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

The Scoop caught up with Hawkins during a recent Syngenta Media Summit. Here is a report from our conversation with him.

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C-Suite: Vern Hawkins with Syngenta Crop Protection

The Scoop caught up with Hawkins during a recent Syngenta Media Summit. Here is a report from our conversation with him.

November 18, 2022 11:40 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Inflation Report Signals a Smaller Rate Increase likely in December

Experts say the Fed is looking for signs of weakness in the economy before deciding interest rates have been raised sufficiently to curb inflation. Some signs are available now, says Vince Malanga, LaSalle Economics.

November 16, 2022 02:22 PM

Rhonda Brooks

USDA to Address ‘Soybeans of Other Colors’ Issue, Grading Standards

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service announces the Federal Grain and Inspection Service will publish a proposed rule seeking public comment on whether to make changes to U.S. grading standards for soybeans.

November 11, 2022 07:07 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Agronomic Phenomenon in Corn Strikes Outer Rows of Fields, Strips Yield

Some Iowa growers saw huge yield losses this season from a so-called edge effect. Illinois farmers also report seeing it ding yields. Agronomists are working to confirm contributing factors but haven’t nailed them down.

November 09, 2022 03:28 PM

Rhonda Brooks

As Hearings for the Farm Bill Ratchet Up, You can Do 3 Things to Help Agriculture

Increasingly the members of Congress who hold the primary responsibility of drafting the farm bill come from suburban and urban areas. They need the information and insights farmers are uniquely equipped to provide.

November 04, 2022 02:40 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist

Ferrie: Do Fall Tillage if Fields are Dry, Consider No-Till Corn and Soybeans for 2023

If conditions are good in your area, you won’t have wheel tracks or ruts to deal with. However, you do need to think about a winter burndown to keep fields clean before planting next spring.

November 01, 2022 11:20 AM

Rhonda Brooks

New Weed Species Confirmed in Iowa Fields a Second Time

Asian copperleaf was found in an Iowa soybean field this summer. Agronomists are evaluating how much of a concern the weed poses to row crops there. It has been confirmed in only one other U.S. location: New York City.

October 25, 2022 03:11 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Ferrie: 5 Things to Know about Spinners that can Help or Hinder Spreading Crop Residue

How good a job you do spreading residue behind the harvester makes a big difference in how uniform your corn stand will be next spring and how uniform its growth and development will be.

October 25, 2022 08:50 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Ferrie: Soybean Yields are Swinging More than Usual, September Rains Helped Corn

Results are also in from some corn teaching plots planted at the Heyworth, Ill., campus, including four starter plots, a series of sulfur timing plots, plus nitrogen and planting population plots.

October 19, 2022 04:42 PM

Rhonda Brooks

This was a familiar scene in Midwest soybean fields this season. Volunteer corn contribute to yield loss and can also shelter corn rootworm eggs. Agronomists recommend planning ahead to control or monitor the pest for the 2023 season.

Volunteer Corn in Soybeans Harbors Secret Pest Problem

This was a familiar scene in fields across the Midwest this season. Not only did volunteer corn impact soybean yields, agronomists say it sheltered rootworm eggs that can overwinter and infest corn crops next spring.

October 13, 2022 02:55 PM

Rhonda Brooks