After a generally wet, humid growing season in the Midwest led to significant crop disease issues in 2025, plant pathologists are hopeful this year will be a return to lower disease levels.
- Crystal Reed
Type of pathogen can influence whether a crop disease can be treated in-season — managed — or whether it will have to be taken care of before the next growing season — prevented.
- Tim Kenyon
AMES, Iowa — Wesley Everman derives job satisfaction from helping farmers solve annoying and expensive weedy crop problems.
- By Craig Moss, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association
Droughts, border closures, New World Screwworm, Argentina beef imports, wildfires, packing plant slowdowns and a 75-year low in the U.S. cattle inventory. Those aren’t just headlines. They are the realities cattle producers are working through every day.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Warren Rusche, assistant professor and South Dakota State University Extension feedlot management specialist, for the university’s website April 21.
- Tim Kenyon
Editor’s note: The stories on this page are part of series featuring regional conservation partnerships for Soil and Water Conservation Week April 28 through May 5.
As planting season ramps up, uncertainty around the season does as well. Wyffels Hybrids has introduced a free, online tool that can help take some of the guess-work out of spring field work.
AMES, Iowa — Drones are beginning to play a role in Iowa agriculture, particularly for crop monitoring and pesticide application, but most farmers remain uncertain about the technology’s advantages and limitations, according to results from the 2025 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, an annual s…
Editor’s note: The following was written by Russell Shaffer, University of Nebraska communications specialist.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Matheus Ribeiro, Jenny Brhel, Adam Leise, Travis J. Prochaska, David S. Wangila, Dylan Mangel and Justin McMechan, University of Nebraska Extension specialists, for the university’s Crop Watch website April 9.
- Katelyn Winberg
Gene-edited crops reach farmers’ fields faster than regulators around the world can agree on how to oversee them, and the resulting divide is shaping where agricultural innovation takes place.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Giovani Preza Fontes, John Jones and Emerson Nafziger with the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences for the university’s Crop Bulletin website April 7.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Liz Stahl, Jeff Coulter and Seth Naeve with University of Minnesota Extension for the university’s Crop News website April 9.
TUSCUMBIA, Mo. — Hay quality has a direct impact on livestock performance and feeding costs, yet many producers lose value long before hay reaches the feeder, said University of Missouri Extension Field Agronomist Rudra Baral.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Leah Ten Napel, Iowa State University Extension field agronomist, for the Clippings newsletter.
As outdoor temperatures begin to warm, the potential for grain storage problems increases.
MANHATTAN, Kan. — With these warmer temperatures, crops are not the only things that are greening up — weeds are too.
AMES, Iowa — Questions about effective management of nitrogen fertilizer continue to plague agriculture, even after decades of practical use.
AMES, Iowa — Questions about effective management of nitrogen fertilizer continue to plague agriculture, even after decades of practical use.
- Tim Kenyon
Farmers plan to plant less corn and more soybeans in 2026 compared to last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in its March 31 Prospective Plantings report.
- Crystal Reed
Despite fertilizer supply concerns and rising prices, inputs shouldn’t play a large role in rotation decisions for 2026 planting, according to Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Angie Rieck-Hinz.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Farmers have seen a substantial shift in potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) prices, from low prices in the 2020 growing season to the highest prices in the past decade for fertilizer purchased now for the 2026 growing season.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Ethan R. Thies, statewide conservation field specialist with Iowa State University Extension, for the Integrated Crop Management website March 13.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Early planting remains strongly associated with soybean yield, according to research by University of Missouri state soybean farming system specialist Andre Reis.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Before applying fungicides, growers should carefully consider the potential return on investment, said University of Missouri Extension State Plant Pathologist Mandy Bish.