It’s early in the season, but before we know it, corn will be chest high and we will be thinking about if in season management is needed. Last year I mentioned that you should “avoid the cosmic freakout” around tar spot. I again emphasize this statement this season. Tar spot is endemic to the state […]
Recently there have been a flood of reports of Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) from areas within Iowa. Not surprisingly reports of BLS have started to come in from portions of Northern Illinois, an area of the state that has been subject to several significant rain events over the past two weeks. Severe weather pushed through these areas yesterday, […]
Due to continued increases in demand for certified organic grains, crop farmers that have transitioned from conventional to certified organic grains report higher net returns per acre (McBride et al., 2015; Greene et al., 2017; Greene and Vilorio, 2018; Center for Farm Financial Management, 2020). Despite this, certified organic land accounts for less than 2 […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing additional flexibilities for producers to file on acres with failed crops or crops that were prevented from planting because of extreme weather events. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is adding these flexibilities for Notice of Loss on both insured and uninsured crops to enable Service Centers to best assist […]
Japanese beetle adults are beginning to emerge in eastern Nebraska. Their distribution has been increasing in Nebraska the last few years and they are being seen in corn and soybeans more frequently (Figure 1), in addition to feeding on landscape trees and shrubs. They will continue to emerge for the next few weeks. First identified […]
Did you know you can lose two wheat crops from one hail storm? It could be yours or your neighbor’s. The first loss is the current wheat crop being hailed. The second loss is from the disease Wheat Streak Mosaic. One example was when the volunteer wheat from one neighbor’s hailed winter wheat crop served […]
The majority of North Dakota has experienced a precipitation deficit this growing season, with much of the western and central portion of the state receiving less than 50% of normal precipitation and some areas receiving only 20% to 30% of normal since April 1. The current U.S. Drought Monitor reflects these conditions, with approximately 27% […]
On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a Legislative Hearing to Review S. 3894, The Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2020. In his opening remarks, Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R., Kans.) stated that, “S. 3894 would assist growers in monetizing voluntary conservation practices on their farms, ranches, forests, and businesses. This legislation establishes a program at the Department of Agriculture to certify third party […]
On June 18, we’ve had a week of dry weather, and the wet spring almost feels like it’s in the rear-view mirror. But with a projection for above-normal precipitation over the next 10 days, there is potential for additional loss of nitrogen from corn fields that could push us over the edge. Despite the dry […]
Like antibiotic-resistant bacteria, some herbicide-resistant weeds can’t be killed by available chemicals. The problem affects more than just the errant weed in our driveways; herbicide-resistant weeds threaten our food supply, stealing resources and outcompeting the crops that make up our breakfast cereal and feed the nation’s livestock. The weed that represents the biggest threat to […]