Rhonda Brooks

Agronomy Editor, Farm Journal

Rhonda Brooks is the Agronomy Editor for Farm Journal and AgWeb, covering all aspects of crop production. A Missouri native with a background in agricultural communications, she has previously worked on multiple Farm Journal brands.

Latest Stories

Corn

In This High-Stakes Farming Economy, Some Practices Still Deliver ROI

Corn yield champs say annual soil testing is the best way to make sure fields are up to the goal of delivering profitable high yields every season.

October 28, 2025 03:44 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Is It Time To Stop Planting Corn In April?

After three straight years of having a May-planted crop that outperformed corn planted only a few weeks earlier, some Illinois farmers are ready to throw in the towel on planting corn before the calendar turns to May.

October 28, 2025 10:02 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Soybeans

Potential China Deal, New Trade Pacts Brighten U.S. Soybean Outlook

Some analysts believe a deal with Beijing will happen this week because of a potential gap in availability of the oilseed that’s likely to occur between the time the U.S. bean harvest ends and the Brazil harvest begins.

October 27, 2025 12:28 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Ag Economists Monthly Monitor 10-2025 - China - WEB LEAD IMAGE.jpg

Soybeans

China’s Trade War Playbook Keeps U.S. Soybeans Sidelined

Beijing’s refusal to buy American and its pivot to Brazil could be less about economics and more to do with politics. “It’s a calculated decision about control and national leverage, not about getting the cheapest beans,” says one ag economist.

October 24, 2025 10:37 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

From Corn to Cattle: Farmers Pivot to Create Profit

Some row-crop growers are converting acres, banking on long-term opportunities with beef. Others are staying the course with crops but embracing ways to add some dollars to their bottom line in the short-term.

October 23, 2025 12:05 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Soybeans

Breakthrough Fungicide Delivers White Mold Disease Control in Key Crops

The new product also addresses other key issues in soybeans like frogeye leaf spot and septoria brown spot.

October 21, 2025 03:07 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Policy

Grassley Urges Trump To Prioritize A Trade Deal With China

The senior senator from Iowa says the president ‘has to’ get an agreement made that will enable trade between China and the U.S. to resume.

October 21, 2025 11:10 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

8 Expert Tips for Choosing the Best Seed Corn for 2026

With low commodity prices and higher input costs, identifying hybrids that are a good fit for your soil types and environmental conditions is more important than ever – and can give you a leg up on yield performance from the get-go next spring.

October 17, 2025 11:03 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Soybeans

Green Stem Syndrome Poses Tough Harvest Choices for Soybean Growers

With contributing factors ranging from insect pressure to disease and environmental stressors this season, agronomists say farmers face hard decisions on when to combine their crop in affected fields.

October 16, 2025 12:53 PM

Rhonda Brooks

New Machinery

No More Waiting: Operator-Free Grain Cart System Improves Harvest Efficiency

The new technology is being evaluated in Farm Journal Test Plots this fall and catching a lot of farmer interest in the process. Check out our brief video showing the system at work in a central Illinois cornfield.

October 15, 2025 10:47 AM

Rhonda Brooks