Production

At a time when many grain operators are tightening their belts on input costs, producers want to make sure the ones they purchase give them the most favorable results. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment researchers are evaluating whether in-furrow fertilizers provide enough yield increase to offset their costs. In-furrow fertilizers are applied to seed during planting. ... Read More »

Widespread drought continues in Alabama, as nearly 84% of the state is in severe drought. In fact, 55% of the state’s soil and subsoil moisture is reported to be “very short.” Even with these conditions, producers are still hard at work bringing in this year’s crop. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 96% of the corn planted in Alabama ... Read More »

• By Dominic Reisig • All growers who plant Bt corn in North Carolina are required by law to plant non-Bt corn (refuge). Details are specified on the bag tag, but non-Bt corn must represent at least 20% of the total corn acres, including both Bt and non-Bt corn. Even if refuge-in-a-bag (RIB) hybrids are planted, North Carolina growers must ... Read More »

Most soybean and corn likely will yield less than normal this year due to late planting and unfavorable weather during critical grain-fill periods, says University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold. According to a Sept. 4 U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency report, wet and flooded fields kept Missouri farmers from planting 750,000 acres or 21% of corn ... Read More »

A difficult planting season followed by heavy rains and drainage issues challenged Mississippi corn producers, but they are still expected to produce a good crop despite these tough conditions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the majority of the Mississippi’s corn crop to be in fair to good condition. Just 7% is considered excellent, while 12% is either poor or ... Read More »

A team of researchers from the University of Arkansas are designing tiny sensors that can be placed in corn stalks to monitor water, nitrogen and potassium needs in real time. The data collected from those sensors — matched with geographic, weather and other environmental data — will feed machine learning software to develop models that will be able to predict ... Read More »

A cover crop planted this fall on land flooded without a crop this year does more than control erosion and weeds. Fall-seeded cover crops can boost corn yields next season. A beneficial soil-borne fungus in healthy soil needs roots to survive in fallow years. Without the micro-fungus, fallow field syndrome could cut corn yields next season, says Greg Luce, University ... Read More »

Georgia corn farmers are preparing for harvest, but they can’t take a break once they ship their crops to market. That time should be focused on staying ahead of weeds that can cripple the next year’s crop. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension corn weed specialist Eric Prostko says that Palmer amaranth, also known as Palmer pigweed, has the potential to ... Read More »

The European Commission — the executive branch of the European Union — has granted import approval to the Agrisure Duracade trait, which contains a unique corn rootworm control. The approval covers corn grain and its derived products for food and feed use within countries of the EU, according to a news release. Agrisure Duracade hybrids from Syngenta (Agrisure Duracade 5222 ... Read More »

• By Heather Marie Kelly • This week I received the first sample of southern rust in corn from Martin, Tennessee (Weakley County). Not surprisingly after the storms of Barry, more counties along the Mississippi river have confirmed southern rust (Image 1. Confirmed reports of southern rust can be found at https://corn.ipmpipe.org/southerncornrust/). The majority of corn in Tennessee is past ... Read More »