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

Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist

Ferrie: Tar Spot is ‘Causing the Wheels to come off the Bus’

The disease is shutting down corn crop growth prematurely in parts of Illinois, especially in fields with D hybrids. You may need to harvest those fields sooner than later.

September 17, 2021 08:33 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Cutting costs can sometimes hurt your bottom line. Spending “extra” money can sometimes improve your margins.

3 Factors to Consider before you Pick Hybrids for 2022

Plan for a normal crop – hope for the biggest crop of your career – and then mitigate the risk of a drought or crop failure.

September 09, 2021 05:06 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Ferrie: Disease Pressure is Bringing Corn to its Knees

Check the stalk quality of D and L-1 hybrids. One has been hit by late-season disease, while high winds have taken a toll on the other.

September 08, 2021 04:32 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Lukas Fricke was able to review data from his farm collected and processed during the past five years to inform his family's decision to sign a carbon contract.

Computer Connectivity and Carbon Contracts go Hand In Hand

Good data forms the framework for management decisions Lukas Fricke and his brother make on their Ulysses, Neb., farm operation, including the one they made recently to sign a carbon contract.

September 02, 2021 04:46 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Ferrie: Severe Tar Spot is Shutting Down Corn, Encouraging Top Leaf Dieback

Cornfields that had promised above-average or record yields, prior to being affected, are now more likely to produce average results at harvest.

September 01, 2021 01:20 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Clarity in Carbon Marketplace Needed, say Iowa State and EDF Reports

Soil carbon sequestration can become an important mitigation strategy if there is agreed upon, credible, cost-effective and consistent measurement, reporting and verification behind the credits, according to researchers.

August 26, 2021 08:48 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Tackle Tough Weeds in Pastures Like you Would in Corn and Soybeans

It costs beef producers about 45 cents a day to feed a cow or steer on pasture, making it the most cost-effective way to pack on pounds.

August 24, 2021 11:02 AM

Rhonda Brooks

Ferrie: Southern Rust is in some Illinois Corn at R4 Stage, 30 Days from Finish Line

Crops across much of the state look good heading into the home stretch but still need to be monitored for insects and disease.

August 18, 2021 02:03 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Pro Farmer Crop Tour got underway this morning in Ohio and South Dakota.

Highest Corn Yield Average Predicted for Indiana Ever?

Pro Farmer scouts pegged the Indiana average yield estimate at 193.48 bu. per acre on Tuesday, just slightly below USDA’s prediction of 194 bu. per acre.

August 18, 2021 01:39 PM

Rhonda Brooks

Farm Journal Field Days Head to the Mississippi Delta

Join the Jack family at Silent Shade Planting Company, Belzoni, Miss., on Aug. 25 to learn more about row-crop production in the Delta. A variety of speakers and topics are planned.

August 16, 2021 03:03 PM

Rhonda Brooks