Agronomy Center

Soil Health Articles

• Scout Fields for Soil Crusting
  
  05/24/2013
  Crop specialists in Nebraska and Wisconsin are reporting corn emergence problems thanks to wet weather and subsequent drying. Here's how to address it.
• Cover Crops Complicate Nitrogen Management
  
  03/15/2013
  Cover crops can do wonders for soil health. But sound management is just as critical with cover crops as it is with cash crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans.
• Test Plots: Close and Seal the Deal
  
  02/09/2013
  To answer questions about the options available for closing systems, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie organized a multiyear test plot to look at the various planter closing wheel designs.
• Healthy Roots Matter
  
  02/09/2013
  The seed treatment provided visible response in the first, second and third crown roots, with more root mass and root hairs.
• Drought Probability? Check Your Soil.
  
  02/05/2013
  Researchers at Oklahoma State University hope to create a reliable calendar of seasonal drought patterns to help farmers better calculate drought severity and impact.
• Technology Journal
  
  01/26/2013
  The Aerial Spray app for Smartphones helps aerial and ground farm crews minimize pesticide drift by optimizing the type of equipment and pesticide they use.
• Starter Test Plot Roundup
  
  01/26/2013
  With the correct management moves, starter fertilizer can give a corn crop a boost as well as advance maturity.
• Take a Crop's Temperature
  
  01/26/2013
  To determine a field’s stress level, look at an aerial photo that shows the variance in crop temperature. A cooler crop is less stressed.
• Slow Nitrogen Loss
  
  01/26/2013
  Applying nitrogen—corn’s most important and trickiest nutrient—doesn’t do a lick of good if it escapes into the air or, even worse, into water sources before plants can use it.
• Biologicals at Bat
  
  01/26/2013
  Biologicals are not the last frontier in agricultural development, but they certainly have proven to be the next frontier.