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

Build A High-Yield Powerhouse From The Bottom Up

Randy Dowdy explains the importance of germination depth — how it can set up your corn crop to deliver more bushels without adding any costs in the process.

May 05, 2026 12:39 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Business

Corteva Brands Seed And Genetics Business With New Name

The company had been using what it described as a placeholder name, SpinCo, since announcing it would split into two independent, publicly traded entities last October.

May 04, 2026 04:33 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Conservation

EPA Opens Public Comment Period On Draft Fungicide Strategy

The proposed framework introduces a targeted approach to safeguard endangered species while maintaining essential crop protection tools for U.S. farmers, the agency reports.

May 04, 2026 11:19 AM

Rhonda Brooks

sprayer Y dropping nitrogen sulfur boron fertilizer - Lindsey Pound

Crops

Beyond the Rate: 4 Ways to Sync Corn Nutrient Timing

Targeting peak uptake windows through precise nitrogen and phosphorus placement can bridge the gap between a 160-bu. crop and a 300-bu. harvest.

May 01, 2026 08:20 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Planting

Cold Snap, Wet Soils Put Corn on Hold, but Beans Still Get Green Light

Ken Ferrie uses a green-yellow-red “signal light” system to help farmers evaluate their planting decisions in the week ahead.

April 30, 2026 06:54 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Ag Economy

Analysts Fear 2027 Could Be The Toughest Year Yet For Farm Margins

Shrinking equity, rising nitrogen costs and continued global upheaval signal a reckoning for corn growers and a shift to soybeans — especially if higher biomass-based blending diesel mandates come through.

April 29, 2026 05:01 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

Can Biologicals Fill The Gap From Reduced Fertilizer Use?

With one survey showing 48% of Midwest corn and soybean growers are unable to afford traditional fertilizer sources, Extension and industry are responding with nutrient options that can lend support.

April 28, 2026 02:55 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Monitor Early-Season Disease Risks In Racehorse Hybrids

With cold, wet weather moving across parts of the Corn Belt, agronomists advise farmers to be ready to check high-yielding genetics for crown and stalk rot.

April 27, 2026 02:52 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Policy

‘Losing Glyphosate Would Be A Disastrous Blow For Farmers’

Operating on negative margins and facing a “next-generation crisis,” a group of row-crop growers urges the U.S. Supreme Court to follow science over emotion as it hears oral arguments in the Monsanto v. Durnell case on Monday.

April 24, 2026 12:28 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Farm Journal Test Plots

Soybean Plots Put Biological Seed Treatments, In-Furrow Starter and Fungicides To The Test: What Really Pays?

Farm Journal Field Agronomists are launching the 2026 season, planting fields and starting to test the soybean innovations and management strategies that will deliver answers and insights farmers need.

April 23, 2026 04:21 PM

Rhonda Brooks