Latest News From Sonja Begemann

A far cry from this time last year, farmers are actually asking the question ‘what should I add?’ versus ‘what do I need to cut?’ With skyrocketing commodity prices, farmers have the opportunity to experiment.

COVID-19’s ripple effect has again hit the farming community. This time, USDA responded by announcing a temporary suspension of past-due debt collections and foreclosures for borrowers.

Switching part of your acres to no-till is as simple as just parking the tillage tractor, right? Maybe not. Here are a few considerations before trying no-till for the first time.

When farmland draws a premium, you’d expect the soil to be in good shape, right? More landowners are considering fertility clauses in their farm leases to ensure tenants don’t suck the soil dry.

Have you tried calling your local grain bin dealer over the past few months and gotten a busy tone? Grain bin manufacturers say demand is through the roof, driven by a variety of factors.

What you did this past fall, what you’re doing this spring and the plans you’re making for the summer will make a huge difference in the combine at the end of the year.

The nitrogen-fixing power of soybeans is a dream for corn and other crops – but what if you could harness that power through microbes? Sound Agriculture is introducing SOURCE that claims to do just that.

With three modes of action that provide corn rootworm control, Bayer’s SmartStax Pro will hit the market at a time when corn rootworm resistance is top-of-mind.

With renewed focus on no-till and reduced tillage, how can you experience the greatest financial and positive environmental impact? Do you have to cut back on tillage every acre to maximize the benefits?

With enthusiasm from favorable market prices at a high, many farmers are wondering if it’s time to consider corn-on-corn or soybean-on-soybeans. Ken Ferrie says important to understand the agronomic challenges of each.

Marjin Dekkers, former CEO of Bayer Ag and CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific, joins AgBiome as the company chairman, effective Jan. 1, 2021. AgBiome develops products from microbes that target pest control.

While summer annuals steal the spotlight in most cases, it’s important you don’t sleep on winter annual weeds. Early-season corn and soybean plants can suffer when winter annuals are left unchecked, reducing yield.

Whether it’s a tricky terrace, not-so-smooth no-till or other fields that bump and bang along the way, a new product from Schaffert Manufacturing and Graham Electric Planter promises to provide ease-of-use.

By now, you’re familiar with the idea of the 4 Rs of nitrogen. Is it worth the hype? Test plots indicate these factors, combined with specific hybrid characteristics can have huge yield implications.

More lawsuits hit the ag industry. Deere and Company is suing Kinze and Ag Leader for alleged patent infringement concerning the company’s high-speed planter.

While biologicals aren’t new to the ag industry, there is still trepidation about them. Farmers wonder if they work and what they actually do—all of which impacts their likelihood of trying these products.

When outlining your budgets for the rest of the year, accurately account for costs and decide if you want to spend a little more on soybean acres to boost yields.

The choices you make in regard to weed control impact more than just your fields, they affect your neighbors and ultimately entire community.

Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program provides assistance to producers who had eligible cross quality losses due to natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. The deadline is March 5, 2021.

Cater to soil needs to capture higher yield, efficiencies.

When life gives you lemons, water them carefully. At least, that’s what avocado and lemon tree grower Angela Vanoni does. A native of Ventura County, California, she’s no stranger to drought and strict rules.

Depending on what stage of the crop’s lifecycle the weeds emerge, growers could see weaker, suppressed weeds that don’t steal as much yield, or strong, huge weeds that wreak havoc.

Take time to train and develop your farm team to be more successful.

When he came back to the farm 11 years ago, Brian Scott was determined to protect his family legacy, while still trying new practices. Today, he and his father farm about 2,500 acres of diverse crops in Monticello, Ind.

In a matter of a few short years, you can undo more than 100 years of work. How? For each 1” of topsoil that is eroded, it takes at least 100 years to regenerate.

Understand your buying opportunities, risks.

When you think about acing an interview, you probably picture yourself as the interviewee. However, finding quality employees is one of the biggest challenges farmers and farm mangers face.

Specialty soybeans provide profit opportunity.

With each herbicide checked off the list, the power of waterhemp grows stronger. It has confirmed resistance to six modes of action.

“For the current year, look at when did the weeds escape, what control measures did you use?” asks Bill Johnson, Purdue University Extension weed scientist. “What weeds do you have?”

Before EPA's October 27 announcement, Bayer and BASF had each announced several new products, including seed and chemistries, that relied on dicamba’s approval for full use.

EPA announced it approved three dicamba formulations for over-the-top use for five years, 2021 through 2025. The formulations included are BASF’s Engenia, Syngenta’s Tavium and Bayer’s XtendiMax.

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will approve new dicamba formulations for over-the-top use for five years.

A technology company called TeleSense, says it’s revolutionizing grain storage, which will help add security to the food supply chain.

Money from agricultural exports doesn’t just go to farmers, there’s a large chain of people involved in that process who all benefit.

BASF will add three new soybean seed treatment products for the 2021 season. These include Vault IP Plus, Poncho XC and Relenya seed treatments. All are registered with the EPA and available for sale or purchase.

There are always variances in yield and moisture across crop fields. This is due to topography, soil type and other management factors. However, this year wide spreads in moisture content will present challenges.

Tuesday, Corteva Agriscience announced it will be launching a new premix soybean pre-emergent herbicide for use next year. Sales of Kyber will start in November and the product includes three unique modes of action.

This purchase gives the company a stronger foothold into biologicals and asserts their commitment to its ‘Good Growth Plan’ to improve environmental sustainability.

To help farmers in the battle against resistant and tough-to-control weeds, AMVAC is adding two new herbicides to their lineup.

BASF and Bayer are each creating a new tank-mix partner for their dicamba products. Both company tank mixes focus on reducing volatility. These products will need EPA approval.

With the Sept. 30, 2020 approval of XtendFlex soybeans, farmers and retailers across the Midwest are sharing their reactions to the news.

In a long-awaited announcement, the European Union Monday stated it would approve Bayer’s XtendFlex soybeans. These multi-biotech traited soybeans feature tolerance to glyphosate, dicamba and glufosinate.

Farmers impacted by economic fallout from COVID-19 will be eligible to receive funds from the up to $14 billion allocated for assistance.

On Tuesday, Farmers’ Business Network (FBN) announced it would remove membership fees for all farmers, eliminating its $700 per year subscription.

The World Ag Expo will not hold a live, in-person event due to challenges arising from COVID-19. The event has been held for the past 52 years and brings buyers and sellers together in agriculture.

From planting challenges in the eastern Corn Belt, to hurricane-like weather in the heart of it, windstorms and challenges everywhere in between, it’s sure to be a year that puts hybrids and varieties to the test.

Farmers awoke to incredible bean leaf beetle damage last week. While hatch at this time of year isn’t unusual, the sheer populations this pest has shown have taken scouts and farmers by surprise.

While Mother Nature is the ultimate decider on when frost hits your area, you can prepare by knowing what frost does to immature corn and soybean plants.

One of the biggest barriers to introducing new pesticides—which includes herbicides, insecticides and fungicides—is regulatory review and its uncertain timing and expense.