Latest News From Rhonda Brooks

More than 20 farm groups support the new Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience Act. The bill does not require choosing between enhanced crop insurance coverage and commodity support programs.

Unrelenting inflation continues to weigh down the U.S. economy and agriculture. Still, CoBank says it believes the Fed will stick with its decision to cut interest rates three times in 2024.

Paul Bonnett joined Nutrien Ag Solutions in 2019 as senior director of agronomic solutions. He leads the company’s agronomy and environmental sciences efforts across North America and also manages Waypoint Analytical.

One of the biggest benefits from waiting to plant corn until conditions are ideal, is the crop emerges more uniformly and forms those picket-fence stands that deliver huge yields, says Agronomist Missy Bauer.

Lance Honig, acting director of the NASS methodology division, says budget constraints led to the agency's decision. The County Estimates data was used over the years, in part, to determine federal farm program payments.

Along with too much moisture, high numbers of corn flea beetles are posing an early-season concern. Ferrie advises checking your Stewart’s wilt bacteria rating on hybrids. There's no treatment option for infected corn.

Kay Russo, DVM, Novonesis technical services manager for dairy and poultry, emphasized the situation is rapidly evolving and more clarity will come with time as researchers learn more.

Livestock producers and veterinarians are urged to practice good biosecurity practices to prevent transmission of the disease. Five states have also issued restrictions on dairy cattle movement.

Some Illinois farmers started planting soybeans in late March. Ken Ferrie offers tips to help you weigh the risks of planting now. Plus, be aware that poor saturated cold scores are impacting some seed corn hybrids.

Based on fieldwork he's done so far, the farmer asks, “Am I drying out the soil early in what looks to be a dry year? Or, am I making the soil more fit so roots can go down as they should?”

Brian Ray is confident his soybeans will yield more this season, thanks to the use of 100 lb/A of ammonium sulfate preplant applied. He and his retailer, Brent Peters, anticipate a 4 bu/A average increase or higher.

A Minnesota grower asks Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, how to improve upon the soil fertility on 90 acres he is renting for the first time this year.

Just because tar spot was mostly a no-show in 2022 and 2023 doesn't mean that will be the case in 2024. Charting humidity levels can help predict if the disease will strike.

In a year with razor-thin margins, at best, corn and soybean growers can use a variety of new technology and tried-and-true agronomic tools to score higher yields this season.

If weather stresses have you looking for ways to give your crop a stronger start this spring, consider whether a plant growth regulator could be part of the solution, especially in high-yield environments.

Don't take equipment to fields too soon and create headaches that will linger all season. While you wait for the right timing, consider doing prep work and projects that can help set you up for yield success.

Do you want to plant early-season soybeans? Do you grow non-GMO crops? If the answer to either question is yes, Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, says to address weeds in the process.

Helena introduces Resgenix to help farmers manage the water available to crops and optimize its use.

Before heading to the field to apply anhydrous, firm up what crop you're going to plant. Growers have been kicking around the idea of going beans-on-beans, given the markets. But anhydrous essentially ties you to corn.

Corn growers can use this free tool to understand which hybrids have which traits, as well as evaluate insect problems and herbicide needs in-season.

A sudden change in soil density that occurs from the freezing-thawing process can cause problems with corn root growth this spring and impede water movement in the soil during the growing season.

Invasive weed species tied to the ornamental plant trade are taking root in some parts of the United States. Researchers have identified “outbreaks and hot spots” in eight states. 

Compact corn hybrids appear to take winds 50 mph in stride with little greensnap or lodging resulting. However, yield performance hasn’t been as consistent, and technology providers are working to change that.

Forty million dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton acres would be directly impacted by the ruling the U.S. District Court of Arizona in Tucson made Tuesday. EPA has not said when it will respond to the court's decision.

Ken Ferrie answers two additional questions: Was it allelopathic toxins in the cereal rye ahead of corn that caused such a yield ding last season? Will there be a cap to Carbon Initiative payments per farm operation?

While you can't make Mother Nature send rain, you can review crop-rotation restrictions on chemistries you applied last year. Knowing that information can guide what crop you plant where this spring.

David Heublein won the conventional, non-irrigated category of the 2023 NCGA yield contest for the state. The amazing yield was grown with only one-third of the total rainfall his fields usually get in a growing season.

Red clover can fix nitrogen, suppress weeds and improve crop yields. Based on test plot research in Illinois, a good stand of red clover can provide between 50 and 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre.

AgriTalk has extended an invitation to all the 2024 presidential hopefuls to join Host Chip Flory and answer five standard questions about what they would focus on once in office.

From improved telehealth services to reimagined small-town hospitals, the National Rural Health Association is working to help folks in farm country tap into more and better medical care options.

Harvest weed seed control systems have a hefty price tag, but some farmers and researchers say they are a good investment and provide a ROI, especially where resistant weeds are taking over and control options are few.

Growers can benefit from evaluating the dispersion of N, P and K and pH levels in no-till fields. Often, there is a drop off in soil fertility levels in no-till soils once below the three-inch mark.

In October, ​USDA said the average value of U.S. cropland (irrigated and nonirrigated) was $5,460 an acre in 2023--an increase of 8.1% from 2022. High-quality ground is selling for two to three times that. ​

Analysts say an initial cut could be made as early as first quarter 2024. One of the key factors the central banking system will consider is whether its inflation rate target of 2% has been achieved.

The practice can be useful in some scenarios but not all. Farmers need to evaluate the potential impact on 2024 yield outcomes. Perhaps a bigger concern is how the practice impacts weed management, especially waterhemp.

The agency says exports picked up steam this year in countries such as Canada, India and Japan and that the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program will keep the wheels of progress turning in 2024.

For a lot of farmers, 2023 was a tough growing season and Mother Nature didn't cooperate. But don't let that drive your seed-selection process for next year. Consider these five recommendations instead.

Fall tillage is in full swing. Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie shares two videos to explain how to successfully set and operate your hybrid chisel and inline ripper.

If you value the benefits starter fertilizer offers, you might like the performance of a starter fertilizer relay system even more. Farm Journal Test Plot data show a relay system + 2x2 placement = $36 per acre ROI.

The Last Acre Act would help expand high-speed internet access across eligible farmland, ranchland and farm sites. At least 15% of farms and ranches have no access to the internet today. 

Illinois farmer Ryan Myers has increased his 60-bushel-per-acre yield average to 70-plus-bushel averages in just three years. How? By focusing on the details from variety selection to in-season management.

While voters are casting ballots today, they're also looking ahead. A Biden-Trump presidential race rematch is currently forecast, but their ages, economic turmoil at home and conflicts abroad are weighty concerns.

Moisture availability is one of the biggies to check out, says Ken Ferrie. He also details some upcoming agronomic events, like his Beyond The Basics five-part webinar series and the virtual Corn & Soybean College.

A handful of soybeans scattered on the ground doesn't look like much, but small numbers can quickly add up to large losses. Evaluating the situation and making adjustments can help you take more beans to the bin.

Farmers applying NH3 can maximize their dollars and use of the product by not applying it until soil temperatures are no more than 50 degrees and trending lower, according to Iowa State University Extension.

Ken Ferrie offers five practical agronomic tips you can use during harvest this fall. These practices can help you improve corn performance and yield outcomes across your farm.

If your combine monitor is showing a wide range of yields in the field, Ken Ferrie says to investigate. Evaluate soybean stand, pod set and bean size while there’s agronomic evidence.

Weather woes took a huge bite out of corn yield potential this season, especially in northeast Iowa and parts of western Illinois. Where farmers got timely rains, the yield reports coming in are not as wide-ranging.

The online tool from the SCN Coalition is free and easy to use. It’s backed by research done on more than 25,000 university soybean research plots across the U.S.

Work by the House or Senate Agriculture Committee on a new farm bill is essentially stalled, Randy Russell tells AgriTalk's Chip Flory. Russell says that could be the case until government funding issues are resolved.