“We need all different kinds of minds.”
JENNIE ABBOTT
URBANA, ILLINOIS
Temple Grandin’s neurodivergence is one of her biggest strengths. As a consultant and professor of animal sciences, she has led groundbreaking work in animal behavior and livestock handling, breaking barriers for...
NATHAN GREGORY
STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi farmers are planning fewer acres of most major row crops in 2026, reflecting continued pressure from falling commodity prices and rising production costs, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA’s Prospective Plantings...
TODD GLEASON
URBANA, ILLINOIS
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed an innovative artificial intelligence method designed to mine massive amounts of drone-captured field data, revealing hidden, highly heritable genetic traits in crops.
For decades, agriculture has relied on visual cues...
LARRY STECKEL AND HAYDEN LOVE
JACKSON, TENNESSEE
There was a significant emergence of ryegrass during the middle of March in many fields (Picture 1). This coupled with all the early planting has led to fields infested with ryegrass along with emerged...
CHARLEY MARTINEZ
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
We got a lot of information this week, below covers the highlights from the planting and grain crushing report.
In the prospective plantings report, Tennessee farmers intend to plant approximately 17.1 million acres of crops in 2026, a...
IVAIR VALMORBIDA
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
Black cutworm moth captures have started to show up across parts of Missouri, which is a sign that spring has officially arrived – not just for us, but for some of our early-season insect pests as well....
CHARLEY MARTINEZ
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
Ahead of next week’s USDA March Intentions report, traders are positioning for a notable shift in planted acreage. Corn acreage is expected to come in at 94.37 million acres, according to market expectations, which would represent a...
RYAN MCGEENEY
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
Arkansas farmers plan to reduce planted acreage for four of the state’s five major crops, including corn, cotton, peanuts and rice, in favor of soybeans during the 2026 planting season, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Planned acreage...
SASHA ZVENIGORODSKY
URBANA, ILLINOIS
Precision agriculture first gained traction in the 1990s, when GPS technology made it possible for farm equipment to map and manage fields with a level of detail that was not possible before. Farmers could accurately apply fertilizer...
KAY LEDBETTER
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
Farmers should consider deep soil testing for residual nitrogen and other nutrients, especially when rising fertilizer prices impact profit potential, according to a team of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists.
The team of AgriLife Extension economists and agronomists...
ADAM RUSSELL
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
Robert Puckett, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist and associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, has helped landowners across Texas and around the world fight red imported fire ants. He offers expert advice for getting rid...
JEFFREY A. DAVIS, DR. DAWSON D. KERNS, AND DR. JAMES VILLEGAS
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
Last year, in 2025, we piloted a program to proactively evaluate insecticide efficacy to acephate amongst redbanded stink bug populations throughout the state. Acephate is the most...
RYAN HANRAHAN
URBANA, ILLINOIS
Reuters’ Karl Plume reported that “the Iran war has upended the planting intentions of U.S. farmers, resulting in fewer acres of corn and the lowest quantity of spring wheat planted since 1970 as rising fertilizer and fuel costs...
MANINDER SINGH, DR. BENJAMIN AGYEI, PATRICK COPELAND AND LORATO WOOD
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
Planting field crops takes time, and most growers manage large acreages that must be prepared and planted each season. Starting early in the spring, when field conditions are considered...
MAGGIE BERGER
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
An often overlooked yet inherent part of the agricultural ecosystem, weeds can impact day-to-day life in ways one might not expect.
Weeds pose a significant problem to food and fiber systems by decreasing the quality and quantity...
