Crop Production
Farmers across South Dakota and eastern Iowa are breathing a sigh of relief into the weekend. That’s after rains hit parched crops, relieving some major crop stress for now.
Phillip Tomlinson’s farm is everything—and nothing: “I do everything I can to take risk off the table...but I’m driven by an eternal perspective, otherwise my life was only as good as my farm or last crop.”
Heat and dry conditions aren’t helping the wildfire situation in the West. Right now, 67 large fires are burning across the U.S., scorching nearly 918,000 acres in 12 states.
California growers are speaking up about what the drought and water shortages mean for agriculture, California and the U.S. As crops are demolished and trees die, growers say farm workers are also out of work.
Traders liked what they saw in the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report released Monday from USDA. Joe Vaclavik and Ben Brown break down the key takeaways from Monday’s report.
Less than two weeks after USDA issued an updated June Acreage Report, which revealed fewer planted acres than expected, USDA says it still expects larger corn supplies and an uptick in ending stocks.
As record heat continues to blast the West, the Northwest Cherry Growers said the heat will force some growers to abandon a portion of their crop due to the damage. It’s also forcing farm workers to harvest at night.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says unfavorable weather means everything from barley to spring and durum wheat are getting scorched this year. Crop condition ratings continue to tumble as dryness and heat persist.
Corn harvesting in Argentina advanced by 3.4 points to reach 56% of planted area, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in a report on Thursday, keeping its crop estimate unchanged at 48 million tonnes for 2020/2021.
As June closed on a wetter note for portions of the Midwest, three agricultural meteorologists forecast July, indicating continued rains for the corn crop in some areas, but drastic drought areas growing even drier.
USDA’s weekly Crop Progress Report shows the U.S. corn crop is rated 64% good to excellent, the same as a week ago but off by 7 percentage points versus 2020. Soybean ratings nationally declined, but only by 1 point.
Farmers commonly focus their attention on conservation planning by thinking through issues that deal with nutrient management or soil health. Water quality considerations dovetail with many of these planning activities.
Wet weather forecasts across the Midwest caused commodity prices to tank Tuesday, with soybean oil and corn hitting the daily limits lower. Much of the Midwest is forecast to receive rain at key pollination time.
As Tropical Storm Elsa neared landfall Wednesday, Meteorologist Eric Snodgrass says the early start to the hurricane season may be a strong sign of an active hurricane season ahead.
Contrary to popular opinion in the world of corn farming, startling new data shows that the variability in cornstalks is actually greater in higher-yielding corn acres rather than lower-yielding tracts.
During periods of rising corn and soybean prices, costs of fertilizer, pesticides, and other inputs rise in tandem.
The National Restaurant Association says wholesale food prices remain on track to post their largest annual increase since 2014.
Rains continue to fall across portions of the Midwest this week, a sign one ag meteorologist says could mean Midwestern drought conditions have peaked. However, the news isn’t as promising for the northern Corn Belt.
Why do you put so much focus on driving higher yields per acre?
Weather was a major factor, but the attention is also on USDA’s June acreage report set for Wednesday, June 30. Mark Gold and Chip Nellinger talk about weather and acreage leading into the big report.
Areas of the Corn Belt in need of moisture are finally seeing rain this week, but it came with severe crop damage to portions of Iowa after hail wiped out some farm fields this week.
A perfect stand sets the stage for high ear count at harvest. But what if, despite your best efforts, a stand starts out troubled? Don’t give up.
The molecule will give farmers a new tool in the ongoing battle to control these two broadleaf weeds, especially those populations with resistance to current, commonly used chemistries.
Brazil’s worst water crisis in almost a century will impact river navigation and make transportation of goods more expensive in the world’s largest exporter of commodities ranging from soybeans to coffee and sugar.
The undertaking is so big that the agency employs two different surveys.
NOAA’s annual hurricane outlook released this month shows the agency predicts another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA’s outlook points to a 60% chance of an above-normal season.
As rains drop needed moisture for areas of the country dealing with drought and in need of relief, the situation is growing more dire in the West.
Total U.S. sorghum acres are projected to reach 6.91 million acres this season, according to the most recent USDA Prospective Plantings Report. Acres could go even higher, as Kansas growers are just starting to plant.
USDA’s report this week showed 76% of the U.S. corn crop is rated good to excellent, 2 points better than last year. The ratings are causing confusion for farmers seeing struggling crop stands due to weather extremes.
Nationwide, USDA shows 72% of the corn crop is rated good to excellent, which is a 4 percentage point drop from last week. This week’s rating is also 3 points behind last year.