Insects

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.

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.

Data — a word that packs a punch but can be hard to define. From planting to irrigation, it’s necessary to have a digital record of these field activities to participate in sustainability and crop traceability programs.

Growers are trying to figure out what caused missing plants in their corn stands last season and what solutions they can use this spring.

MIT scientists have developed robotic insects that could aid farming through artificial pollination.

A new map from the SCN Coalition can give you an idea of whether the pest is in your county. Soil testing this spring will confirm whether the pest is in your fields, dinging yields and dollars.

New World Screwworm is a serious veterinary pest that can cause severe damage to livestock and wildlife populations. The detection of New World Screwworm in Mexico and the subsequent USDA actions may have significant implications on trade and travel.

Our brief video takes you through evaluating stand losses from pest pressure, disease issues and dry conditions in a central Illinois cornfield. These insights can help you plan for next season’s bumper yields.

There’s a big crop in the field for many Midwest growers, and it requires fuel. N supplies ears with the energy they need to add kernels all the way to their tips and to pack on weight.

Yield losses of 10 bu. to 35 bu. per acre are common in affected cornfields, especially where farmers have a later-planted crop and in those fields with L2 hybrids.