Soil

Oregon Farmers Navigate The Ups And Downs Of A Changing Ag Landscape

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:05:35 GMT

Helle and Bruce Ruddenklau make almost every agronomic move on their Willamette Valley, Oregon, farm with their balance sheet in mind. Crop rotations, contracts and niche markets are the core tools they use to maneuver through and survive today’s costly inputs and soft crop prices.

The couple farm about 1,100 acres near Amity, Ore. They own a third of the ground and rent the rest.

About half the acres are in commercial grass seed — perennial ryegrass and fescue for lawns, golf courses, sports fields and parks. The rest of their acreage cycles through wheat, an oilseed called Meadowfoam (highly sought after in cosmetics, skincare products, and specialty industrial applications), green beans, occasional sweet corn and peas, radish seed for export to Japan, clover seed and hazelnuts.

The crop diversity is critical. It helps even out the economic ups and downs of farming, and it also helps address a problem the couple didn’t even know they had initially in the 1990s: herbicide-resistant grass weeds, a challenge exacerbated by the fact they produce commercial grass seed.

“We had to come up with a different way of fighting some of these grassy weeds without chemistry, and that was through rotation. And no-till was the other big, big thing,” Helle recalls.

In the late 1990s, the couple invested in a no-till drill and redesigned their rotation.

“The (commercial) grass seeds stay in for two to four years, and when they come out, we have at least two years of other crops in those fields so we can get new chemical applications on, try to rotate and get on top of any grassy weeds that may have built up,” Helle tells Andrew McCrea during a recent episode of Farming The Countryside , available on Farm Journal TV.

Focused On Crop Diversity To Create Income

Crop rotation is a framework for stacking income streams. Every crop has to pull its weight against rising fertilizer and fuel costs.

“As with all farmers, our input costs are higher than what they have been. That’s been a huge challenge. Everybody here’s trying to find something that’s more profitable to grow,” she says, adding that she believes Midwest farmers have an even harder time generating ROI.

Grass seed has delivered strong margins at times, but COVID-era demand whipsawed the market. A surge in lawn and turf projects sent prices sharply higher in 2020. Seed companies then pushed acres. A couple of variable years later, and the industry became awash in seed.

“We’re still working through that oversupply from three years ago or so,” Helle says. “Our price has dropped in half, basically, from what it was.”

With prices cut and input costs elevated, some growers are rolling the dice and producing grass seed on speculation.

“You have the option to grow grass seed without a contract, and then you have it on the open market,” she says. “If there’s a market for it, you can sell it. If not, you just sit with [it] in the barn and wait.”

The Ruddenklaus work hard to avoid being in that position, growing most everything under contract.

“We have one field that we have an open market Kentucky 31 variety on. But other than that, everything we grow is under contract on both the grass seed, specialty crops, hazelnuts, vegetables, everything.”

Relationships Play An Important Role In Farming

That contract-first mindset shapes what they plant and who they do business with.

“A lot of it is relationships with different dealers… that we know they will treat us fairly, and they know that we will produce a quality product for them,” she says.

Those relationships open doors to new niche markets that fit within their existing rotation.

“A few years ago, a local economic development company came to us and said a local soy sauce manufacturer was looking to have some local production of hard red spring wheat,” she recalls. “Oregon traditionally grows soft white wheat, so it’s not something we had worked with in the past, but we decided to try it, and that’s become a very valuable little niche market for us that has worked out well.”

Through that same connection, the farm links with AgLaunch, a Tennessee-based network that brings farmers and ag tech startups together.

“The companies come in [and] want to get the support of the farmers, the advice, the on-farm trials,” she says. “In exchange, they have to give up some equity to the farmers’ network. So through that, we also are getting exposure to some new companies and potentially new opportunities. We are definitely always looking at things.”

Some experiments — like trying grain corn and soybeans — have not become permanent fixtures on the farm. But even those tests help the Ruddenklaus calibrate where their competitive edge really lies: in specialty crops backed by contracts and rotations that help them manage weeds and other risks at the same time.

“I think agriculture has an amazing, amazing story. Farmers are innovators, and that’s just part of what we have done through generations,” Helle says.

“I’m not pessimistic about where we’re at,” she adds. “I believe agriculture has a bright, bright future. We belong in society. We have an important role to play. It won’t look the same as it has in the past, but we’ll figure it out.”

Helle was the recipient of the Top Producer 2026 Woman in Agriculture award . The award was sponsored by ProFarmer.

Know someone you would like to nominate for the Top Producer Woman In Agriculture? Nominations are open! Recommend your candidate here .

Blake Vince Shares 1.7 Million Reasons To Stop Tilling Your Soil

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:05:44 GMT

Blake Vince says some of the most highly-valued help on his 1,200-acre Ontario, Canada, farm never show up on a payroll sheet.

They live under his boots.

“One day I went out with a shovel, flipped over a slice of soil about 12 inches by 12 inches, and I started counting earthworms,” Vince recalls. “I counted 40 in that one square.”

He quickly estimated how many earthworms likely live in one acre of his cropland: “Multiply that 40 by 43,560 [the square feet in one acre] and you get 1,742,400. That’s a hell of a lot of earthworms out there in my soil doing the work.”

For Vince, earthworms are more than a sign of good soil — they’re central characters in how he farms, evaluates risk and stays profitable. In a production system shaped by no-till, planting green and cover crops, he sees earthworms as the quiet workforce that’s helping hold the whole thing together, he recently told farmers attending the 2026 Soil Health Conference in Aberdeen, S.D.

(Blake Vince)

From Traditional Tillage To Tiny Tillers

Vince grew up believing that aggressive tillage comes at a cost. The renowned fifth-generation farmer from Merlin — a 750-person farming community in southwest Ontario — is considered a conservation farming pioneer in the region, having used no-till for over 40 years to protect soil structure.

“(I learned early) that tillage was eroding our largest capital investment, our soil. Soil is not an infinite resource. I can’t stress that enough,” he says.

Blake’s father and his brothers started to no-till in 1983 when he was just 11 years old.

“Our motive for what we do on our farm first and foremost is to remain financially viable,” he says. “And then what’s important is the fact that we’re protecting the environment.”

Those two goals continue today on the farm, which he operates with his father, Elwin. Together, they grow commercial corn, soybeans and winter wheat, and cover crop for seed on approximately 1,200 acres.

The father-son team seeds cash crops directly into living covers such as cereal rye to suppress weeds, protect soil and extend the period of living roots. Vince says they use planting green to cut passes, reduce herbicide pressure and boost resilience in dry spells, evaluating the benefits by agronomics and economics, not appearances.

Even with its proximity to the Great Lakes (see image below), the farm’s heavy Brookston clay operates within a moisture-strapped, 16-inch rainfall zone. In such an environment, soil disturbance is critical.

Blake Vince’s farm is based just north of Lake Erie and south of Lake Huron. But despite its proximity to the Great Lakes, the farm only sees about 16 inches of rain annually.

(Blake Vince)

Vince categorizes soils as either “defensive” or “offensive.” On offensive soils, he believes aggressive tillage can continue for years with little visible impact.

“You can till it with the most aggressive tillage passes, and you can still grow a crop… So the decline is gradual,” he contends, noting he believes much of the upper Midwest has offensive soils.

His own ground is the opposite, and he refers to his soils as being defensive. As a result, the wrong tillage pass at the wrong moisture level could smear the soil profile, seal off pores and restrict roots just when crops need water the most.

“We can’t go down into the depth of the soil to bring up the much-needed moisture during that critical period of year when it’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside and the corn is trying to pollinate,” Vince says.

Betting On Biology Instead Of Iron

When Vince talks about earthworms, he sounds like a businessman who’s discovered an overlooked, underpaid labor force.

“When an earthworm poops, it’s pH neutral,” he says. “So it’s bringing all of those nutrients from depth, turning organic material — last year’s crop residue — into plant-available nutrients for subsequent crops that we grow.”

In other words: free nutrient cycling, free aggregation, free tillage.

A moment that cemented Vince’s faith in earthworms started with a disagreement. His independent agronomist, looking at soil test results, told him he needed to apply lime. Vince didn’t dispute that. The sticking point was how to use it.

“She suggested to me, ‘Blake, you need to add lime, which I agreed, but in order to use that lime and make it most effective, you need to till it in,’” he recalls. “And I said, ‘No. That’s where the buck stops. I am not interested in doing tillage. It costs time, it costs energy, it costs money — diesel fuel, depreciation, as we all know.’”

Vince’s answer sounded simple, almost unbelievable, even naive.

“I’ve got so many earthworms, they’ll do the work for me,” he told her.

Later, while installing tile drainage, he found the proof he’d been looking for. At the top of an earthworm midden — a vertical burrow —he saw a dusting of white on the soil surface.

“So folks, this is an earthworm midden,” he told the audience as he showed the image (see below). “You can see at the top of the picture, that’s lime that’s been broadcast on the surface. That earthworm has crawled to the surface. It’s got its body coated in lime that we’ve spread just on the surface, and now it’s bringing it down in its middens, down in its vertical burrows.”

Earthworms help move lime below the soil’s surface.

(Blake Vince)

For most farmers, incorporating lime means fuel, wear on steel and the risk of compaction or smearing. For Vince, it meant waiting on the night shift.

“If we think back to that picture where I was standing there with those earthworm casts, how much horsepower would be required to do tillage at that depth?” he asked the audience. “More than I have.”

In his view, every pass he doesn’t make is one more way he can reduce costs and protect his bottom line.

The contributions of earthworms to global food development have been assessed by the National Institutes of Health . The agency reports earthworms contribute to roughly 6.5% of global grain (maize, rice, wheat, barley) production and 2.3% of legume production, equivalent to over 140 million metric tons annually.

The Unseen Economics Underfoot

Behind Vince’s enthusiasm for earthworms and farming green lies a hard-edged focus on economics. From a brief stint in financial services, he brought one non-negotiable rule home to the farm: pay yourself first.

“The number one rule of financial planning is what? Pay yourself first,” he says. “With that mentality, I started thinking: how do I do that here? I don’t control the price of seed, chemicals, fertilizer, diesel, or machinery. But I can control how I manage my soil.”

One of his major “pay yourself first” decisions a decade ago was switching to 100% non-GMO soybeans. Growing them allows him to brown bag his own seed without worrying about patent infringement, all while securing a market premium.

“I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now,” he says. “Mathematically, I figure I’m well over a million dollars ahead in net profit, simply because of my willingness to think differently.”

That thinking applies to earthworms, too. To Vince, every earthworm burrow is a tiny cost-saving device. Every casting is a granule of fertilizer he doesn’t have to buy or risk losing to runoff. Every year he skips deep tillage is a year he avoids burning diesel and breaking shear bolts.

“Doing nothing, in all actuality, is doing something,” he told the audience. By “nothing,” he doesn’t mean neglect; he means resisting the urge to disturb the natural infrastructure the worms are building for him.

More Than A Soil Test Number

Vince doesn’t romanticize his soils. He’s pragmatic, often blunt, about what’s at stake when farmers ignore the biology just beneath the surface.

“We abuse our land because we regard it as a commodity,” he says, quoting conservationist Aldo Leopold. Then he adds his own twist. “‘Dirt’ is a four-letter word I wish everybody in agriculture would remove from their vocabulary… It’s soil. It’s a collection of living, breathing organisms, and we need to treat it with respect.”

On his farm, that respect looks like cover crops to keep the soil armored, no-till to protect structure and planting green to keep living roots feeding the underground food web as long as possible. Earthworms are both beneficiaries and drivers of that system.

“My main focus is preparing our transfer of our farm to the next generation, regardless if they’re our kids, or they’re somebody else’s kids,” Vince says. “I want [the farm] to be as productive as possible, so they can be a success.”

As long as he keeps the soils covered and the roots living, he knows his million-man workforce underground will be clocking in for their shift every single day, helping the farm thrive.

Listen to Vince’s keynote presentation during the 2026 Soil Health Conference here .

Early Soybeans Benefit From Protection In Cold Soils

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:11:26 GMT

When the calendar says it’s still a little early for soybeans but field conditions are just right, growers face this increasingly common dilemma: plant and risk the outcome in cold, tough soils—or wait and risk missing the best window.

More farmers are deciding to go early. As they do, seed treatments and inoculants are playing a bigger role in helping growers manage the risks, reports Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, based in south-central Michigan.

The Case For Inoculant Use

While soybeans naturally fix nitrogen through root nodules, the process depends on the presence of Bradyrhizobium bacteria. Inoculants introduce these essential microbes to maximize nitrogen fixation and crop performance.

Inoculants are most often useful, the Crop Protection Network (CPN) reports, when fields have no history of soybean production, or when the field has gone four or more years without being planted to soybeans.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer says her field research in south-central Michigan indicates inoculant use can also be a net positive in “ultra early” soybean planting. She has spent the past three years evaluating Preside Ultra, a “super-concentrated” soybean inoculant.

“The results are pretty positive,” says Bauer. “We’ve seen good early growth all three years that we looked at this product.”

Three years of field testing show a solid return-on-investment for the inoculant.

(B&M Crop Consulting, Coldwater, Michigan)

Her data shows the product has added about 2.4 bushels per acre on average, delivering roughly $25 per acre in return for about $1.10 per acre more cost than a “standard” inoculant.

“I’ve been pretty happy with what we’ve seen with the enhanced early growth,” Bauer says. “I think the product pairs well with when I plant early, what we can do to get these beans going better knowing that they’re in a tough, cold environment.”

Seed Treatments Continue To Play A Valuable Role

When it comes to protecting early-planted soybeans, Bauer says seed treatments like Ilevo and Saltro still earn a place in growers’ plans as important production tools.

“While we aren’t continuing to research the Ilevo, we have that good history of Ilevo seed treatment and still recommend growers use it or Saltro,” she says.

For Bauer, that “good history” matters. Even without continuous new trials every season, a solid base of multi-year data gives her confidence to keep recommending both products, particularly when growers want to push soybeans into colder soils ahead of the traditional planting window.

Her message to farmers is that early planting doesn’t have to mean planting unprotected. With a strong track record and comparable performance in her trials, she views Ilevo and Saltro as dependable options when the goal is to capture the yield upside of early soybeans while managing the risk that cold, challenging environments can bring.

While Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer says she is not conducting further testing on Ilevo or Saltro, she has confidence in their performance in soybeans, especially in early-planted crops.

(B&M Crop Consulting, Coldwater, Michigan)

The CPN says the benefit of a seed treatment is most evident when reduced soybean seeding rates (140,000 seeds per acre or less) are used. In many regions, the minimum plant stand for highly productive soils is 100,000 plants per acre. Because farmers want to minimize input costs while maximizing yield, they may reduce their seeding rates and use seed treatments to help protect the stand, CPN reports.

Next Steps For Your System

For most soybean growers, adopting a different inoculant or seed treatment won’t require a major overhaul. In many cases, it’s a conversation with a seed dealer or custom treater, Bauer says.

Four next steps she recommends:

Talk to your seed dealer about the inoculant and seed treatment options they offer and the potential benefits.
Review local data from plots in your area, especially where beans were planted early.
Match products to your planting plans — early planting into cold soils typically justifies a more robust treatment package.
Consider a strip trial for evaluation purposes. Compare your standard package against an upgraded inoculant or seed treatment.

For farmers looking to protect their early-planted soybeans — and squeeze a few more bushels out of every acre — upgrading the inoculant and revisiting their seed treatment package may be one of the simpler, higher-return changes they can make, Bauer says.

Fall NH3 Emphasis Set the Stage For Ugly Corn Syndrome

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:00:32 GMT

Farmers who leaned hard on anhydrous ammonia last fall could be in for an unwelcome surprise this spring. Despite having enough N on the books, many fields of corn across the Midwest are likely to struggle soon after planting—thanks not to how much nitrogen was applied, but where it is located now in soils.

Ken Ferrie says the current situation came about as a result of prices and product choices that drove many growers to change their N programs last fall.

“Due to price, some guys cut out or pulled back on their MAP and DAP and AMS,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. “Many farmers put on their N—all their N—as anhydrous ammonia last fall due to that price difference between liquid and smoke.”

Those choices made financial sense at the time, but they also resulted in more nitrogen being placed deeper in the soil as NH₃ — away from where young corn plants can access it this spring.

“If we dropped the dry last fall and put all of our N needs on as anhydrous ammonia, we have nothing to fight the carbon penalty stage,” Ferrie says. “The NH₃band is too deep. It’s below where the ‘fence post rots off.’ Corn roots will have to grow to it to pick it up.”

That creates a Catch-22 situation.

“The challenge is, roots will need to grow to find the nitrogen, but the carbon penalty will have them stalled out,” Ferrie explains.

Ferrie shares the example of one grower he works with who normally applies 220 pounds of nitrogen per acre, split between dry fertilizer and anhydrous. This year, that grower dropped the dry program and instead applied 250 pounds of nitrogen as fall anhydrous.

“His question: Will he still need to worry about the carbon penalty with the extra 30 pounds of nitrogen he has on? The answer is, yes. His corn will stall out for a period this spring,” Ferrie says.

How Big Is the Yield Risk?

In Ferrie’s field research, the yield impact from corn crops stalling out early in the season is clear.

“With corn on soybeans, it’s not uncommon to see a 15- to 20-bushel loss per acre,” he says. “With the G and L1 hybrids, it could get to be 15 to 30 bushels. And it gets a lot worse in corn-on-corn.”

Despite those potential yield losses, he says some growers still downplay the issue.

“This grower says his neighbor told him he has corn turn yellow every year, and he says it never affects yield,” Ferrie recounts. “Well, if you don’t check it, you’ll never know. Ignorance is bliss.”

If yellow corn in the spring has become part of your farm’s “normal,” Ferrie offers a pointed warning on hybrid choice. “If yellow corn in the spring is your MO—you just don’t feel right without having some yellow corn—I would not plant G or L1 hybrids—those that flex in girth and early length,” he says.

Inches That Matter: Banding and Carbon Penalty Rates

Ferrie’s field studies in central Illinois help quantify the amount of nitrogen needed near the surface to pay the carbon penalty.

“Our studies here show us that it takes about 60 pounds of N, minimum, placed where the fence post rots off, for bean stubble to pay this carbon penalty, and a minimum of 100 pounds worth when we’re in corn-on-corn,” he says.

One common approach growers use to build that total amount is with surface-applied fertilizer.

“Typically, we take what was surface applied as our fall fertilizer—let’s say 30, 40 pounds—and then add more surface-applied spring nitrogen to it to get to that minimum for our crop rotation,” Ferrie explains.

Another option is strategically banding nutrients near the row with the planter or a row freshener. “When it comes to keeping small plants happy, inches matter,” Ferrie notes.

He emphasizes how close the bands need to be.

“Staying within 2” to 3” of the row makes a big difference, so those crown roots can find this N in that band before the carbon penalty kicks in,” Ferrie says. “Banding some N with the planter or row freshener allows you to cut these minimums in half.”

By putting nitrogen where young roots can reach it early—near the surface and close to the row—growers can help corn push through the ugly phase instead of being stuck and languishing in it.

Don’t Let The Neighbor Decide When You Roll

Nitrogen isn’t the only factor that will shape how well corn roots perform this year. Ferrie warns that spring tillage timing and traffic decisions will also have lasting consequences.

“As our thoughts turn to spring tillage, getting the seedbed ready, remember, 80% of the compaction calls I will go on this next summer will be caused by the first pass in the spring,” he says. “Yes, the one you’re getting ready to make.”

He cautions against letting social pressure dictate when to roll.

“Don’t let the coffee shop or your neighbor set when you go to the field,” Ferrie says. “Make the decision based on your own field conditions.”

You can listen to Ferrie’s complete recommendations on spring nitrogen use in his current Boots In The Field podcast, available at the link below:

Are You Planting Second-Year Soybeans And Skipping Corn?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:26:30 GMT

As input prices and markets fluctuate, many U.S. farmers are considering a shift from corn to soybeans this season. For some, like northwest Missouri farmer Todd Gibson, continuous soybeans aren’t just a one-year pivot—they are a long-term strategy to capture ROI on challenging soils.

Gibson, based near Norborne — a farming community that proudly bills itself as the “Soybean Capital of the World” — keeps a traditional corn-soybean rotation on his Missouri River bottom ground. But most of his fields with tougher, gumbo-type soils haven’t seen a corn planter in two decades.

“Growing corn on some of this heavy ground just doesn’t pay,” Gibson explains. “I’ve got some fields that have been in continuous soybeans for 20-plus years now.”

More Second-Year Soybeans In U.S. Farmers’ Plans

Gibson says he will grow more soybeans this season and on his better ground. “I’m going to cut my corn acres maybe in half. I’ll have more beans on the better dirt this year, mainly because of input prices,” he says.

Other U.S. farmers – many without Gibson’s experience – are looking to grow second-year soybeans. The Allendale Report released March 18 says private acreage estimates point to a shift toward more soybeans this season, notes Rich Nelson, chief analyst. He estimates U.S. corn planted area at 93.678 million acres, down about 5.1 million acres from 2025, while soybean acres are pegged at 85.659 million acres, up roughly 4.4 million acres over last year.

In southern Illinois, farmer and broker Sherman Newlin says the conversations he has with farmers these days are dominated by input costs and fertilizer availability concerns. While some tell him they’re sticking to their corn-bean rotations, others are considering a 100% shift to soybeans. Newlin is keeping his options open.

“I’m not planning on switching, but we’ll see,” he says. “We’ve still got a few weeks to go where we can swap out seed if we need to.”

Iowa Soybean Association Agronomist Lucas DeBruin says the farmers he works with in the state are sticking with their regular rotation and planting corn if that’s what the original plan was for this season.

“We use a lot of fall anhydrous here, so most guys are pretty locked into growing corn,” DeBruin says. “A lot of them also need the corn for livestock feed. Sometimes you can still squeeze a little bit more margin out of corn than the soybeans,” he adds, “and guys like growing corn more than soybeans. It’s more fun to pick corn.”

Look Before You Leap: The Ferrie Checklist

For farmers looking to change their seed order, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie suggests taking a hard look at your balance sheet and your fields first. Here are some of his key recommendations:

Consider What You’ve Invested To Date: If you’ve already applied fall anhydrous or dry fertilizer for a corn crop, the “switch to beans” math doesn’t work. “You can’t afford to go to beans, because you’ve already spent the money,” Ferrie contends.

Account for the Yield Penalty: In a beans-after-beans scenario, Ferrie tells growers to expect a 5-to-7-bushel yield drag due to more stress from potential disease, insect and weed pressure. His question: “If you take 7 bushels off your bean yield, does it still cash flow against your corn APH?”

The Management “Claw Back": You can potentially mitigate some of the yield penalty in second-year soybeans by moving your planting date up from May to April, Ferrie says. Early planting helps the crop get an earlier and longer flowering period which can help recover some of the lost potential.

One morning this past week, Ferrie noted that the market was leaning back toward corn and that the see-saw between crops could continue this spring — another factor to keep in mind.

“Looking at the markets this morning, I think a lot of guys would prefer growing corn at $4.90 than beans at $11.10,” he contends.

The Continuous Soybean Playbook

For Gibson, success with continuous soybeans works based on a disciplined management system he relies on every year:

Fertility is Foundational. Even if you shift from corn to soybeans, Gibson says be aware that the beans could require more nutrients. He monitors his soil fertility closely, noting that continuous beans often require extra sulfur, phosphorus and potassium. He also keeps a close eye on micronutrients to ensure the crop won’t hit a hidden yield ceiling.

Non-Negotiable Seed Treatments: In continuous soybeans, the soil is more likely to become a reservoir for pathogens. Gibson hasn’t put a bare seed in the ground in 20 years. “Seed treatment guarantees me 100% replant,” he says. “It lets you sleep better at night knowing that if you get a heavy rain, you have that insurance to fall back on.”

Row Spacing and Canopy: Gibson plants in 15-inch rows at a rate of roughly 130,000 seeds per acre. The goals are quick emergence and a quick canopy. He believes a fast-closing row is your best defense against weeds and helps preserve soil moisture in the heavy gumbo. Seed treatment use and regular scouting help him feel confident in using narrow rows.

Keep Your Boots In The Field: In a corn-bean rotation, the “break” in the cycle helps farmers manage various diseases, insects and weeds. In continuous soybeans, you lose that advantage.

Gibson compensates by routine scouting and being prepared to address problems. “If you hear your neighbors have bug pressure, assume you will, too,” he says. “Don’t have the attitude that you can ‘get by,’ because you probably won’t.”

He has similar thoughts regarding weed pressure – “be proactive.” His program typically starts with a pre-emergence/burndown or early post application, with residual herbicides used to hold back weeds. If weeds break through, he is prepared to return with a post pass.

“We kind of wish sometimes we didn’t have to worry about weeds so much,” he says. “But if you don’t, then next thing you know, you think, ‘Oh, I wish we would have sprayed.’”

The Genetic Advantage: The final piece of the puzzle for Gibson is the advancement in soybean technology. He recalls the days when he says Williams 82 was his only real option for continuous soybeans. Today, advanced traits have made managing weeds and disease in continuous systems much more manageable, he notes.

On his continuous soybean acres, Gibson consistently sees yields average in the 50-to-60-bushel range. When he factors in the lower input costs compared to growing corn on heavy gumbo ground, he believes the decision to go with continuous soybeans is a good one. For Gibson, it’s not about following a trend— it’s about knowing what his land does best and having the management practices in place to succeed.

Soil Test Results Offer ‘News You Can Use’ Beyond pH

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:44:43 GMT

When farmers talk about their soil test results, the conversation often starts and ends with soil pH.

While that one number is important to determining whether lime is needed, that insight is just a fraction of what’s available in the lab report, says Lizzie French, soil biology manager with Waypoint Analytical, a national soil testing lab that partners with Nutrien Ag Solutions.

At a time when fertility is one of the most expensive lines on a crop budget, she believes farmers are overlooking an opportunity to pull more data from soil test results into their everyday decisions.

“We know folks who get their testing done on a regular basis, and the only piece of it they use is the pH,” French says. “That’s important, but don’t overlook the rest of the results.”

From Paperwork To Management Tool

French says the first shift farmers often need to make is mental – to stop seeing the soil test as paperwork and start treating it as a management tool.

She encourages farmers to sit down with their agronomist, retailer or consultant and walk through the entire soil test report. Some of the specific areas to address in the discussion:

Where are phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) consistently low or high?
How do those nutrient levels line up with yield history?
Are problem spots in a field reflected in the soil test data?

“That conversation is where you start turning the report into a map,” French says — a map that can guide where to invest fertilizer dollars as well as where management practices might need to change.

Establish The Baseline

French doesn’t downplay pH; she calls it the essential baseline. In the Midwest, deep soils and high organic matter can sometimes mask underlying issues.

“Before you try to do anything else on that field, you’ve got to fix pH,” she notes. But once that is accomplished, she urges farmers to dig into information on:

Macronutrients: Determine if you are in a “build, maintain, or drawdown” mode.
Micronutrients: Identify elements that may help explain why high-fertility fields are underperforming.
CEC and Organic Matter: These offer clues on how well a soil holds nutrients and water, and how aggressively the land can be pushed.

Understanding the Chemistry

The “how” behind the numbers matters, too. Waypoint typically uses the Mehlich-3 extraction method for Midwest samples, French says, because it is well-validated and provides a quick turnaround.

However, other tests are also relevant depending on the region. Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist at the University of Minnesota, highlights Bray P-1 and Olsen:

Bray-P1: Best for predicting yield response to P in slightly alkaline to highly acidic soils (pH of 7.4 or less), Kaiser says.
Olsen: The “gold standard” for soils with a pH of 7.4 or greater, though it can be used down to a pH of 6.0.

“Many labs using the Bray-P1 or Olsen tests will run the Olsen test at a certain pH automatically,” Kaiser says. He recommends using labs close to your farm and familiar with your soil type to ensure you get the best management advice.

The Biological Frontier

Beyond traditional chemistry, French is seeing more farmer interest in soil biology—getting a holistic view of what is living in the soil and how it affects nutrient cycling.

Waypoint’s soil biology tests help answer questions that traditional chemistry might miss, such as:

Are poorly drained zones losing nitrogen through denitrification?
Is there enough biological activity to release nutrients tied up in organic matter?
Are beneficial mycorrhizal fungi active?

“They’re farming microbes, whether they are aware of it or not,” French says of growers. “They’ve always been there, and they’ll continue to be a part of that growing system.”

Understanding that microbial workforce in soils, she says, can make every dollar spent on fertilizer work harder.

For farmers looking to get more from soil tests, one of the keys is connecting that biology back to management practices and product use such as:

Reduced tillage – “If you till, you’re going to break up those fungal networks,” she says. Less disturbance helps keep the “house” intact.
Residue management and cover – Keeping soil covered and adding organic inputs, whether through manure, cover crops or residues, feeds both microbes and fungi.
Targeted products – In some cases, she says, certain humic acid products appear to help “facilitate the conversation” between roots and fungi, though results depend on the product and the system.

Biology tests can show whether these practices and products are making a difference over time — moving the discussion from theory to measurable change.

Putting The Data Into Action

French is quick to point out that farmers don’t need to become microbiologists to get more practical information from soil testing. But they do need to ask more of their reports — and of the people who work with them.

“A lot of it’s logistical,” she says of the questions she routinely hears from farmers. “‘Can you work within what I’m already doing? Can you make recommendations? Can you work with this program I’m using for data?’”

Underneath those logistics is a bigger opportunity: using the full soil test report to shape decisions about where to spend, where to save and how to build long-term soil health.

For farmers already spending the money to sample their fields, French’s message is straightforward: don’t let that investment end with addressing only pH. The rest of the numbers are there, she adds, waiting to be turned into “news you can use” on every acre.

Solving The Sulfur Shortage In High-Yield Soybean Systems

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:45:27 GMT

As more farmers push to plant soybeans early, one nutrient is emerging as a valuable difference-maker in the crop: sulfur. The macronutrient is helping deliver some of the largest yield responses Shaun Casteel says he has seen in recent field trials.

“Never would you think you’d see double-digit results, let alone 20-bushel numbers in soybean yield from one treatment,” says Casteel, Purdue University agronomist and Extension soybean specialist.

Yet that’s exactly what he has documented in some Indiana fields where supplemental sulfur was applied, especially in early planted soybean fields.

Why Sulfur Matters More Now

Sulfur is required by all crops, but Casteel says soybean needs are unique compared with grass crops like corn. In soybeans, sulfur is critical as a co-factor for nodulation, the biological process that allows soybean plants to use atmospheric nitrogen (N).

“If we don’t have good sulfur supply, we don’t have good nodulation and fixation,” Casteel explains. “If you’re sold short on nitrogen in soybeans, you’re sold short on yield in a major way.”

Historically, sulfur came “free” from the atmosphere and also from mineralization of organic matter in the soil. Cleaner air regulations have reduced atmospheric deposition, and Casteel says many farmers are starting to see sulfur shortages that weren’t obvious just as recently as a decade ago.

Historically, sulfur was readily available to soybeans via atmospheric deposition (acid rain) from industrial emissions, providing 10 to 30 lbs./acre annually. Due to the 1970 Clean Air Act reducing emissions by over 95%, this “free” source has disappeared, making sulfur supplementation essential to prevent deficiencies, especially on sandy soils, according to University Extension.

(Shaun Casteel)

The classic high-response situations for sulfur — coarse-textured, sandy soils with less than 2% organic matter — still stand out. But Casteel’s work is showing the story for sulfur doesn’t end there.

“I also have fields that are flat and black as a table, with 4% organic matter, where we’re getting sizable yield differences,” he says.

Early Planting Amplifies Sulfur Response

Casteel links some of the most dramatic sulfur responses to a broader trend across the country: earlier soybean planting.

In Indiana, planting patterns have shifted sharply in recent years. Soybeans that once went in the ground two weeks after corn are now being planted within a day or two of corn — and in many cases, are planted first.

Early planting improves yield potential by giving soybeans more time to develop nodes and reproductive branches. But it can also expose a weakness in the natural sulfur supply.

For those farmers chasing higher yielding soybeans, Shaun Casteel believes the use of supplemental sulfur deserves more consideration.

(Shaun Casteel)

Casteel points out that mineralization of sulfur from soil organic matter depends on microbial activity and warm temperatures. When soybeans are planted in late April or early May, Indiana soils – as week as soils in other states – are often too cool for the microbes to release much sulfur.

“In those cooler conditions, that mineralization really isn’t occurring,” he says.

Across multiple studies where planting date was combined with sulfur use, Casteel has seen consistently stronger responses in early-planted soybeans.

“We’ve got years that we’re averaging an 8- to 11-bushel response on prairie soil,” he says. In these trials, sulfur was (e.g., ammonium sulfate, pelletized gypsum, ammonium thiosulfate) applied pre at 20 pounds per acre during a 5-year period.

Beyond Fertility: A Surprising Disease Connection

Sulfur’s role may extend beyond delivering nutrition and helping fix nitrogen in soybeans. Casteel and his research team are seeing signs that sulfur helps reduce the severity of sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybeans.

In a 2023 soybean trial, as Casteel began rating symptoms of SDS, he noticed a clear difference between sulfur-treated and untreated strips.

“We had good conditions for SDS development — cool, wet conditions during early vegetative growth. We had a marked, substantial reduction in SDS in those areas that had the sulfur treatment,” he recalls.

The unexpected result prompted a deeper look in 2024, when Casteel worked with Plant Pathologist Darcy Telenko on trials that combined planting dates, sulfur rates and SDS inoculation. Early data from those studies pointed in the same direction: soybeans receiving sulfur showed reduced disease expression.

“Beyond the fertility effect, beyond the fixation-boosting capacity that comes with this, there is evidence that we have some disease control or suppression,” Casteel says, cautioning that the results are still based on only a few years of data.

“If you really think about it, the first fungicides on the market 100 years ago were sulfur-based, so it’s not too surprising that we might be seeing something here,” he adds.

Big Upsides Where Sulfur Use Fills The Gap

Casteel is careful to note that the sulfur response in soybeans is often site-specific. Classic sandy soils and low-organic-matter fields are prime candidates for the nutrient. But his work suggests that even high-organic-matter fields can show strong gains when sulfur is limiting.

(Shaun Casteel)

That variability doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm. Instead, he sees sulfur as a high-upside tool for intensive soybean managers who already have the basics — variety selection, disease packages, and timely planting — under control.

“It’s fun to have treatments out there that are providing hope and promise,” Casteel says. “We’re seeing numbers with sulfur that really move the needle.”

With earlier planting becoming the norm and biological sulfur supply under pressure, Casteel expects interest in using Sulfur to keep growing. For those growers chasing 100-bushel soybeans, especially, he believes sulfur deserves more consideration as they develop fertility plans.

“If you have not explored sulfur on your soybean crops, I suggest applying strips of S fertilizer that is soluble (e.g., ammonium sulfate, pelletized gypsum, ammonium thiosulfate) between 15- to 25-pounds of S per acre to determine if you have fields or production practices that are responsive to boosting nodulation and N fixation,” he recommends. “Applications can be applied mid-March through planting with higher rates the earlier you apply the S fertilizer.”

More information on Casteel’s research results with sulfur in soybeans is available here .

Faster Tillage, Smarter Spraying: John Deere Expands Its Machinery Lineup

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:58:58 GMT

Farmers looking to conquer heavy residue and tight tillage windows have new ways to tackle both challenges with John Deere’s expanded High-Speed Disk (HSD) lineup. For 2027, the company is offering four new HSD two-section models, which build on initial introductions in 2025. The latest models will be available in 15’, 19’, 22’ and 25’ widths.

As Michael Porter explains, the disks are purpose-built for the slowest, most time-consuming job on row-crop farms: deep ripping.

The high-speed tillage tools combine multiple operations into a single pass — residue sizing, burial, compaction removal and field leveling — delivering both agronomic and economic benefits, especially when paired with autonomous operation, explains Porter, John Deere marketing manager for large tractors and tillage.

Autonomy Creates New Efficiencies

For 2026, autonomy ready capability is available on the 2730 combination ripper and the 64’ and 69’ 2230 field cultivator models, giving farmers more options to integrate autonomous tillage into their operations. Porter says the autonomy factor could create a whole new level of efficiency for row crop growers short on time and manpower.

“Think about having an operator sit in that machine for 12 hours a day and maybe only getting one or two fields done. Now they can go haul grain … and when they get done, there’s a good chance 60%, 70%, 80% of their fields have already been ripped, and they just need to finish up the last few,” Porter says.

The company’s so-called “combination ripper” is equipped with lights, cameras and a StarFire receiver mast to enable safe, precise autonomous operation. “With autonomy, we need to know where this tool is at all times,” Porter notes.

Farmers with 2016 or newer 2730 combination rippers can update to autonomy-ready through a John Deere Precision Upgrade kit. The kits provide a cost-effective way to enhance existing machines delivering greater flexibility, Deere reports. Combination ripper upgrade kits will be available for order starting in summer 2026, while field cultivator kits are available today.

(Rhonda Brooks)

Sixteen cameras provide 360-degree perception, essentially replacing the operator’s eyes. In autonomous mode, the system detects obstacles, evaluates whether it can proceed, and either continues on its own or alerts the operator through Operations Center mobile with customizable, high-priority notifications.

When it comes to ROI, the payoff comes from both direct labor savings and the ability to reallocate time during harvest.

“In general, we see some customers who have run 5,000, 7,000 acres in a year, at a $40,000 to $50,000 cost to them, and this pays off. Those growers are saying, ‘Hey, I would have had to pay someone X amount of dollars for all those hours sitting in the cab,’” Porter says.

See & Spray Upgrades

Farmers staring down ugly weed pressure and weak commodity prices are demanding more from every input dollar. With that in mind, John Deere is betting its model year 2027 upgrades will prove See & Spray is not just cool tech. Instead, the company is positioning it as a fundamental tool designed to deliver better weed control, increased flexibility and a faster payback for farmers across a broader range of crops.

Historically, See & Spray was a tool for use in corn, soybeans and cotton. For 2027, John Deere is moving into the small grains market.

“We are jumping headfirst into wheat, canola, barley and a handful of other crops,” Ladd says, noting peanuts and sugar beets are also joining the list.

Last year, See & Spray covered over 5 million U.S. acres and delivered nearly a 50% reduction in non-residual herbicide use. For farmers on the fence about investing in the technology, the value proposition is moving away from saving dollars and toward improving the bottom line. For many growers, the company says, a two- to three-year ROI is available with the technology.

“We understand the increasing pressures farmers are facing, driving them to find solutions that allow them more flexibility and the opportunity to do more with less,” says Josh Ladd, marketing manager for application equipment at John Deere. “That is why we have updated See & Spray to directly address those challenges by helping farmers apply exactly what’s needed, where it’s needed, and across more acres and more crops.”

Computing Power Gets Updated

On a recent walk-around of a 2027 machine at the company’s Austin, Texas, R&D center, Ladd starts with what you can’t see from the outside: the machine’s computing backbone. Earlier generations of See & Spray relied on as many as 10 processors. The new models consolidate that power into just three vision processing units (VPUs) mounted on the center frame.

“We’re able to do that and not make any sacrifices on overall computing power, and there is less weight involved,” Ladd says. “We can only put so much stuff on this machine’s boom before we start to worry about boom durability, compaction and consistency of performance.”

Nozzle technology is also becoming more cost-effective. While the ExactApply (30Hz pulsing) remains the standard for dual-product systems, John Deere is introducing Individual Nozzle Control Pro as a factory option for 2027 single-tank machines.

“For customers who want 15Hz pulsing instead of 30Hz, or are comfortable with a five-nozzle turret, it’s a more accessible option,” Ladd explains. This gives farmers and customer applicators another entry point into row-by-row nozzle control from the factory, he added.

Additional Enhancements

New center-frame camera placement, on the front of the sprayer, to reduce dust interference and enhance detection accuracy for more-consistent application quality. For operators with MY18 to MY26, these cameras will be available through a Precision Upgrade kit.
Higher operating speeds in targeted modes — up to 16 mph depending on crop and configuration, allowing more acres to be covered when application windows are tight.
Optional full boom lighting enables targeted fallow application at night to extend productive hours.

The expanded See & Spray capabilities will be available on MY27 John Deere 408R, 410R, 412R, 612R and 616R sprayers. In addition, all Hagie sprayers – STS12, STS16, and STS20 – will now feature See & Spray Premium as a factory-installed option.

Alongside the expanded See & Spray capabilities, John Deere is introducing several MY27 sprayer enhancements designed to improve overall productivity, operator awareness and in-field efficiency across a wider range of applications.

Updated Name for DA Series Applicators

To better align their applicator portfolio with the broader tillage portfolio, John Deere is updating the naming of its DA Series Applicators, formerly known as the 2510H. While the name might be new, farmers can continue relying on the same proven performance they are used to across multiple seasons.

“With the MY27 updates, we continue to deliver proven durability, increased flexibility and technology-ready solutions that help farmers maximize productivity,” Porter says.

To learn more about the updates to the John Deere application portfolio, visit JohnDeere.com or contact your local John Deere dealer.

Control the Controllables To Capture More Bushels

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:27:18 GMT

A solid game plan addressing key fundamentals could be the most powerful risk-management tool farmers have going into the 2026 season, according to Randy Dowdy and David Hula. Here are four they encourage farmers to review and work on this winter:

Fuel The Crop Adequately

Hula stresses that even in low-margin years, you can’t cut corners on fundamental crop needs. He emphasizes using soil tests to manage N, P and K, looking at soil pH and applying lime where needed.

“When you think about where you’re spending dollars, you can’t waiver from that,” he says. “We have to cover the basics… there’s nothing that’s sexy about farming right now, [everyone’s] just trying to survive.”

Why Your Planter Is the Lowest Hanging Fruit for Yield

Randy Dowdy says the planter represents the “lowest hanging fruit” for yield improvement on 90% of U.S. farms.

“The planter is just not performing at the levels to reach the maximum potential that most farmers need to support and service debt,” Dowdy says.

He encourages growers to spend time in the shop, ensuring that every row unit is capable of delivering “picket fence” seed placement and performance. For Dowdy, this means every seed is placed at a consistent depth and spacing, emerging within a tight window of 10 to 12 Growing Degree Units (GDUs) of one another

“Does every seed have the same standard deviation between them, the placement from one seed to the next? Are they all singulated, and are they all coming up at the same time? If that’s not happening, that’s a big deal,” Dowdy says.

Consider Seed Size Along With Good Genetics

While every farmer is tuned into genetics, Dowdy and Hula say they can benefit from taking seed size into consideration, too.

One of the questions Hula says he often gets is, “What’s the best seed size to plant?”

After years of analyzing small rounds versus large flats, his philosophy has evolved into a practical rule of thumb.

“My answer now is simple: whatever your planter plants the best, that’s the seed you want to plant,” he says.

But that only works if you’ve done your homework on the meters—cleaning them, replacing worn parts, and calibrating them with actual seed to determine the vacuum and speed settings. Taking these steps can eliminate guesswork that leads to skips and doubles.

Generally, Dowdy observes that “Deere likes rounds, Precision likes flats.”

Both Dowdy and Hula caution against the temptation of buying plateless (mixed-size) seed just because it carries a lower price tag. Their take: if you use it, run side‑by‑side strips with good, graded seed so you can see the real yield cost.

“I’d really challenge [anyone using plateless seed] to plant some graded seed next to it… just so you could know what it’s costing you. It’s costing you money,” says Hula.

Take Only Calculated Risks, ‘Miss Small’

Dowdy says this is the year to “control the controllables” and stick with practices you know consistently pay. He warns that farmers can’t afford big mistakes in this economy. While he’s not afraid of trying new practices, he is afraid of not being profitable and not being able to service debt, so due diligence and ROI have to come first.

“If we’re going to have a fail, we don’t need to fail in a big way. We need to miss small in an economy like this,” Dowdy says. “I’ll put my big toe in the water, but it won’t be my whole foot and a bunch of acres.”

A Checklist For Reference This Winter

Here are additional highlights of recommendations Dowdy and Hula listed during their most recent Breaking Barriers With R&D podcast. These are not all-inclusive, but rather a starting point for farmers preparing for spring:

1. Soil and Fertility Basics

Lime and pH: Check pH by zone or grid. Apply lime only where pH is low. Avoid wasting inputs on ground at 6.5 or higher.
Manganese Alert: Watch for potential deficiencies in high pH spots (above 6.8).
P and K Strategy: Use recent soil tests to determine if Phosphorus can be reduced. Keep Potash a priority where base saturation justifies the spend.

2. The Planter Bar and Row Units

Parallel Arms: Inspect for “oblong” wear or side play. Replace any arms that aren’t tight.
Double-Disc Openers: Use a jig to check run-out. Only use blades that meet tight tolerances for a clean V-trench.
Gauge Wheels: Lift by hand. If they feel loose or drop instantly, adjust or replace the bushings and arms.
Alignment: Use a tape measure to verify every row is exactly on target (e.g., 30 inches). Ensure the toolbar is perfectly level front-to-back at operating height.

3. Seed Trench and Closing System

Centering: Run the planter across concrete. Ensure closing wheel marks are perfectly centered over the seed path.
Row Cleaners: Adjust “trash whippers” to move residue without gouging a deep furrow that could lead to erosion or crusting.

4. Seed and Meter Calibration

Match Seed to Meter: Generally, John Deere/ExactEmerge systems prefer rounds, while Precision Planting systems prefer flats.
The Meter Test: Replace worn belts and brushes. Calibrate meters annually on a test stand using your actual seed to determine the exact vacuum and speed settings.
The “Plateless” Warning: Avoid the temptation of cheap, mixed-size seed. If you use it, run a side-by-side strip against graded seed to measure the true cost of lost bushels.

5. Management Mindset

Miss Small: This is the year for calculated risks. Put your “big toe” in the water with new tech, but don’t commit the whole farm until you see a proven ROI on your own soil.
Check Strips: Always leave a clean, untreated check strip when trying new products for evaluation.

Hear the latest Breaking Barriers With R&D to learn more about Hula and Dowdy’s recommendations at Farm Journal TV and the YouTube link below.

No-Cost And Low-Cost Ways To Grow More Profitable Soybeans

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:01:44 GMT

As soybean growers face razor-thin margins next year, the temptation to chase new products and practices is understandable. But decades of research show that the most reliable return on investment doesn’t come in a jug—it comes from focusing on good fundamentals.

University of Minnesota Extension agronomist Seth Naeve tells Farming The Countryside host Andrew McCrea there are a number of reliable practices that can help farmers grow more profitable soybeans with little or no added cost next season. Here are five of them:

1. Use Row Spacing To Your Advantage.

Row spacing is one of the most underrated tools farmers have available, Naeve reports. Across a wide range of environments, narrowing soybeans from 30-inch rows to 20–22 inches will deliver about a 5% yield increase.

“That’s three or four bushels, in a lot of cases,” he says. “Farmers are working really hard, buying a lot of products out there, trying to increase their yields by two or three bushels; whereas, adjusting their row spacing would get them to that basically guaranteed.”

Naeve adds that if farmers go from 30-inch rows to drilled soybeans, they could potentially pick up 10% additional yield.

“That would take you from 60 bushels to 66 bushels or from 80 bushels to 88 bushels. It’s not at all unrealistic,” he says.

Why narrow rows deliver on better yield: the canopy closes faster, there’s better light interception by the crop and more efficient use of space.

Naeve says he has preached the message that farmers can benefit from going with narrow rows for years, but the practice hasn’t gained as much traction as he believes it warrants. Equipment cost has been one deterrent, and the other is farmers just haven’t bought into the practice.

“Farmers pretty much universally believe that the row spacing they’re using is probably the best for them, and I think that makes them feel comfortable about their systems,” Naeve says. “I certainly can’t argue with them if that’s really their belief.”

Still, Naeve wants to encourage farmers who are changing planters or open to adjusting their systems to seriously consider going with narrow rows.

2. Consider Whether You Can Scale Back On Plant Population.

Research shows farmers can achieve maximum soybean yields with fewer plants per acre when they focus on achieving a uniform stand across fields.

“We can optimize yields at very low levels” Naeve says. “We have done a ton of research showing where we have yields that are maximized at below 100,000 plants per acre, as long as they’re well distributed.”

Naeve says to use precision placement practices where possible. You can adjust seeding rates upward as needed to address tough areas within fields, higher risk conditions (cold, crusting soils), or if you’re using lower-quality seed.

“My take home on this is a farmer wants to ensure they’ve got 100,000 plants on every single acre of their whole farm,” Naeve says. “But if they don’t sleep well at night because they’re concerned about their crop, adding another 5,000 or 10,000 seeds is an easy way to fix it.”

3. Plant Early—Within Reason.

Naeve says across most of the Midwest, the sweet spot for planting soybeans is from late April into early May.

“Very early May planting puts us into a situation where we can basically maximize yields across almost all the Corn Belt,” he notes.

Going earlier than late April can help yields in some years, but risk rises from poor environmental conditions (cold, wet soils). A freeze will also cancel the benefits.

For many growers, Naeve says the “real decision” is whether to plant soybeans or corn first, and more farmers are finding that putting some soybeans in the ground ahead of corn can be a winning strategy.

4. Consider Using Reduced Tillage.

In northern areas like Minnesota, full no-till soybeans often lag a few bushels behind conventional tillage due to slower warming of soils and slower emergence. But Naeve says there is a lot of middle ground for farmers to consider with their tillage practices.

For one, he says strip tillage can deliver comparable results to full tillage with less fuel and machinery costs along with providing less soil disturbance.

“Reducing the number of passes, even if not full no-till, saves money and protects soil health without a big yield hit,” he says.

5. Spend Input Dollars Where You Know They Pay.

Stay with tried-and-true products in these tight times, Naeve encourages. He says research shows that products sold mainly as yield enhancers or general “plant health” boosters rarely deliver consistent yield benefits across multiple locations and years.

What does consistently pay: making sure fertility, especially macronutrients, is not yield limiting, and investing the time to choose the best varieties for your ground and practices.

“Variety selection is one of the most profitable decisions a soybean farmer makes, yet it is also one of the hardest,” he says. “If farmers move from premium brands to more economical seed this season, they can still do well, but they must be more careful in sorting through the options because there may be more variability in performance.”

Get more insights on how to make soybeans more profitable in the year ahead by listening to the discussion between Naeve and McCrea on Farming The Countryside at the link below:

Maximize Yields and Savings with Proven Nutrient Strategies

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:08:37 GMT

The outlook for fertilizer costs versus commodity prices for next season is a tough one for corn and soybean growers across the country.
With that fact in mind, we have compiled a number of our “best of” nutrient stories from 2025 for your consideration.

Our hope is one or more of the following five articles will help you reduce expenses, reallocate resources and build a solid fertility program for the 2026 that works well for your crops and gives you some peace of mind in the process.

26 Ways To Cut Costs Without Sacrificing Yields
If you made deep cuts to your fertility program this season, are you considering whether you can cut even deeper next year?

If so, be sure to check out this article: 26 Ideas To Cut Fertilizer Costs In 2026 . It offers a variety of suggestions from agronomists and other farmers on where you might be able to reduce product use and reallocate resources.

While there are no easy answers to address the cost of fertilizer and other inputs, having conversations with your suppliers and financial providers now can help you leverage your buying power and minimize potential impacts from marketplace uncertainties. For more insights, check out this article: Navigate 2026 Input Costs with A Proactive Strategy .

Reallocate Nutrients And Still Support Yields
Farmers know that nitrogen is the main gas that fuels corn yields. Other macronutrients and micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and manganese also contribute to yield performance. Be sure to check out our article 300-Bu. Corn Has a Big Appetite for N, P and K to learn more.

If you’re looking specifically at how to make phosphorus more efficient, be sure to check out our Farm Journal Test Plot article on the topic: 7 Tips To Make Your Phosphorus Work For You

Every agronomist says to soil test your fields to make sure they are up to the challenge of delivering profitable yields in the most cost-effective way possible. While you’ve probably heard that advice a thousand times, it’s still valuable.That’s where this article comes into play, which features national corn yield champions’ perspective: In This High-Stakes Farming Economy, Some Practices Still Deliver ROI

For even more ideas on how to create a fertility plan best-suited to your needs, check out:

The 4Rs of Fertility
Focus on fertility to prevent pollution and boost profits.

The Challenge of Nitrogen
In your quest for high yields, nothing is more crucial, or more difficult, than managing corn’s most important nutrient.

A Moving Target
Preventing corn from going hungry requires balancing nitrogen and other factors, from year to year and field to field.

The Great Escape
Stabilizers and controlled-release products help keep the Houdini of nutrients where your crop needs it.

In the “Lime” Light
Correct acidity to create diverse microbial populations, which decompose residue and release soil nutrients.

Potassium Insight
Drought emphasizes the value of this vital nutrient.

Avoid The Pitfall of Leasing Farmland With Low Fertility

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:46:05 GMT

Farmland often changes hands in the fall, and such exchanges are currently underway across the country as farmers and landlords look to finalize deals for the 2026 season. But some of the ground changing hands is in poor condition with regard to fertility, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

“I’m really shocked at how poor the stewardship is on some of these farms,” says Ferrie, who is seeing the issue in central Illinois, where he’s based. “We have seen multiple pieces of ground this fall that have been literally sucked dry of fertility and are sitting in bad shape on pH.”

While Ferrie isn’t sure how widespread the issue is, he says more farmers have reached out to him about the problem than in previous years. He attributes much of the issue to non-operating, absentee landowners who might not understand the need for good stewardship practices to keep ground productive. In other cases, he is concerned some landowners are simply interested in financial gain.

“It’s often land they inherited, [and they’re] two or three generations away from farming,” Ferrie says. “They look at it like an investment in the stock market.... In many cases, their relatives, the original landowner, would be turning over in their graves if they could see what’s happening to some of this ground.”

Conservation Practices On Rented Ground
Around 40% of all farmland in the U.S. is rented — in some U.S. counties that number is nearing 80%. According to USDA data, 283 million acres (30% of all farmland) are owned by non-operator landlords — those who own land used in agricultural production but are not actively involved in farming it.

The American Farmland Trust (AFT) reports that many non-operating landowners are unfamiliar with conservation practices or have difficulty discussing long-term goals with their renters. One survey found that 65% of non-operating landowners rely on their farm operator or someone else to make decisions on conservation practices.

“This dynamic can lead to a lack of investment in practices that improve productivity and resiliency of the land,” AFT reports. “Some of the areas with the highest rates of rental agricultural land are also those experiencing high rates of soil erosion and nutrient losses.”

Due Diligence Can Prevent A Costly Investment
Leasing land with low fertility levels can create financial hardship for unsuspecting growers. Such “hidden” costs frequently impact younger farmers who have limited resources and opportunities to rent ground.

“Many times, it’s our younger growers looking for land to expand their operation that seem to get caught up in these sucked-dry, short-term cash rent scenarios,” Ferrie says. “For short-term leases, that could be an anvil around your neck. There may not be a way to gain profitability short-term on some of these farms.”

While cash rents are softening slightly in some states for 2026, they still represent a huge investment for growers who are unlikely to see improved commodity prices to counter their investment in land and other inputs.

Table 1 provides average USDA cash rents across 4 land classes defined by soil productivity index (SPI). Average cash rents declined for the excellent, good, and average land classes while average rents slightly increased for areas classified as fair. Table 1 also provides average cash rents by land class as reported by the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ISPFMRA). Average rents on professionally managed farmland tend to be higher than the averages reported by USDA.

(USDA and others as noted)

Ferrie’s advice for farmers looking to pick up more ground: do your homework thoroughly before signing on any dotted line. Here are three steps he recommends farmers take as they consider renting new ground for the year ahead:

1. Avoid making assumptions. “Don’t assume just because a piece of land is being managed, that stewardship is being followed,” Ferrie cautions. “Farm managers work for landlords/owners. If they want the farm taken care of so it can be passed down to future generations, they’ll make it happen. If the landlord wants the highest return without any regard to stewardship that, too, is the farm manager’s job,” he explains.

2. Ask for current soil tests and yield maps. That will provide some insights on how the ground has been treated and its general productivity.
“If the leaser is not supplying any information, talk to the neighbors, if possible. Ask whether they ever see a lime truck on the farm,” he says.

Another option is to ask the leaser if you can pull some spot soil samples to get a feel for fertility in the field.

“If the answer or situation is no, ask about a conditional lease based on soil fertility levels once you do get the field tested,” Ferrie advises.

3. Gather information about past practices on the ground. For example, Ferrie says if you no-till, you’ll want to evaluate whether there are horizontal layers present in the field.

“I’ve seen in many situations where the No. 1 hurdle is removing compaction layers left by the previous tenant,” Ferrie says. “If you rent the ground, you’ll need a plan with your agronomist on how to address that.”

Different Factors Influence Farmers Who Are Buying Land
Ferrie points out that poor soil fertility across a parcel of ground might not be as concerning for farmers who are purchasing the property.

“I’ve been told by more than one realtor and farm manager that soil fertility doesn’t matter when selling a piece of ground, and that low-fertility fields will bring the same as farms that have received good stewardship. And this is apparently true based on what I’m seeing on farms that we are testing,” he reports.

He believes the reason is those farmers often have confidence that they can bring their new ground up to speed production-wise over time. And time is on their side as most buyers make the investment planning to hold onto the ground for the long haul.

Your next read: Ag Lenders Anticipate Only Half of U.S. Farm Borrowers to Turn a Profit in 2025

New House Bill Pushes For Fertilizer Price Transparency

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:40:04 GMT

A companion bill to the Fertilizer Research Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The House version, sponsored by U.S. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA), echoes the same goal as the Senate’s Fertilizer Research Act of 2025 (S.2808) – to provide U.S. farmers with more clarity and certainty regarding fertilizer costs and supply.

“America’s farmers are being squeezed by high fertilizer costs and low commodity prices, making it incredibly difficult to afford the inputs needed to maintain strong yields,” Hinson said in a statement on Thursday, noting that farmers tell her they need greater fertilizer price transparency and stability.

The legislation, if passed, would require the USDA to conduct a study on the competition and trends in the fertilizer market and their subsequent impact on fertilizer prices and then provide a comprehensive report of the agency’s findings.

The study would examine market competition and trends, the impact of these trends on fertilizer prices, the size and value of the U.S. market over the past 25 years, and the impact of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on retail fertilizer prices. It would also assess market concentration and the regulatory environment.

Within one year of the bill’s passage, the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Economic Research Service, would be required to issue a report on USDA’s website regarding the U.S. fertilizer industry.

Mark Mueller , an Iowa farmer and president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, had said during a Senate hearing last month that increases in fertilizer costs are “crushing corn growers” in Iowa and other states.

“We need to assess the fertilizer industry to better understand pricing practices, tariffs and the exertion of market power by companies within the industry,” Mueller added. “The continued commitment to highlighting the impact of fertilizer prices on corn farmers does not go unnoticed by Iowa’s corn growers.”

Co-sponsors of the bipartisan House bill included Republican Randy Feenstra of Iowa, and Democrats Nikki Budzinski of Illinois and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.

Budzinski noted, “Fertilizer is an essential tool for farmers to maximize their crop yields, but they often lack insight into how fertilizer prices are determined – making it harder to balance their books. I’m proud to introduce this common-sense, bipartisan legislation to give our farmers more transparency and ensure that farm inputs are priced fairly.”

Hinson said that the House bill is supported by the American Soybean Association, the National Farmers Union, the Iowa Farmers Union, the Iowa Farm Bureau, the Iowa Corn Growers Association, and the Iowa Soybean Association.

Your next read: Fertilizer Prices Under Fire: Monopoly or Markets to Blame?

Unlock Savings and Boost Yields: Why Post-Harvest Soil Testing is Crucial for Cotton Growers

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:35:34 GMT

Whether you’ve finished cotton harvest or have more acres to strip or pick, it’s not too early to schedule soil testing. And with fertilizer prices still near the top of input costs, soil fertility measurement may lower production costs without sacrificing yield or quality.

Crop specialists see continued benefits of soil testing about once a year to help determine nutrients in the ground and how much supplemental nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium is needed to generate peak cotton performance.

“We try to encourage growers to use this time of the year for soil testing,” says Ben McKnight, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cotton specialist, College Station. “There’s a lot of good data across the Cotton Belt that illustrates how we can identify surplus nitrogen and use that data to credit that toward the next year’s N requirements.”

McKnight, who works with growers in central and southeastern Texas, notes those areas had average to above-average production.

“We caught good rain, which produced good yields, especially in dryland fields. Fiber also looks good,” he tells AgFax.

Growers in a corn-cotton rotation also had good corn yields.

“In those areas, the N demands for corn and cotton are likely quite different,” he says. “If producers are coming out of corn in a drier year with plans for cotton next year, they can be surprised at how much N is still in the soil. There may be an ample amount in the soil, meaning much lower N applications are needed, depending on goals for yield.”

Knowing how much N, P and K to apply can save on input costs while producing nice yields like these.

(OSU’s Jennifer Dudak)

Relief for Tight Budgets

The University of Arkansas Extension cotton enterprise budget shows little relief for input costs in 2026. But soil testing could identify ways to reduce costs.

For its furrow irrigated cotton budget, Arkansas Extension estimates these fertilizer-operating expenses: urea at about $77 per acre; phosphate at about $40 per acre; and potash at $22 per acre. That’s about $140 per acre, excluding application costs. If a soil test indicates there is an excess of any of these nutrients, costs can be cut substantially.

“With the way commodity prices are looking and other hardships faced by growers, we need to use every technology we have for grid soil sampling,” says Zachary Treadway, Arkansas Extension cotton agronomist, Newport. “Growers also need to use precision maps and other precision agriculture that can help save them a lot of money.”

Treadway says many Arkansas growers work with crop consultants.

“They have been pulling soil samples for the last few weeks,” he says. “Our soil types are across the board; more clay toward the Mississippi River, to sandier soil in cotton-peanut ground. Our growers are forward thinkers and depend heavily on their consultant/fertility guys.”

Soil types are just as varied in the regions covered by McKnight.

“In the Brazos Bottom, soils may range from clay in one area, then sandy loam a few miles up the road where they’re growing watermelons,” he says. As for P and K, he adds that “growers may have subsoil that may contain much potassium, but you never know until you do a soil test.”

He points out that for cotton, potassium has nearly an equivalent plant requirement as nitrogen for yield goals.

“Go ahead and get potassium and phosphorus applied in the fall or winter for better results,” McKnight says, noting that a deeper test-probe depth can add more information on soil nutrients.

“In most cases, you’re only going to be as productive as your limiting factor. We often just measure for the major nutrients. But we should also take micronutrient analysis every few years. Growers may have all the N, P and K they need, but by relieving any micronutrient deficiency, they can help limit yield loss.”

He recommends that, if possible, growers should use an 18-inch to 2-foot test probe to better analyze fields for major and micronutrients.

“This can help further identify soil nutrients,” he says. “If there’s deeper N that isn’t detected, producers can end up paying more for unneeded fertilizer, and more for Pix or defoliation due to extra plant growth in the end.”

Soil Health Indicators

The Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, defines soil health as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital, living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.” It lists various soil health indicators that are typical of good-producing ground.

A crucial indicator is whether a field has “biologically active soils,” with the presence of earthworms, earthworm excrement, dung beetles or evidence of their activity. Earthworms create burrows through the soil profile, which enables water to move down and creates channels for roots. Noble scientists add that earthworm excrement helps increase nutrient cycling because, pound-for-pound, they contain significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

No-till and minimum-till production helps regenerate soils with more organic matter and compost. Better soil usually helps growers produce better yields and quality. Soil tests help growers gain better knowledge of their soil health.

Can Good Fertility Levels Reduce The Need For Fungicides?

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:56:17 GMT

A farmer recently asked Ken Ferrie this two-part question: Can a soil test help determine the need for a fungicide application, and does healthy soil correlate with less need for fungicide?

“The answer to these questions is yes, maybe and sort of,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

The final determination is based on the disease triangle – you must have the disease, a host and the right conditions to trigger a disease outbreak. Soil health falls under the area of conditions, and soil tests can help identify conditions.

What a soil test doesn’t do is detect the presence of disease in a field – an insight that is valuable to know if you experienced heavy disease pressure in corn this season.

“Healthy soils do not prevent disease from moving into a field, but we do know healthy plants handle stress better than unhealthy plants,” Ferrie explains.

That fact was evident in Farm Journal corn fertility test plots in 2021 and again this season in Midwest farmers’ fields as Ferrie and his agronomic team helped corn growers deal with a toxic mixture of multiple diseases ranging from southern rust to northern corn leaf blight and tar spot.

“In some of our nitrogen (N) plots, an additional 30 pounds of N looked like a fungicide application when it came to keeping corn greener longer, packing more starch in before disease shut down the plants,” he recalls.

What Farmers Need To Consider For 2026
Soil tests done this fall can give farmers some indication of which fields could be at risk to any disease pressure that shows up next season. Ferrie offers several scenarios as examples:

“Low potash testing fields will have more trouble than fields where the potash is adequate. Fields that are acid and need limestone will be more susceptible to disease pressure,” he says.

“Fields that run out of nitrogen during grain fill are more susceptible to disease pressure. In our test plots where we pulled N rates back and disease was an issue (in 2021), some hybrids died a month early, knocking 30 to 50 bushels per acre out of the yield,” he adds.

Fungicides and good fertility levels will lessen the impact of a disease outbreak, but they will not eliminate it. “Therefore, we want to be careful pulling back too far on our fertility, especially in those fields that aren’t at the optimum levels to begin with,” Ferrie says.

Along with that recommendation, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer encourages growers to keep some level of nutrients in the field.

“So even if you put reduced rates of fertilizer on, keep soluble nutrients in front of your crop,” she advises.

Crop-Tech Consulting Field Agronomist Isaac Ferrie says to manage pH levels based on what soil tests show. Even small changes can have a significant impact on plants, nutrient availability and soil microbial activity.

“Keeping your pH in check will help keep other nutrients more available, so make sure your pH levels are in good shape and lime where needed,” he advises.

Your next read: 26 Ideas To Cut Fertilizer Costs In 2026

In This High-Stakes Farming Economy, Some Practices Still Deliver ROI

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 20:47:14 GMT

Some agronomic decisions do provide an annual return-on-investment (ROI) you can count on, according to corn yield champions David Hula and Randy Dowdy. One of those, they say, is soil testing fields in 1-acre grids and then using the resulting information to guide fertility decisions.

“If people are used to going across the field and watching a yield monitor vary significantly, say from 300 bushels down to 200 bushels in a pass, there’s a reason why that is and a lot of it has to do with soil fertility,” says Dowdy, who farms near Valdosta, Ga. “Pulling samples in a 1-acre grid can help you identify where variability is in the field better than a 2.5-acre grid or a zone sample can.”

Hula agrees and uses a medical analogy to explain the value of 1-acre grids. “It’s like the more detailed information you can get from an MRI versus an X-ray,” says Hula, who farms near Charles City, Va.

Dowdy and Hula encourage farmers to prioritize soil tests this fall, starting with any ground they own. “Every acre I own would definitely get tested, starting with the tiled ground because it’s going to give you the biggest ROI versus the not tiled ground,” Hula says.

Making Assumptions Can Be Costly
Growers who are reluctant to soil test this year because of costs might want to reconsider, as one of Hula’s recent experiences demonstrates.

Hula says he had not limed his farm ground for several years, due to a lack of product availability. “First, the lime quarries broke down, and then they ran out of lime, so we just couldn’t get it done,” he recalls.

As a result, Hula anticipated spreading 6,000 tons of lime across his corn ground this year. But instead of simply making that assumption, he pulled soil samples in 1-acre grids across 4,000 acres.

To Hula’s surprise, soil sample results showed his fields needed a lot less lime than anticipated.

“We only needed 2,600 tons of lime spread,” Hula reports. “Yes, there were costs associated with the testing, but the savings we got was more than enough to cover that.”

Dowdy and Hula, who work as partners in Total Acre , offered more money-making and saving ideas during their latest Breaking Barriers With R&D podcast, available on YouTube.

Consider Lime Type And Source
The goal, Dowdy says, is to have a soil pH in the neutral to 6.8 range across all acres. “An old timer told me a long time ago, ‘the cheapest fertilizer you’ll ever buy is lime,’ because it’s going to help you get the maximum efficacy from all your nutrients,” he explains.

If tests indicate soils need a pH adjustment, give careful consideration to the type of lime that will provide the biggest ROI in 2026.

“Understand the source of lime, whether you need magnesium or not and also understand whether it is a coarse or a fine-textured lime,” Hula advises.

The finer textured lime is what’s needed for a spring application. A coarse lime can take a couple of years to break down and become available for soil uptake.

Farmers who applied a coarse lime last fall need to be aware of that, so they don’t over-correct on lime applications this next spring. “You don’t want a situation where it all kicks in on the same year,” Hula cautions.

“Likewise, don’t use that as an excuse to not lime, if what you applied two years ago still hasn’t shown up. Understand what kind of lime or other fertility need your soils have now going into the season,” Dowdy advises.

Dowdy and Hula addressed the value of soil testing in more detail during their recent conversation with Chip Flory on this episode of AgriTalk. Listen to it here:

Your next read: Add 75+ Bushels Of Corn Per Acre With Better Closing Wheel Performance

Some Farmers Are Increasing Cover Crop Acres to Cut Fertilizer Costs and Boost Soil Health

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 20:27:38 GMT

How can you trim fertilizer costs and still provide adequate nutrients for corn and soybeans next season? One solution is to consider planting some cover crops this fall, recommends David Hula, reigning world corn yield record holder.

“Nitrogen, potash, boron, sulfur… those are mobile nutrients, so if you plant a cover crop it’s going to pick up those nutrients, and then when you kill that cover crop, you can recycle that residue that was left over, or the residual nutrients that were left over,” explains Hula, who farms near Charles City, Va.

Cover crops can scavenge for nutrients from previous crops, store them and then release them for use the following season – a process that can help reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.

Hula adds that corn and soybean growers don’t need to be using no-till on the farm to benefit.

“You can strip-till into those cover crops, or early in the spring you can work the cover crops in to get the benefits,” he says.

Randy Dowdy says one of the benefits he’s seen is that microbial activity likes to colonize around a living root mass.

“You know, it always helps our early season tissue sample values go up where we’ve got a cover crop,” says Dowdy, Hula’s partner in Total Acre . “So if guys can, at least on bean ground where they’ve harvested, get some cover crop established and get it up, from a biological play and nutrient availability play for next season, it’s a no brainer.”

Experience Has Increased Farmer Confidence
The survey data show that cover crop plantings are on the rise among farmers who already have experience using them, according to results of the September Purdue/CME Ag Economy Barometer. And, those growers will plant cover crops on a higher percentage of their total acreage this fall, reports Jim Mintert, emeritus professor of economics at Purdue University.

He says the survey trends point to broader adoption across acreage: This year, 57% of cover crop users planted them on 26% to 50% of their acres, compared to only 25% in 2021 who reported planting cover crops on more than one-fourth of their acreage.

“What the survey says is, if you use cover crops, you’re using them more intensively now than you did in the past,” Mintert adds.

He believes the increased use of cover crops by those farmers indicates they have figured out how to capitalize on the benefits.

“It’s like this learning curve, where maybe the folks that have learned how to use them are adopting them on a wider portion of their farm acreage. I think that is what we’re picking up,” Mintert says.

Where And Why Cover Crops Are Being Used
Cover crop use by farmers across the U.S. increased 17% between 2017 and 2022 – from 15,390,674 acres to 17,985,831acres – data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture show. In total, cover crops were planted on 4.7% of all cropland in 2022.

Regional differences in the use of cover crops are related to factors such as climate, soils, cropping systems, and state incentive programs, according to USDA-Economic Research Service.

(USDA-ERS)

For example, Maryland, which has the highest rate of cover crop use, has programs that encourage farmers to grow cover crops to help improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

“Water quality is a big deal for those of us on the East Coast, and there are some programs available through NRCS and others that could be a little bit of a revenue stream for a grower and you can reduce some expenses,” says Hula.

Warm Conditions Could Help Stand Establishment
With the current fall conditions across the Midwest, Hula would encourage growers new to using cover crops there to experiment with them on some acres.

“A lot of times, Midwest growers are worried they’re going to run out of time to get a cover crop planted, but with as warm as it is, you have a good chance to get some growth established this fall and a good root system going before conditions turn cold,” he says.

Moisture is needed to get cover crops established well, and that is a concern in some areas this fall, cautions the Midwest Cover Crops Council. It says good soil moisture at seeding and 0.5” to 1” of rainfall after seeding will improve germination and stand establishment.

The Council has recommendations for which cover crops are a good fit by state and especially well-suited to farmers who are new to growing them. Learn more here .

Hula and Dowdy address cover crops in more detail in their Breaking Barriers with R&D during their discussion on AgriTalk:

Your next read: Farmer Finds A Silver Bullet For High Corn Yields

Take It Outside: Onetime Indoor Ag Pioneers See Opportunity Out In The Field

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:16:33 GMT

For the past year, the team at Soil Action has been working toward building an artificial intelligence driven product to sense soil nutrition in real-time. Whereas other companies have attempted to revolutionize soil testing before, co-founders Jack Oslan and Nate Storey say the AI tools available today are making what was once difficult or nearly impossible, possible.

“Soils are unknown and misunderstood,” Storey says. “We can use AI to understand soil better, and our goal is to come up with the instruments to solve the problem.”

Soil Action’s solution in progress includes building models and training models pairing near infrared spectroscopy with AI. Its goal is to reengineer the traditional process of sampling, shipping, agronomic recommendations, prescription files and applications while making it all in real-time. They are doing on-farm demonstrations this fall.

Before founding Soil Action, these two businessmen first met 12 years ago co-founded indoor agriculture startup Plenty. Storey’s time at Plenty was applying his laser focus on yield with innovation in algorithmic nutrition.

“I went into indoor ag because it was an area with the largest opportunity to drive yield. I have a lot of interest in yield,” he says. “In indoor, you can control everything and measure it–everything can be known in those systems and control every part of the process: root zone temperature, gas composition, and more.”

Now, Storey and Oslan want to bring those learnings outside and into the field.

“We got really good at understanding how to take an algorithmic approach to yield. It’s about understanding the yield equation, breaking it apart, optimizing individual aspects, and restacking them,” Storey says. “In row crops, the soil is the most important part, and to solve the yield equation we have know the variables that correlate and then begin to manage.”

What Does The System Look Like?

Currently, the beta version product is housed in a 3”x6” steel tube which can be mounted on any style of implement or equipment to automatically take measurements 4” to 6” deep every 50’.

(Soil Action)

“The real end goal is to have every equipment cab be mounted with an AI enabled agent to give you real-time measurements of what’s going on in your field,” Storey says. “It’s an AI agent focused on optimizing yield.”

The first testing was conducted in northern Iowa.

“We’re building our models on data collected from the field, and we’re using deep learning to ingest all of the information and help understand correlations,” Oslan says. “We can see everything that’s there, but we don’t understand everything that is there. That’s a focus for our work right now.”

“Holy Grail of Soil Sampling”

When it’s ready to be commercially available, Soil Action aims to provide results measuring two forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Other crop nutrients will be added in the future.

“Every expert we talked to said we couldn’t use NIRS in soil sampling, but the physics said we could,” Oslan says. “We took two intensive weeks using sand and manipulating it for measurements with NIRS, and our deep learning models can untangle data in a way classical statistical methods cannot. Now, it’s about how fast we can solve for soil nutrients with these newer tools.”

Soil Action says it aims to provide the equipment to farmers for a hardware fee of $10,000 paired with a subscription for the analysis on an annual fee basis.

New Seed Treatment Offers A Solution to Soybean Cyst Nematode

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:36:05 GMT

As farmers and retailers battle soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the emphasis continues to be on using an integrated strategy including resistant soybean varieties, crop rotation with non-host crops, and maintaining good soil fertility.

Now, farmers and retailers have a new tool available for use next spring: biotrinsic Nemora FP, an EPA-registered soybean bionematicide seed treatment from Indigo Ag, Inc.

Jon Giebel, vice president North America Commercial-Biologicals at the company, reports the product contains a naturally occurring Pseudomonas oryzihabitans bacterium that colonizes roots and shoots. After only a few weeks, the microbes coating each seed multiply into the millions around the roots and begin supporting the crop. The microbes also colonize SCN eggs, reducing the number of juveniles that will hatch and injure plants.

“In trials, [Nemora] delivered improved plant health metrics and compelling yield potential while offering growers a biological option that can benefit soil health in the process,” Giebel says in a prepared statement.

SCN is the most costly pest in U.S. soybeans today, routinely reducing yields in affected fields by 5 bushels or more per acre, according to the Crop Protection Network.

This photo shows a Rhizobium nodule (blue arrow) and several white SCN females (red arrows) on neighboring roots. Note the size difference and that SCN are much smaller than nodules. This pest is the number one yield-limiting biotic agent of soybeans in North America, estimated to cause U.S. producers $1.5 billion a year. The reason this pest is so insidious is because SCN can cause up to 30% yield loss with no significant aboveground symptoms.

(Kyle Broderick)

October Is SCN Action Month
Indigo Ag announced its new product on Monday, which marks the third National Nematode Day .

The month of October is designated SCN Action Month. For the fifth year, BASF Agricultural Solutions and The SCN Coalition are partnering to provide farmers with the latest insights, tools and resources to effectively manage SCN and protect soybean yield potential heading into the 2026 growing season.

BASF and The SCN Coalition recommend farmers proactively sample fields post-harvest for soybean cyst nematode symptoms to safeguard crop health and maximize their yields, in preparation for next year.

“The most sustainable management approach to minimize SCN yield loss is a multi-faceted plan that can include growing nonhost crops in rotation with SCN-resistant soybean varieties and use of nematode-protectant seed treatments on the soybeans,” says Greg Tylka, Morrill professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Iowa State University, in a statement.

New Seed Treatment Option Available For 2026
Giebel says Nemora is a microbial seed treatment in flowable powder (FP) format for soybeans and is available for planter-box treatment or through Indigo’s CLIPS delivery system. It contains a naturally occurring Pseudomonas oryzihabitans bacterium that colonizes roots and shoots.

How Nemora works:

It stimulates Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) and forms a biofilm that supports robust root colonization.
The biological colony prevents eggs on the roots from hatching, slowing the soybean cyst nematode lifecycle without disrupting beneficial nematodes in the soil.
Once in the soil, the Pseudomonas active in Nemora recruits a diverse and specialized community of plant growth-promoting bacteria to aid in plant development.

What soybean growers can expect:

Direct impact on SCN lifecycle: Average 68% reduction in egg hatch.
Longer tap roots, more root biomass, and whiter roots.
Thicker plant shoots and improved emergence.
No interference with nodulation.
No phytotoxicity or halo effect.
Nemora can provide the same yield advantage as products like chemical solutions available on the market.

New Tool Helps Farmers, Ranchers Identify Conservation Incentive Programs

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 23:55:23 GMT

Conservation incentive programs that fit your farm and specific agronomic practices and/or livestock are not always easy to identify and sign up for online.

But those hurdles could soon be problems in the past, thanks to a new online platform, the Conservation Connector, which was just launched this week by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)

The new tool allows farmers, ranchers, and farm advisers to easily evaluate conservation incentive programs and connect with technical support at one online site, according to Ryan Heiniger, CTIC executive director.

As a fourth-generation farmer, Heiniger says he knows firsthand how challenging it can be to identify programs, companies and the individuals in charge of them who can provide more details in a phone call or an email.

“You might visit four or five government offices and a dozen websites, only to collect bits and pieces of information on those programs that would be a good fit for you. Our goal with the Conservation Connector is to bring all of that under one roof, so to speak, to help farmers, ranchers and advisers more easily find what is available in their area and fits with their needs,” Heiniger says.

The platform currently has around 500 programs and service providers in the Midwest that are participating, Heiniger says. He notes the tool is continually updated with the latest program offerings from trusted agencies, organizations and conservation partners. In addition, Connector.ag has no associated costs for farmers, ranchers and advisers to use.

“I want to underscore that it’s free for farmers; none of the information is behind any kind of paywall,” he says. “It’s also free for people who want to create a listing.”

The Conservation Connector is easy to navigate – it’s searchable by geography, commodity, incentive type, and/or management practice.

“We’ve made it easy for people who are on a specific mission to filter through,” Heiniger says. “You might be in New York looking for help with pasture renovation, and you don’t want or need to see what programs are available in Iowa. So, you can default right to New York. Or, you can default to a specific crop. The filters can help you ratchet down to the specific information you want to dive deeper into.”

Heiniger says the idea for Conservation Connector originated from Houston Engineering, the Nature Conservancy, and Open Team, and the CTIC invested the past 18 months in developing it.

CTIC invites farmers, ranchers, technical service providers, and conservation partners across the country to explore the platform at Connector.ag . You can provide feedback about your experience to help inform future iterations of the platform here .

Yellow Soybeans? Why Weather and Carbon Penalties Are Stressing Midwest Farmers

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 13:33:11 GMT

A Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) in Michigan says a confluence of weather conditions resulted in a roller coaster ride for soybeans over the first two months of the growing season.

The good news is the plants still have time to catch up and recover on the back-end (if timely rains are consistent), but the early season issue is still causing a lot of growers to hang their heads in utter disgust when they head out in the morning and see large areas of small, yellow soybean plants in fields.

How did this happen?
In southern Michigan, northern Indiana, and northwest Ohio, most soybean farmers opted to plant early. That means the beans were in by end of April. The region then had the coolest average night temperatures in May of the past 14 years, followed by the warmest average night temperatures in June of the past 14 years.

A roller coaster ride indeed.

Missy Bauer with B&M Crop Consulting says that two-month yo-yo spell left the region’s soybean farmers battling the “largest carbon penalty the area has seen in 14 years.”

What is the carbon penalty in farming?

(Darrell Smith)

The carbon penalty Bauer refers to is the process where microbes in the soil come alive as soil temps gradually warm and start breaking down last year’s crop residue. The nutrients are then naturally converted to plant-available nutrients through mineralization.

Bauer says the warm-up occurred so quickly it created a sort of massive explosion of microbial activity in the soil. While that sounds like a good thing, she says it actually resulted in some essential early-season nutrients getting “locked up” in the soil, thus unavailable for plant uptake.

“How many calls did we take this year from farmers saying, ‘My beans aren’t growing right, why?’” says Bauer who also serves as a Farm Journal field agronomist. “We’re seeing the biggest carbon penalty we’ve had in 14 years, and this is a hard carbon penalty. It locked up the beans, and that added stress.”

How can I overcome the carbon penalty?
If you have liquid fertilizer technology on your bean planter, Bauer thinks it might pay off this year by offsetting the carbon penalty and helping beans battle that early season stress.

July is currently trending above average for growing degree days (GDD) in the Lake Erie region, which will help shift vegetative growth a gear or two higher and set beans on a course for canopy close and pod fill.

“Basically, we’re back on track (with beans),” Bauer says. “Maybe we’re just a little bit behind last year, but we had better heat units in May last year, too. Now, we’ve made-up for that GDD deficit heat unit-wise, we’re not quite all the way there, we’re still a little behind, but we’re knocking on average.”

Spray drone treatment for nutrient deficiency in soybeans an option, too
Recently, Kameron Barrow, field operations manager, teamed up with B&M owner and CCA Bill Bauer to address some nutrient deficient yellow spots in the operation’s test plots near Coldwater, Mich.

After tissue sampling the affected plants and finding out the culprit was most likely a manganese deficiency, Bauer and Barrow called up a local spray drone service provider and hired it to spot spray a 5% manganese liquid fertilizer over the canopy of the yellow soybean plants. The drone applied a rate of half a pound per acre of manganese.

“We came in and sprayed on July 10 and on July 15 we scouted and immediately those yellow spots are gone, and that’s only after five days,” says Barrow, adding they also left a nearby section of yellow plants untreated as a check. “This just shows we have access to spray drones now, and we can use the technology to use things we’ve never used to better manage the crop.”

Your Next Read: Put On Your Scouting Hat - Check for Southern Rust in Corn and White Mold in Soybeans

Biodiversity Index in the Field: A Look at Diagnostic Microbiome Tests for Soil Health

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 21:04:11 GMT

In the past few years, about a handful of companies have emerged with tests to measure a soil microbiome of fields, give a biodiversity index and help farmers understand the effects of inputs on soil health.

All of these companies recognize the complexity of a soil’s biology, and they aim to bring new tools to advance regenerative agriculture. Different from chemical and physical soil tests, which are often used to gauge what the soil needs (for example, rates of nitrogen), microbiome tests can provide insights on what the soil can supply (for example, nitrogen fixation or decomposition processes).

And these companies see the microbiome soil tests as complements — not replacements — to traditional soil testing.

Biome Makers

With a goal of delivering agronomic insights, Biome Makers built its BeCrop technology pairing soil microbiome knowledge and machine learning. The company, which is based in northern California, currently services farmers across 2.2 million acres and six continents. The BeCrop Test provides a report on nutrient cycling, health and biodiversity to be used to improve yields, monitor nutrient cycling, and predict disease risks. ( biomemakers.com )

EarthOptics

Launched as Pattern Ag and now part of EarthOptics, this platform claims to provide farmers a predication of key field agronomic outcomes with more than 90% confidence. The company uses DNA sequencing to provide soil biological test results. It also offers a premium program combing the soil microbiome results, with sensor data, yield data and satellite imagery for soil fertility and crop planning. ( earthoptics.com )

RhizeBio

Based in North Carolina, RhizeBio says its test uses a proprietary bioinformatics pipeline to translate raw soil DNA sequencing data into soil health reports both informative and easy to use. The results can be bucketed into three groups: biodiversity, bioindicators and risk analysis. The RhizeBio report provides biodiversity data including the number of species within the soil’s microbiome, community evenness, primary members and functionality. This gives insights on a soil’s capacity in stress environments such as droughts, disease, disturbance rating and nutrient cycling potential. ( rhizebio.com )

Trace Genomics

Recently acquired by Canada-based Miraterra, Trace Genomics was founded in northern California and has a soil analytical lab in Ames, Iowa. The Trace Genomics testing uses DNA sequencing to provide insights on the soil microbiome. The technology combines soil science, genomics and machine learning to output a measurement of a soil’s bacteria and fungi. Combining those measurements with chemical properties, growers receive information on a soil’s health and productivity. The company also offers a year-round sampling program to help guide seed selection, input selections, fertility products and biologicals for 70 crops and more than 225 pathogens. ( miraterrasoil.com/trace )

2025 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College: Making A Stand

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:38:21 GMT

A record-breaking harvest of corn or soybeans is built on the foundation of a good stand. That concept is the focus for the 2025 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and team will be addressing some of the key agronomic practices and tools farmers use to accomplish high yields during the two-day event – slated for July 22 through July 23 – near Heyworth, Ill.

“We’re going to focus on what the elements of a good stand are in corn and soybeans and how you can achieve them through agronomic decisions and the tools you use,” Ferrie says.

The program includes a variety of both in-the-field sessions as well as inside, classroom sessions.

Planter Selection For Your Farm

One of the key topics being addressed this year for corn growers is the planter and how to select one that’s a good fit for your specific farm.

“There are so many different systems out there today, and when it comes to making planter purchases, add-on purchases and such, you have to think through the whole process and how they will work for you,” Ferrie says.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer will also be on hand to help farmers identify the impact of planting practices on corn and soybean stands.

“Missy will be talking to us about how to identify a good stand and also what contributes to a poor stand,” Ferrie notes. “We’re going to talk about hybrid characteristics and different aspects of the rooting structure of corn. We’ll then blend that information all in with farmers’ tillage practices, including strip-till, no-till, and also cover crops.”

Success With Early-Planted Soybeans

On the soybean side of the two-day program, Ferrie and team will be addressing early-planted soybeans and how to build a systems approach to growing them – from variety selection and planting preparation through harvest.

“We want to talk about row spacing, population, soybean characteristics, when can we stress plants and when to not stress plants,” Ferrie says. “We want to help farmers adopt a systems approach to early soybeans versus just planting them early and then trying to treat them like you would normal beans.”

In addition to these topics, the in-field and classroom sessions at the event will address:

Science behind spray nozzles: selecting the right nozzles for the job and making sure they perform well in the field.

Establishing corn ear count: examining the differences in rooting depth and stand establishment across a variety of tillage practices.

Closing systems: analyzing a variety of systems in different agronomic conditions to demonstrate how such systems impact stand establishment.

Put everything together, corn edition: evaluating everything from hybrid characteristics, leaf orientation, ear flex and how plant height affects light interpretation to ear development and plant stress in conventional corn and short corn.

Put everything together, soybean edition: looking at planting date, variety characteristics, tillage system, plant nutrition, row spacing and population all play a hand in bean stand establishment, overall light interception and yield.

The two-day event brings together presenters, farmers, and industry personnel that are passionate about raising the bar in farming, Ferrie says. “This is an unsponsored event making more time for our agronomists to spend with attendees, getting their questions answered, and more time to spend in the field,” he says.

Day 1 of the Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College starts at 8 a.m., Tuesday, July 22, and runs through happy hour/dinner.

Day 2 starts at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23, and sessions will go through lunch.

“We will finish the second day with a Q & A following lunch. Our agronomists will be available to answer questions until your questions run out, so be sure to come with your list,” Ferrie says.

Price: $625 (includes access to one-day virtual event in January 2026).

Get the complete agenda details and register here .

Ohio Farmers Mimic Mother Nature To Build Soils and Yield Success

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:19:11 GMT

Every acre Les Seiler and his family farm in northwest Ohio has a cover crop planted on it, with the goal of keeping a living root in the ground year-round

“We try to mimic Mother Nature with what we do,” says Seiler. “Through no-till and cover crops we’re building our soil health, which is the No. 1 thing in our world.”

That’s not always been the case, admits Seiler, who farms with his brother, Jerry, and two of their sons near Fayette, Ohio.

Seiler recalls when he bought the land around his home in 2010, he initially decided to strip-till the ground that fall. It was a decision he soon regretted.

“All winter long, I watched that rich, black dirt blowing into the ditch bank right in front of my house, all because I had these nice, pretty strip-till mounds,” he says. “That was the last strip-tilling we did where we built mounds.”

The following spring, the Seilers switched their machine over to low-disturbance coulters, so they could still inject fertilizer, and they went heavier into cover crops. While they’ve moved on from that piece of equipment, their focus on using cover crops and no-till only intensified.

“We don’t use that fertilizer deep placement machine anymore because we can grow a lot of our own nutrients with cover crops,” he says.

Seiler shares two benefits he’s achieved with cover crops and no-till:

1. Biomass stays on the farm. Seiler says when the cover crops are terminated, he wants all the biomass to break down over time and be accessible to their corn, soybean and wheat crops.

“I do not want my biomass to leave the farm. I don’t want it to blow in the ditches,” he says. “I want it all to stay right where it’s at, and let the biological activity – which starts with the earthworms – break this biomass down and put it into a plant-usable form.”

Wind erosion removes the most fertile part of the soil, therefore, lowering soil productivity, Iowa State Extension reports. In addition, wind erosion can reduce seedling survival and growth, increase soil crusting, increase the susceptibility of plants to disease pathogens, and even create hazardous conditions on roads and highways. See Dust Storms Shouldn’t Happen in the Corn Belt

2. Nutrient and equipment investments can be reduced. Seiler says he still uses commercial fertilizer but has been able to reduce the amounts needed to reach his yield goals. He estimates he has reduced his nitrogen use by 20% to 30%.

“I stay flexible on my nitrogen program and will adjust some based on the season,” he says. “I expect to raise 200- to 220-bushel corn this year, and I’m putting on less than 190 pounds of N.”

Seiler adds that he will use a variety of technology and products, depending on the season, to boost corn performance.

“We have technology and tools today that my dad never dreamed of having. We can use in-furrow applications of products and micronutrients, things that can help a corn crop get off to a healthier start and mitigate stress in the process,” he says.

Change Requires A Different Mindset

Seiler says transitioning to cover crops and no-till was a process, and success didn’t happen overnight.

“Have we ever had a failure with this? I would say, no, but we’ve had plenty of learning experiences,” he laughs. “I’m a believer in soil health. That’s my goal. That’s how I’m going to farm, and I know these things can be made to work.”

For farmers interested in using cover crops and other conservation farming practices, Seiler recommends:

1. Start on a small scale. Seiler recommends committing as few as 10 acres and up to 50 acres to cover crops and no-till, starting out.

“You have to build your confidence over time,” he says. “In the process you figure out what your limiting factors are and what works, and you apply those learnings to the next year.”

2. Find a mentor. Seiler suggests connecting with like-minded farmers at meetings, joining conservation networks like Farmer Advocates for Conservation, and seeking out supportive retailers who understand regenerative farming.

“Find somebody that’s having success with this and talk with them. There are farmers who are doing this successfully that you can learn from,” he says.

Seiler cites two individuals who have been important mentors to him – David Brandt, an Ohio farmer who was a pioneer in the use of no-till and cover crops to improve soil health; and Jim Hoorman, who is an independent soil health specialist and former Ohio State University Extension educator.

“Once you have some confidence to do these practices, you can take them to the next level, but you have to have some confidence in yourself,” Seiler says. “You can’t worry about what the guy at the coffee shop is saying.”

3. Invest in other people by sharing what you learn. In the process of growing corn and soybean crops that are sustainable, Seiler and his brother routinely share their knowledge with others.

The farm actively hosts field days in conjunction with area soil and water conservation districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and The Nature Conservancy. They also have an Ohio State University water quality monitoring site on the farm. Seiler has shared his soil health knowledge at conferences and through videos and webinars.

“I know we’re saving soil, spending less on inputs, and we’re more profitable,” Seiler says of the conservation practices his family uses today. “Those are things I can feel really good about.”

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Regenerative Agriculture Builds Up Soil and Souls

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:57:37 GMT

By Chandrashekhar Bhadsavle: Raigad, Maharashtra State, India

Farmers who take up regenerative agriculture say they do it for the soil—but it’s also about the soul. The most profound thing it may regenerate is human dignity.

I’ve seen this firsthand on my farm on the west coast of India, where right now we’re heading into monsoon season as we cultivate paddy rice and a millet crop known as ragi or finger millet .

Regenerative agriculture does in fact start with the soil. Everything we grow comes from there. Our goal as food producers is to help the soil thrive today and flourish in the future.

Before my farm focused on regeneration, our soil was hard and compact and light in color. It tended to push water away rather than soak it up. Crops grew here, but looking back, it seems like they grew despite the soil rather than because of it.

I knew we had to do better.

Today, everything is different. The texture of the soil is loose and crumbly. Its color is dark. Water seeps into it. Worms and microbes prosper. The soil even smells better, with an earthy aroma that comes from rich organic content.

Crops love to grow here.

We achieved these improvements through a no-till approach that halted a series of traditional methods that attacked the soil. We no longer plough, puddle, or transplant because each one of these activities puts pressure on the soil and contributes to erosion. Instead, we seek to disrupt the ground as little as possible. We’ve adopted the Saguna Regenerative Technique .

We plant rice seeds by dibbling them on raised beds. We manage weeds by the judicious use of selective weedicides as per the protocols laid down by scientists’ world over. We make sure our dairy cows don’t stampede their grazing areas. During the off-season, and with limited time available for a full crop in a plot, we allow growth of different weeds and suppress them in-situ with the help of weedicides with the objective of attracting microbial biodiversity in the rhizosphere.Our protocol includes rotation of crops.

Because of these practices, our farm is more productive and resilient. We grow more food and cope better with extreme weather. Profitability can go up and down due to market factors that are beyond our control, but regenerative agriculture lets us focus on factors that we can control. We’re less reliant than we once were on inputs such as tillage operations, excess labor, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides. These cost savings contribute to our bottom line, improving our economic sustainability.

Best of all, though, is the regeneration of human dignity.

Outsiders often see farming as mindless drudgery whose demands are physical rather than mental. This is especially true in the developing world, where agriculture can involve manual labor rather than farmer-friendly technologies.

It is, in a word, undignified.

Regenerative agriculture is different. It gives farmers a sense of mastery over their land and autonomy over their lives. Practicing SRT, we no longer feel like laborers of fate, but leaders of a regenerative generation.It requires us to understand ecology, rather than rely on external inputs. By working in harmony with nature, we see how improving soil health can boost productivity. Our work gives us a sense of pride and accomplishment.

On our farm, we’ve even branched into the business of agro-tourism , which allows farmers to share their knowledge and success with visitors who often come from cities and understand next to nothing about the complexities of food production. This has created a source of revenue, but it also provides another kind of reward by letting farmers show what they do—and see how much others appreciate it.

When farmers are mentally engaged in their work, they become better farmers. They understand that innovations can make a difference, experiments are essential, and choices matter. They see the how their actions can improve their lives—and this motivates them to pursue excellence.

Regenerative agriculture is also about the rising generations. It encourages young people to become farmers because they see a future in it.

These are some of the reasons why I recently joined fellow members of the Global Farmer Network in writing and signing a declaration on regenerative agriculture. We must increase awareness about its effectiveness among not just farmers but also public officials, policymakers, and consumers as we confront the challenges of soil degradation, climate change, and food security.

Our soil depends on it—and so do our souls.

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Sign the Farmer Declaration and join us as we affirm our commitment to regenerative agriculture as a pathway to improve ecological functions of farming, feed our communities safe and nutritious food, and secure a thriving future for generations to come with dignity and well-being of farming communities as top of mind. Click this link to sign.

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Chandrashekhar (Shekhar) Bhadsavle grows rice, millets, pulses, sweetcorn, vegetables, peanuts and fruits like mango, sapota, coconut and more on an integrated family farm in the district of Raigad, Maharashtra State, India. The farm, Saguna Baug, is an agritourism pioneer in India.Shekhar is a member of the Global Farmer Network. www.globalfarmernetwork.org

Land Values Show Signs Of Softening, But Farmers And Small-Town Investors Remain Bullish

Thu, 08 May 2025 19:55:26 GMT

The land market across the Midwest continues to show strength in the second quarter of 2025, though there is a bit of price softening showing up in some areas.

“We have historic low supply and good demand, so that has really kept prices at a pretty stable level,” said Colton Lacina, vice president of real estate at Farmers National Company (FNC), based in Omaha, Neb., on Thursday.

“Looking across the different land groups, land is probably down 1% to 2%, but farmland has been on an upward trend for the last three to five years and is still strong. This is the first year recently of it turning a bit to the negative side, though nothing extreme,” he added.

Across the industry, FNC reported in January that land listings are down, on average, 25% from the active and accelerating value market experienced between 2020-2023.

Trends In Bellwether States
Lacina said higher interest rates, lower commodity prices and ongoing trade disputes have contributed to the slight downward movement of farmland values. The small reductions in value have shown up in key farming states, including Illinois and Iowa.

The 2024 Iowa State University Land Value Survey, released in mid-December, reported a 3.1% drop in farmland prices last year, bringing the average price per acre down year to $11,467.

“This decrease marks the end of a five-year trend of rising land prices, which included dramatic annual increases of 29% and 17% in prior years,” wrote Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf, for American Farmland Owner .

While the nominal value in Iowa is lower than in 2023, it remains above 2022 levels. That reflects the lingering strength in the market today despite the correction, Kohlsdorf wrote.

In Illinois land values are likely to see a 3% decline in 2025, according to Nick Paulson, Gary Schnitkey and Carl Zulauf at the University of Illinois. However, they said multiple arguments for continued strength in farmland values could also be made.

“First, farmland remains an attractive asset with total returns (current plus capital returns) that are competitive with other asset classes, particularly over longer holding periods,” the Illinois economists wrote in a farmdoc Daily article last November. Second, turnover rates for farmland are expected to continue to remain low meaning that purchase opportunities are scarce. Finally, as farm operations continue to expand and alternative uses for farmland continue to grow, demand for an asset in fixed or declining supply will continue to remain strong.”

A report by the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries shows that U.S. farmland delivered an annualized return of 10.2% over the past 30 years , outperforming many traditional real estate assets.

Farmland has been a solid investment for the long-term.

(National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries)

Off-Farm Investors In Play
Lacina said he sees farmland purchases remaining strong this year with farmers and nonfarmers alike, noting he is seeing an uptick in off-farm investors, which he said fall into two different camps.

“We have institutional investors, and then we have what we call more of a local investor, and we’ve seen a lot more local investor interest in the last month,” he noted. “Potentially a businessman or businesswoman in town, who maybe own the hardware store, and are looking to diversify and get into farmland,” he said.

With the ongoing turbulence in the stock market, Lacina said he expects interest from buyers in rural communities to continue as land is seen as a stable investment for the long-term. He also doesn’t anticipate farmers will stop buying land, either, as the opportunities to purchase local parcels arise. Many farmers are paying cash.

“We’re still seeing a lot of cash transactions with our largest buying group, which is the agricultural producers,” he said. “We do see some farmer land purchases being financed, but I’d say most are still cash buys.”

Three additional types of individuals and organizations Lucina said he sees buying farmland now include:

1. Individuals interested in growing their own produce and/or developing a local market for produce. “There’s definitely an increase in demand for smaller acreages that are going into large gardens for what I call micro-farming,” Lacina said.

2. Recreational activities continue to drive land sales in many areas. “Individuals are looking to get out of the city and have 80 acres and a little cabin. We’ve seen strong demand there, and I don’t see that falling off, really,” he said.

3. There is increased demand by individuals and companies that want to use solar energy. “The wind business has slowed down, while solar has picked up,” Lacina said.

He pointed out that there are two different kinds of land purchases commonly made for solar. One is individuals who either want solar for their own home or as an investment in supplying local communities. The second type is for a corporation’s use.

“Geographically, there are certain areas where that’s really hot right now. Some areas in Illinois have seen a lot of activity. Also down in South Texas, with the new data centers being built, we’re seeing a large request for land around those data centers for solar,” Lacina explained. “There’s increased demand for electricity, which can take years to come on the grid if you have to build a coal plant or a nuclear plant, and solar is much quicker.”

Lacina said spring historically is the slowest sales period for the land market year-over-year, and that has been true for 2025.

“As we work through summer here and into the early fall, we will probably see an uptick in supply,” he said. “How big that supply is going to be, we don’t know, but we believe there will be more opportunities coming to market.” Those opportunities have the potential to benefit buyers and sellers alike, he added.

Get more of Lacina’s insights about land values and where they’re headed on AgriTalk .

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High Clearance, High Yields: How Brent Pence Bootstrapped Big Acres With Hagie Sprayers and John Deere Tech

Fri, 02 May 2025 14:11:41 GMT

In a bi-level red barn setback from a winding country road that weaves through the Central Ohio landscape, first generation farmer Brent Pence has built a corn and soy operation many never imagined would come to fruition.

“Everyone told us we wouldn’t make it, that we weren’t going to make this dream happen, and we’re still here,” says the easy-going farmer on a sun splashed, breezy spring morning.

Folks in town had doubts because they knew Pence didn’t grow up on a farm or hit the genetic lottery by inheriting thousands of acres. His father spent his career as a skilled machinist in New Carlisle, Ohio, a quaint rural enclave halfway between Dayton and Springfield. If that town sounds familiar, it might be because in 1933, the infamous cat burglar John Dillinger commissioned his first bank heist there — nabbing a cool $10,000 from the New Carlisle National branch on Main Street.

Meeting Pence for the first time, you can tell there is a fire fueling him beyond big scores and scale ticket dollar signs. After starting with 123 acres of rented ground from his longtime business mentor, Jerry McMahan, today he calls the shots across 4,500 acres of cropland spread over a 50-mile radius. Pence jokingly refers to his area as the “Boulder Belt” due to its rock-filled, clay pan soils.

The college-grad-turned-row-crop-farmer speaks with a booming, rapid-fire cadence and bounces back and forth from what he’s excited about at the time to tales of hilarious adventures on the goat and livestock showing circuit with his wife, Christine, and daughter, Paige.

Luckily for us, Pence was all fired up about his new approach to nitrogen management and application technology when we dropped in on him. Planting season was so close in his neck of the woods that you could almost taste the airborne soil dust dancing on the early spring breeze.

Shifting to Spoon-fed

First generation Ohio farmer Brent Pence in his “man cave” inside of his red barn in New Carlisle, Ohio. The space is festooned with photos of his daughter Paige winning awards on the livestock showing circuit.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Many seasons ago, Pence dove head first into late-season nitrogen on corn research. Convinced it would drive his yields higher and pay off, he got his hands on a Hagie high-clearance sprayer and went in at V13-V14 to spoon-feed nitrogen on 400 acres that first year. Before the Hagie came roaring into his life, he often steered a side dress rig to put nutrients on around V4-V5.

“I don’t care who it is – whether it’s DeKalb, Channel or Pioneer – all of these hybrids today react to late-season nitrogen,” Pence says. “Most of the guys around here put anhydrous on and maybe do a side dress before they head to the lake, then we normally get really dry, and you’ll see the corn brown out. But ours stays green. We don’t go to the lake either. We work all summer.”

Pence saw a yield bump of 14 bushels per acre. He also noted hardier plants that better withstood the blustery mid-summer windstorms common to mid-Ohio.

“I would call it standability. The corn is not cannibalizing itself anymore to make an ear. Now the nitrogen is right there where the plant can use it to make the ear,” he adds.

Last winter, Pence signed the papers on a brand new 2025 Hagie STS 16 from his local AgPro dealership. He’s excited to run that shiny, hulking graphite and yellow sprayer all summer long - the pilot seat his favorite throne of all.

Tech Tools
Another benefit Pence discovered – after running two passes over 350 acres of winter wheat this spring – is how easy it is to steer the new Hagie around his smaller, oddly shaped fields with a front-mounted boom. Add John Deere’s ExactApply technology, which turns off individual nozzles on the boom where it knows the sprayer has already applied, and AutoTrac guidance with the G5 display, and you get why he’s so at home in this cab.

Ohio farmer Brent Pence’s 2025 Hagie STS 16 sprayer. Pence plans to put about 12,000 acres on the machine this summer.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

He also says John Deere’s Boom Recirculation upgrade has saved him money and headaches. Now, he’s able to reclaim 50 to 70 gallons of product from the boom back into the tank.

And then there’s the John Deere Operations Center mobile app. Pence whips out his iPhone and knows exactly what his machines and operators are doing, how long until they finish a field, and where he needs to send the tender truck to keep those guys working. Christine, who has a day job with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, can also keep track of everything going on from her office upstairs in the farmhouse.

During one particularly busy spring planting season, before she knew about the app, Brent was watching her work a field in Operations Center when he noticed she was stopped for awhile.

“I called her and said, ‘Hey, you’re not moving. I’m almost done. I can come help you in a few minutes.’ And she goes, “You knew I wasn’t moving? How the hell did you know that?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I didn’t mean it like that’,” he recalls with a chuckle. “So, I get down there and she’s standing there pointing this screwdriver at me and she goes ‘You have two options, so you better tell me how you knew I wasn’t moving,’ and I was like ‘Well, there’s this app I have on my phone.’ and she’s like, what!?”

Of course, that transparency goes both ways. Brent has had to answer for his own periods of inactivity as well. And when Paige makes her return to the farm this summer from college, she’ll have the Operations Center app, too. When she’s not out helping her customers win awards on the show animal circuit or breeding new goats for the future crop of customers, she’ll be on the farm helping out right next to mom and dad.

That basically sums up Brent Pence: he loves his family and farming, and he’s always thinking about that next piece of machinery or technology that can give him a leg up on ol’ Mother Nature.

“This journey we’re on as a family, the whole farming thing has been such a blessing,” Pence says. “And when Paige came into this world, we were able to spend time showing livestock all over the country with her. It’s just been pretty unreal, and it’s been a hell of a ride, that’s for sure.”

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