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Rhonda Brooks

Agronomy Editor, Farm Journal

Rhonda Brooks is the Agronomy Editor for Farm Journal and AgWeb, covering all aspects of crop production. A Missouri native with a background in agricultural communications, she has previously worked on multiple Farm Journal brands.

Latest Stories
vertical tillage - Great Plains Turbo Max - Lindsey Pound
Considering Vertical Tillage? Here are 5 Benefits
Watch the 1-minute video by Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and his agronomic team, showing how residue can be sized to protect soil surfaces to minimize dust and potential erosion.
May 25, 2023 07:45 AM
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Rhonda Brooks
NASA currently has a variety of missions underway, with scientists studying Earth to glean information that could help farmers.
NASA’s Newest Mission is Focused on Helping U.S. Farmers
The agency recently launched a new initiative called Acres. Scientists plan for the data gathered through the program to help farmers with all kinds of decisions, from water use to what crops to plant and when.
May 25, 2023 07:38 AM
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Rhonda Brooks
Graphic for Boots in the Field Report with agronomist Ken Ferrie who has spent over 40 years helping farmers maximize corn and soybean yields.
Disease and Insects are Attacking Your Wheat Crop. Here’s How to Know Whether to Make One Treatment or Two
Similarly, Ken Ferrie says to time your post-herbicide application in corn based on weed size and to address cutworm based on the level of damage you find. One pass in the field could work for both, but don’t bet on it.
May 22, 2023 04:13 PM
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Rhonda Brooks
Waterlogged fields are slowing the planting process in some parts of the country.
8 Soybean Planting Reminders for When Mother Nature Doesn’t Cooperate
“Plant early for optimum yield” is a common refrain soybean growers hear from agronomists and other crop production experts today. But when you can’t get into the field, regroup and go to Plan B.
May 16, 2023 04:02 PM
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Rhonda Brooks
European corn borer moth
6 Moth Species You Need to Know About
Agronomists are reporting high numbers of black cutworm and true armyworm moths in pheromone traps. Their offspring, the larvae, can do serious harm to corn. So can the offspring of four other common moth species.
May 09, 2023 01:29 PM
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Rhonda Brooks
Channel Seed Brands Effective 2025
Bayer Announces Its 10 Regional Seed Brands Will Move to Channel
The change will not impact how farmers work with their current seed salesman in 2023, a Bayer spokesman tells Farm Journal. However, a different go-to-market approach is in the works.
May 05, 2023 08:48 AM
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Rhonda Brooks
Graphic for Boots in the Field Report with agronomist Ken Ferrie who has spent over 40 years helping farmers maximize corn and soybean yields.
Ken Ferrie: The Sweet Spot for Planting Corn is Here
Soil conditions, temperatures and weather outlook are aligned. “Let the big dogs run, and keep the planters running until you’re finished,” says Ken Ferrie. “This corn will fly out of the ground.”
May 04, 2023 04:55 PM
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Rhonda Brooks
The pest’s movement is being tracked by ipmPIPE, a pest mapping and forecasting system developed by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), land-grant partners, along with Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and Risk Management Agency. The system reports some significant flights have already been found since mid-April in states including Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.
Black Cutworm is Moving into the Midwest, Be on the Lookout
Farmers in some states can expect BCW damage in corn by mid-May. One larva can ruin five corn plants in a 24-hour period. Rescue treatments are most effective and economical -- not seed treatments or Bt hybrids.
May 03, 2023 09:07 AM
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Rhonda Brooks
Graphic for Boots in the Field Report with agronomist Ken Ferrie who has spent over 40 years helping farmers maximize corn and soybean yields.
Ken Ferrie: Lethal Low Temperatures and Frost Delivered Deadly Blows in Illinois Corn and Soybeans
Soybeans planted from April 3 to April 10 were hit the hardest as they were snared by temperatures dipping below 28°F. Corn didn’t dodge the damage, either. Ferrie says some corn crops at the V1 stage were smoked.
April 27, 2023 03:14 PM
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Rhonda Brooks
This is the lifecycle for true armyworm. The timing is specific to Indiana, but it can be used to estimate approximately when you might see the pest in your fields.
Is A Double Whammy of True Armyworm Underway?
True armyworm (not to be confused with fall armyworm) is moving into Midwest wheat and corn crops now. Many are newcomers from the South, but homegrown populations are also concerning in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
April 24, 2023 05:54 PM
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Rhonda Brooks
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