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

Reducing crop residue in the spring enables soils to warm up faster.

Corn

New Biological Supports Soil Health, Improves Crop Residue Breakdown

Reclaim is designed to help soils warm up faster, resulting in more uniform seed emergence and better plant stands.

May 25, 2023 04:43 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Farmland

3 Things to Know About Purchasing Farmland Now

Paul Schadegg, with Farmers National Company, shares his perspective on agricultural real estate demand, the impact of interest rates on the market and the outlook for land values later this year.

May 25, 2023 09:38 AM

Rhonda Brooks

vertical tillage - Great Plains Turbo Max - Lindsey Pound

Corn

Considering Vertical Tillage? Here are 5 Benefits

Watch the 1-minute video by Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and his agronomic team, showing how residue can be sized to protect soil surfaces to minimize dust and potential erosion.

May 25, 2023 07:45 AM

Rhonda Brooks

NASA currently has a variety of missions underway, with scientists studying Earth to glean information that could help farmers.

Crop Production

NASA’s Newest Mission is Focused on Helping U.S. Farmers

The agency recently launched a new initiative called Acres. Scientists plan for the data gathered through the program to help farmers with all kinds of decisions, from water use to what crops to plant and when.

May 25, 2023 07:38 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Disease and Insects are Attacking Your Wheat Crop. Here’s How to Know Whether to Make One Treatment or Two

Similarly, Ken Ferrie says to time your post-herbicide application in corn based on weed size and to address cutworm based on the level of damage you find. One pass in the field could work for both, but don’t bet on it.

May 22, 2023 04:13 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Waterlogged fields are slowing the planting process in some parts of the country.

Soybeans

8 Soybean Planting Reminders for When Mother Nature Doesn’t Cooperate

“Plant early for optimum yield” is a common refrain soybean growers hear from agronomists and other crop production experts today. But when you can’t get into the field, regroup and go to Plan B.

May 16, 2023 04:02 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

6 Moth Species You Need to Know About

Agronomists are reporting high numbers of black cutworm and true armyworm moths in pheromone traps. Their offspring, the larvae, can do serious harm to corn. So can the offspring of four other common moth species.

May 09, 2023 01:29 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Bayer Announces Its 10 Regional Seed Brands Will Move to Channel

The change will not impact how farmers work with their current seed salesman in 2023, a Bayer spokesman tells Farm Journal. However, a different go-to-market approach is in the works.

May 05, 2023 08:48 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Corn

Ken Ferrie: The Sweet Spot for Planting Corn is Here

Soil conditions, temperatures and weather outlook are aligned. “Let the big dogs run, and keep the planters running until you’re finished,” says Ken Ferrie. “This corn will fly out of the ground.”

May 04, 2023 04:55 PM

Rhonda Brooks

The pest’s movement is being tracked by ipmPIPE, a pest mapping and forecasting system developed by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), land-grant partners, along with Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and Risk Management Agency. The system reports some significant flights have already been found since mid-April in states including Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Corn

Black Cutworm is Moving into the Midwest, Be on the Lookout

Farmers in some states can expect BCW damage in corn by mid-May. One larva can ruin five corn plants in a 24-hour period. Rescue treatments are most effective and economical -- not seed treatments or Bt hybrids.

May 03, 2023 09:07 AM

Rhonda Brooks