CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a quest for higher yields, University of Illinois plant physiologist Fred Below and his team are researching farming practices including fertilizer placement, narrow rows and high-tech crop management.

The unprecedented weather this year will also provide some knowledge about what works and what does not in extreme conditions, Below said at the Leaders in Farming Technology field day at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

CONCORDIA, Mo. — Farmers can use cover crops for a variety of reasons, whether it’s for forage, soil health purposes or erosion control. For Lafayette County farmer Darren Hull, he says he gets a lot of benefits for his cattle from cover crops.

“My primary focus is grazing,” he says.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Researchers at Southern Illinois University are looking at a novel method of controlling weeds that do not respond to herbicides.

Madison Decker, a graduate student in the College of Agricultural Sciences, is conducting a study that entails interseeding winter wheat into soybean fields. The main target is waterhemp, a weed that is developing serious herbicide resistance, especially to glyphosate.

Farmers looking for an edge in conservation may have a new tool available to them.

TruTerra, launched by Land O’ Lakes Sustain in November 2018, is a service to help farmers Midwest see how well their fields are being maintained and where they can improve.

AMES, Iowa — According to Iowa Learning Farms 15-year evaluation data, Iowa cover crop acres grew last year by approximately 16%, resulting in approximately 880,000 total acres.

While the positive growth at a time when farmers are reporting shrinking profit margins is notable, this represents a 6% decline in new cover crop acres compared to last year’s estimate and a 19% cumulative decline since 2015, a year in which 35% of all the cover crop acres were new, according to an ILF news release.