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

Crop Production

Hemp Profits Get Real

Hemp profit gets real, and farmers learn as they go.

November 15, 2020 12:28 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

Get The Jump On Early-Season Soybean Pests

Pests like early-season soybeans.

November 15, 2020 12:28 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

Aphids “Explode” In June Corn Crop

Call your pest team to action.

November 15, 2020 12:27 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Management zones account for variability and economically maximize yields by fine-tuning nutrients, fertilizer application timing, hybrid and variety selection and seeding rates.

Crop Production

Get In The Zone To Reduce Inputs, Improve Yields

A lot of the fields Brad Beutke farms look flat and black from the road. But as the old saying goes, looks can be deceiving. “There’s a lot of variability out here that you wouldn’t necessarily expect in central Illinois,” says Beutke, who grows 2,600 acres of corn and soybeans near Clinton with his business partner, Rod Wilson.

November 15, 2020 12:26 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

Rhonda Brooks: Iron Sharpens Iron

November 15, 2020 12:26 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

Put the Screws to Soybean Cyst Nematode this Fall

Some problem pests just keep raising their ugly heads each season, and that’s certainly true for Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN). Despite a lot of work and effort on the part of university Extension and company researchers, this endemic pest continues to take a big bite out of soybean yields across the Midwest—to the tune of over $1 billion annually, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers know the typical signs that SCN is present in a field--plants are stunted, yellow and scraggly. In severe cases, SCN can destroy 80% of a field’s yield potential. University of Illinois research shows that when SCN goes undetected in fields--where symptoms aren’t present--it can still sap yields.

November 15, 2020 12:25 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

Too Wet? Too Dry? Either Way, Your Corn Might Need More Nutrients

By the time mid-August rolls around, corn growers often think it’s too late in the season to adjust their crop’s nutrient program. But that’s not at all the case according to John Leif, AgroLiquid Field Agronomy Manager. Leif says as he’s evaluated corn throughout the Midwest this season he’s seen the results of huge moisture differences from area to area, with some being too dry while others are too wet. He believes farmers on both sides of the weather extremes are likely to have crops that need additional nitrogen, potassium and sulfur.

November 15, 2020 12:25 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

CCAs Help Reduce Nitrogen Losses in Illinois

Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) across the country routinely address pests, diseases, weeds and other agronomic issues with their farmer-customers. In Illinois, CCAs are also working closely with industry stakeholders to address and reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus the state contributes annually to the Gulf of Mexico.

November 15, 2020 12:25 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Thousands of acres of soybeans have been damaged by off target dicamba spraying.

Crop Production

States Have the Final Say on Dicamba Use

To date, several dozen states have the green light from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use of the new dicamba formulations, BASF Engenia and Monsanto XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology. Monsanto has also licensed its product to DuPont, which is marketing it as FeXapan with VaporGrip.

November 15, 2020 12:24 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Crop Production

The Best Thing I Learned at Corn College

Farmers shared some of the topics they found useful at Corn College this summer and how they plan to use the information they gained.

November 15, 2020 12:19 PM

Rhonda Brooks