#Plant2025 for Success
You’ve weighed the agronomics and the economics — and now the planter is rolling. The decisions don’t stop, though. The weather changes plans, equipment breaks and pests pop up. Every step plays a role in the success of your planting season as well as the growing and harvest seasons to come.
Despite shifting market signals, some economists predict corn will remain the undisputed king of the acreage race.
World-record corn growers David Hula and Randy Dowdy share three essential practices that don’t cost a dime but could take your final yield numbers this fall from just OK to great.
Hardware and technology changes can help farmers overcome the “residue hurdle,” achieve more uniform stands and accomplish robust early-season growth in 15" soybeans.
Drift reduction adjuvants help keep products where you want them in the field and deliver measurable yield results.
To keep expenses in check, high-yield growers are rethinking everything from fertilizer use and planter prep to pest programs and how they manage field borders.
Pro Farmer economist Lane Akre says at the current corn to soybean price ratio and with market conditions, soybeans need to buy some additional acres.
Swapping your fluency agent for a value‑added product could turn a routine step at the planter into real ROI.
How quickly will La Niña exit this year, and when will El Niño enter the picture? Not all meteorologists agree with NOAA or one another, but the timing could have a major impact on weather this spring and summer.
High-yield growers David Hula and Randy Dowdy say three things deserve your sharpest focus now: your planter, fertility program and seed.
Crown rot is showing up more frequently in Midwest cornfields. Plant pathologists say it’s likely a multi-pathogen disease and offer five practical ways to address it this season.
Ken Ferrie gives some practical tips on how you can rely more on facts and less on your gut to reduce management mistakes and achieve better cropping outcomes.
If you want to plant early this spring, agronomists say to remember that fit soils and good weather are far more important guides to follow than the date on your calendar.
Ignore the hype of unproven products and practices. Research shows that doubling down on five core fundamentals will deliver the best ROI.
Will 2026 be a repeat of 2016? Chris Barron, Ag View Solutions, shares four strategies to help farmers capture some profit in this down cycle.
A detailed “farming playbook” can help guide essential input investments and maximize ROI.
Planning for next season? Review the expert insights and recommendations from farmers and field agronomists on how to reduce costs and strategically reallocate resources.
With the outlook for high input costs and low commodity prices, the impulse for farmers is to cut their spend on products across the board for 2026. There is a more effective approach that will deliver better results and ROI, say Extension field agronomists.
Syngenta’s latest innovation knocks out corn rootworm and addresses a host of other yield-robbing pests in a variety of crops.
Several years of low commodity prices, high input costs and thin margins have taken a toll on soil stewardship in some parts of the country. As a result, farmers need to use caution and do their homework before renting ground that’s coming available in their area for 2026.
Because every growing season is unique, agronomists are encouraging corn growers to make a management plan for the “driver diseases” they’re most likely to encounter in fields next year.
The fungal disease has spread to fields in at least seven states since 2018, including three new ones just this year. Once established, the pathogen is nearly impossible to eradicate, Extension plant pathologists report.
Number of bushels per acre is high on their list of priorities, but it’s not necessarily their No. 1 concern going into 2026.
Both products have been registered for use by the EPA, with one of them featuring a novel active ingredient.
Agronomists answer farmer questions about the role of nitrogen and other nutrients in lessening the potential impact of yield robbers such as southern rust and tar spot in corn.
With low commodity prices and higher input costs, identifying hybrids that are a good fit for your soil types and environmental conditions is more important than ever – and can give you a leg up on yield performance from the get-go next spring.
The microbial product works as part of an integrated strategy to address SCN, the No. 1 yield-reducing pest problem in soybeans. Farmers routinely see yields cut by 5 bushels or more per acre in affected fields.
There are no easy answers to address the cost of fertilizer and other inputs, but having conversations with suppliers and financial providers now can help you leverage your buying power and minimize potential impacts from marketplace uncertainties.
The corn crop faced tight tassel wrap and other pollination challenges in 2025. Here’s what one Kansas farm does to minimize risk and safeguard yield potential.
The online platform currently has about 500 programs and service providers in the Midwest participating and is a free resource for farmers, ranchers and their advisers.
The Minnesota corn crop is going for gold. Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts expect the crop will reach a record 202.86 bu. average, if it can outpace southern rust and tar spot. Scouts peg the Iowa corn crop at a 198.43 bu. average, but it also faces disease challenges.