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.
What’s the key to growing resilient crops that can survive tough conditions? Researchers at the University of Missouri are getting to the root of it — literally.
- Crystal Reed
With an increase in severe storms and high winds, row crop farmers are looking for new ways to work with Mother Nature.
As input costs remain top of mind for growers across the country, innovation can help farmers increase productivity while cutting expenses.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Eric Yu and Ryan Miller, University of Minnesota Extension crops educators, for the Minnesota Crop News website Feb. 17.
- Tim Kenyon
Multiple days of much warmer than usual conditions in late January and February might have nudged Midwest farmers eager to get ready for planting.
- By Tim Kenyon, Iowa Farmer Today
The USDA released its first look at planting expectations for 2026 on Feb. 19 at its Agricultural Outlook Forum as farmers brace for a fourth straight year of losses or small profit margins.
BOONVILLE, Mo. — Pesticide handling remains one of the most hazardous tasks on the farm, says Todd Lorenz, University of Missouri Extension agronomist.
- By Michael Phillis, Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Environmental Protection Agency on Feb. 6 reapproved the weed killer dicamba, a pesticide that has raised widespread concern over its tendency to drift and destroy nearby crops, for use on genetically modified soybeans and cotton.
Editor’s note: The following was written by Joe Janzen, agricultural economist and assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, for the farmdoc daily website Feb. 9.
- Crystal Reed
With over 12 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer applied annually, according to the EPA, the biggest challenge is how much never makes it into the crop and is lost to volatilization, leaching and runoff.
Corn bred with genes from wild relatives can reshape soil microbial communities and reduce nitrogen loss — with no yield reduction — according to new research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Looking ahead to another growing season, Extension weed scientists and agronomists are focused on efforts to control waterhemp, combat resistance to herbicides, and balance the cost of weed control in a time of high inputs and tight profit margins.