Agronomy

Farmers in parts of the High Plains and Southeast need a break from relentless drought, while nationwide planting progress is outpacing the five-year average.
Corn stalks, straw and cover crops are impacting weed-control results, requiring farmers to make tactical adjustments.
The product is designed to address cercospora leaf spot.
Agronomist Phil Long explains the critical gap between air and soil temperatures and why the “heat engine” for corn and soybeans has stalled in some areas.
Now present in seven states, the small pest is taking a toll on soybean crops and making Midwest growers look beyond traditional insecticides for yield protection.
Soil moisture, seed chilling risks, and emergence forecasts can help you decide whether to run hard or park the planter.
Using crop diversity, conservation tillage and a contract-first mindset, the Ruddenklau family works to keep their operation moving forward.
The problem is making it difficult for farmers to know which herbicide chemistries will still work in their fields.
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.
The proposed framework introduces a targeted approach to safeguard endangered species while maintaining essential crop protection tools for U.S. farmers, the agency reports.
Ken Ferrie uses a green-yellow-red “signal light” system to help farmers evaluate their planting decisions in the week ahead.
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.
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.
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.
To raise your total farm yield average, Connor Sible recommends starting the planting process in your lower soil-testing fields, once they’re fit, and then transitioning to planting higher soil-testing ground.
Two Midwest growers say increased competition between corn and soybeans for acres could help rebalance supplies and provide a financial boost.
Tim Webster and Steve Crothers share their cropping plans, telling Ken Ferrie they hope to bounce back this season from record low rainfall and extreme heat in 2025.

Illinois grower Stephen Butz is uber-focused this season on removing the hidden barriers that have kept his bean crops from reaching their true potential.
Temple Rhodes explains how moving away from front-loaded fertilizer use to what he calls a “layered, systematic approach” — using nitrogen, phosphorus and biologicals — is helping him build corn yields despite increased regulatory demands.
Research shows skipping the right tank-mix partner can reduce control of tough broadleaf weeds and grasses by 25% to 90%.
Irrigation experts explain how tracking daily “deposits and withdrawals” can prevent costly watering mistakes and protect yields during critical growth stages.
The leadership for New Corteva and SpinCo aims to drive growth through a specialized focus on crop protection and advanced seed genetics.
Purdue’s Dan Quinn explains how using strategies like moisture-seeking planting and the critical N:S ratio are keys to higher yields.
Sixth-generation Minnesota farmer Carson Kahler is putting homemade nitrogen to the test this season, evaluating its field performance and whether the investment truly pencils out.
Two Midwest farmers say they’ve made the cuts they can, leaving fine-tuned field passes, smarter marketing and policy fixes as the next line of defense.
Indiana farmer Jason Mauck uses his wheat crop as a “supporting actor” to increase soybean yields and boost profits.
Corn growers and agronomists share their top five strategies for staying ahead of problems such as northern corn leaf blight, tar spot and the much-dreaded southern rust.
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