Crop Conditions
The start of June could bring high heat and drier weather, which is a stark contrast from the forecast for the last week of May.
How can you know whether your corn crop has strong yield potential? It doesn’t have to be a mystery, say David Hula and Randy Dowdy. Their practical tips will help you make good input decisions this season for better outcomes at harvest.
John Deere is acquiring a drone and aerial imaging company to build out its Operations Center and application tech portfolio. Find out what we learned from executives from both companies.
If you have corn and soybeans affected by recent wind and dust storms, consider pushing pause for a few days to evaluate crops before applying post herbicides and making other product applications that could create additional stress for the plants.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says climate models have consistently shown a ridge across western North America that could lead to drought development, drought continuation or even drought expansion across portions of the Plains and West.
Be proactive in evaluating crop emergence and uniformity. That information will help you make timely, informed decisions that are best for your farm and your financial needs this season.
Knowing the final plant population as well as the uniformity of the stand can guide you in deciding whether you will benefit most from keeping the current crop or ripping it out and replanting, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.
Record-breaking heat hit areas of the U.S. this week with snow in the forecast for the weekend. As the disparity of moisture plays out, Nutrien’s Eric Snodgrass says he’s still concerned about the risk of drought.
Parts of the Central and Southern Plains are seeing some beneficial rains, but did they come in time to improve the winter wheat crop? Farmers will know soon, as harvest generally begins in early to mid-June.
One farmer who was chased out of fields by rain this past weekend told Farm Journal, “This is the wettest drought I have ever seen.” There are some silver linings, though: soil-applied herbicides are being activated, the U.S. corn crop won’t all pollinate the same week and you have time to make stand counts where the crop has emerged.
Analyzing both old and new growth, a sap test measures nutrient levels in the plant’s vascular tissues to identify current and soon-to-occur deficiencies.
Despite wet weather, farmers are making serious progress with planting. Here’s an update on how the season is shaping up in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.
GDUs offer a more reliable method to predict corn emergence and development than using calendar days, according to yield champions David Hula and Randy Dowdy. They also offer their pro tip on how to assess planting and germination depth.
Drew Lerner, founder of World Weather, Inc., says the summer of 1968 had some strong patterns, including a wetter bias in the western and north-central U.S., but drier in most of the Atlantic Coast states and parts of the eastern and southern Midwest.
Soil conditions, temperatures and weather outlook are finally aligned for planting in much of the Midwest. In the hurry to get the job done, keep in mind that to get a 300-bu. corn yield, you need to start with at least a 300-bu. picket-fence stand.
Farmers can make a poor planting scenario better by teaching their planter how to dance across fields. The practice is particularly helpful in wet soils.
Iowa farmers say a foliar fungicide application can add more bushels per acre by preventing losses to disease pressure and minimizing the impact of environmental factors, such as heat stress and drought.
David Cogen partnered with John Deere during the 2024 growing season to till, plant, spray and harvest a small field at Deere’s Boundurant, Iowa, test farm. In the process, he says he learned a lot about farming and how difficult it truly is.
Could 2025 set a new record for planting pace in Iowa? Ogden, Iowa farmers Ward and Bryant Hunter say they’ll finish planting corn on Thursday – marking the earliest finish ever on their farm.
Farmers in the upper Plains, northern Plains and Northeast came up short on snow for the 2024/25 season. In some cases, they experienced the winter that wasn’t, now sitting 10" to 30" short on normal snowfall.
One solution to low prices is producing more bushels. Take a minute to think through some of the best management practices outlined here that will help you accomplish that.
Randy Hughes is continually refining his fertility program and has seen yields improve 40 bu. to 50 bu. per acre over the past six years. Hughes chats with corn yield champs David Hula and Randy Dowdy about the importance of being a lifelong student of the crop.
Farmers who are seeing this issue show up in their seed sample test results might want to consider not using starter in-furrow this spring. There are good options off the seed, Ken Ferrie reports.
Don’t let the calendar, coffee shop talk or what your neighbors are doing dictate when you head to the field. Farm Journal field agronomists offer these four tips to help you get your best start ever with #planting2025.
USDA says Texas farmers have 59% of their crop in the ground, identical to 2024. One key difference from last year: Illinois has yet to register any discernible corn planting progress, according to the first report of the 2025 season.
While macronutrients and micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and manganese contribute to high yields, yield champs say don’t overlook the importance of having soil pH in place first.
Many seed beans were hammered by heat and drought at harvest last year, leading to variable seed quality this season. Knowing your warm/cold germ scores and using seed treatments at planting can help you get the crop off to a stronger start, especially early soybeans.
Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, breaks down what the next few days of heavy rains mean for drought risk and what planting windows could look like in the weeks ahead.
Brian Naber says growing up in a farming family in southwest Minnesota helped prepare him for the rigors of leading the company through the ag industry’s current economic and regulatory challenges.
Add several thousand ears per acre to your yield results and boost ROI by getting your planter ready for the field. Be sure to download our free planter prep checklist.