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

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Ag Economy

$10 Billion in ECAP Aid Now Available to Qualifying Farmers

The opportunity to participate comes available at a crucial time, as growers are experiencing low commodity prices, high input costs and a variety of trade uncertainties.

March 28, 2025 02:31 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

Bayer President Views Agriculture Through a Lens of Optimism

Brian Naber says growing up in a farming family in southwest Minnesota helped prepare him for the rigors of leading the company through the ag industry’s current economic and regulatory challenges.

March 27, 2025 05:50 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Hula and Dowdy: Planter Calibration Sets Up Your Season For High Corn Yields

Add several thousand ears per acre to your yield results and boost ROI by getting your planter ready for the field. Be sure to download our free planter prep checklist.

March 26, 2025 02:26 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Ferrie: How To Build Your Fertility Game Plan For Corn On Corn

When that corn crop comes up this spring, you want it to be green and stay green. One potential issue: if you’re using urea surface-applied, work it in right away or use a urease inhibitor. Make sure the N doesn’t gas off.

March 25, 2025 04:16 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Ag Economy

Grassley: Farmers Can Feed And Fuel The World At The Same Time. It’s Not Either/Or

The senior senator from Iowa wants E15 approved for year-round use, fair and tariff-free trade, plus more action and a lot less talk regarding tax cuts and budget reconciliation efforts in the Senate.

March 24, 2025 04:10 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Soybeans

Illinois Farmer Says EPA’s New Herbicide Strategy Is A Course Change But Doable

Look for the sensitive areas in your fields now, advises Steve Pitstick, who farms 50 miles west of the Chicago suburbs. Be proactive and be informed, he adds, so making product use adjustments won’t be a huge lift this season.

March 21, 2025 08:43 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Politics

More Funding Going to Tackle HPAI H5N1, Egg Imports are Now Underway to Stabilize Supply

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins says the agency is hyper-focused on poultry, but no vaccine is yet available. The agency has ‘separate work streams’ to address the virus in the ‘cattle and dairy’ industries, but dairy is not part of USDA’s primary focus for now.

March 20, 2025 12:10 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Technology

New Partnership Automates Delivery of Customized Planting Prescriptions

Many farmers keep a record of their planting intentions by field in a notebook or on a USB drive. Automation can make both of those practices obsolete and improve corn and soybean seed placement accuracy in the process, the companies report.

March 17, 2025 11:39 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Corn on Corn Takes Root As Farmers Look for Profits

Ferrie details six agronomic factors to keep in mind, if you’re newer to growing continuous corn, that can help you achieve success this season.

March 14, 2025 08:30 AM

Rhonda Brooks

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Politics

EPA To Address ‘Government Overreach’ on Defining WOTUS

The agency will hold at least six listening sessions for stakeholders between late March and into April. Persons or organizations wishing to provide input will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.

March 13, 2025 01:12 PM

Rhonda Brooks