New county-level data shows U.S. irrigated farmland grew by more than 3 million acres between 1997 and 2022—but the national number hides a much more interesting story playing out county by county.
Soils that are exposed to prolonged drought often develop desiccation cracks, which impact soil properties and exacerbate moisture loss through evapotranspiration. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines the evolution of soil cracking and how cracks interact wit…
The Irrigation Water Management Lab at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center is helping western Nebraska farmers make more informed irrigation decisions through on-farm testing of emerging technology.
It’s time to scout for summer pests in South Dakota crops.
With the transition to warm spring weather, protecting the quality of stored grain is essential. Keeping grain consistently within safe storage temperature and moisture parameters is key to preventing spoilage and protecting the value of farmers’ crops.
Imagine buying a dozen eggs at a grocery store, but when you get home and open the carton, there’s only a half dozen inside because you weren’t buying a dozen eggs. You were buying approximately 12 eggs, plus or minus six.
Most spray solutions are more than 95 percent water, yet water quality is rarely considered when herbicide performance comes up short. The pH of that water and the minerals dissolved in it can directly influence how well an herbicide works once it is sprayed. Certain dissolved cations, such …
What do producers do when their own crops strike back?
Pollinators play a critical role in food production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farmers.gov website, more than 80 percent of the world’s flowering plants need a pollinator to reproduce. Because most food comes from flowering plants, humans need pollinators too. Pollina…
Developing high-yielding, nutritious and climate-resilient crops is vital to safeguard the future of global food production. To meet the challenges ahead, Iowa State University scientists are working with crop breeders to look for approaches that can efficiently speed up crop improvement programs.
In 2025, the effect of commercial fungicides on foliar diseases of corn were evaluated at six Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms.
Planting winter wheat on ground in Bureau County represented a notable departure from the long-standing corn-soybean rotation that has traditionally defined much of north-central Illinois agriculture. Incorporating wheat into that system was not something that was initially expected to be wi…
The frozen ground cracks. Snow melts. And farmers across the Midwest walk their fields with a familiar knot in their stomachs, wondering if their alfalfa survived another brutal winter.
Every farmer knows the frustration: A field shows all the signs of impressive yields, but harvest tells a different story. The kernels were there, but grain fill didn’t reach its potential — or late stress triggered kernel abortion. Maybe you saw it this year.
Soybean farmer leaders were in Houston Sept. 24 to present a ceremonial check of soybean checkoff dollars worth $275,000 to The Andersons Inc. for their expansion project at the Port of Houston. Once completed in the first quarter of 2026, the expansion will enable the export of soybean meal…
When it comes to seed selection for next growing season, seek out data and local expertise.
Corn and soybean export inspections were up, while wheat decreased, according to USDA export inspections released Oct. 6.
13 winners will experience an immersive seed tour
Every fall, prussic acid questions in relation to grazing sorghums and related grasses come up. In an effort to be proactive, I thought this would be a good topic for this column in conjunction with fall fertilizer and soil sampling considerations.
Summer storms have created a need for grain storage structures. One option is to use bins that may not have been used for a while. However, a storm may have impacted the bin, or there may be deterioration that has occurred since it was previously used.
As harvest gets underway, soybean farmers dealing with disease or weather challenges should consider adjusting their harvest plans. Issues like sudden death syndrome (SDS), white mold and excess late-season moisture can reduce both yield and grain quality.
Identifying how wet the soil is before entering the field with equipment is a key step to avoid compaction.
T-L Irrigation Co. introduced the Auto-reverse hose drag linear system for single-tractor, 4-wheel T-L Irrigation units at this year’s Husker Harvest Days farm show in Grand Island, Nebraska.
In April 2025, we launched the first version of our mobile irrigation management app, PLAN. At the time of release, we promised that an irrigation scheduling tool would be made available, specifically designed for producers who don't have access to soil moisture probes.
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