a list of available agricultural scholarships.
Agri-View offers a schedule of events of special interest to our readers. Some events and activities might require advance registration. Email agriview@madison.com with calendar submissions.
University of Minnesota researchers have gone all in on perennial grain Kernza, the kind of deep-rooted plant that many believe will prove essential for both feeding humanity and meeting the challenges of the changing climate.
In April 2026 commercial nitrogen fertilizer prices increased approximately 30 percent since fall 2025. Fortunately there are nutrient management choices farmers can make to minimize financial impacts of that sudden price increase.
Increasing and decreasing gasoline prices are not only affecting what people pay at the pump, but also they are shaping demand for biofuels and the outlook for key agricultural commodities.
When weather lets producers plant their soybeans early, they might be left wondering how weed control and crop yield fares as a result. Michigan State University researchers examined those factors, as well as row spacing, to provide some steadfast tips in helping early-planted soybeans thriv…
Larry Dallas’ farm in Central Illinois’ Douglas County is as flat as it gets. That’s a good thing for planting straight rows and maneuvering farm equipment in the field, but there’s a major downside, too.
Carbon inputs from maize residue in the Corn Belt increased almost 50 percent from 1980 to 2020, according to a new Iowa State University-led study. The increase, driven by greater productivity and expanded corn acreage, has significant implications for crop management, farm economics and en…
The way Ray Flickner tells it, he must be one of the luckiest farmers in all the state because his life has been a front-row seat to the future of agriculture.
The start to the 2026 field-crop season has been reasonably quiet in terms of disease. Dry weather after the start of corn and soybean planting has kept major seedling disease pressure reasonably small. But close monitoring should take place as rain steps back into the forecast.
Nature has killed the only commercial strawberry farm in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Area residents will need to go further afield to pick the juicy fruit.
Where will we find the next generation of farmers? How can we help more young people become interested in agriculture? We hear those questions frequently, but we don’t often hear answers. In Wisconsin there is an answer to those frequent questions; it’s a pathway that connects students to farming.
Temperatures remained cooler-than-normal in Wisconsin the week of May 14, with many locations reporting average temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees colder than normal. Most of Wisconsin received no precipitation. Totals were more in the northwest, but those totals were less than normal for this t…
... Parts of the Plains | Split Flow in June?? | Another Look at the Importance of the Northeast Pacific
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