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Catch up on the latest headlines from the ag retail industry.
Results from a new survey reveal that between 25% and 50% of corn and soybean growers adopt the use of cover crops when their trusted adviser has been planting them, as well.
Soil conditions, temperatures and weather outlook are finally aligned for planting in much of the Midwest. In the hurry to get the job done, keep in mind that to get a 300-bu. corn yield, you need to start with at least a 300-bu. picket-fence stand.
After several years of volatility for U.S. growers, prices and acreage of industrial hemp appear to be stabilizing or even rising modestly, according to the 2025 National Hemp Report.
Farmers can make a poor planting scenario better by teaching their planter how to dance across fields. The practice is particularly helpful in wet soils.
Iowa farmers say a foliar fungicide application can add more bushels per acre by preventing losses to disease pressure and minimizing the impact of environmental factors, such as heat stress and drought.
David Cogen partnered with John Deere during the 2024 growing season to till, plant, spray and harvest a small field at Deere’s Boundurant, Iowa, test farm. In the process, he says he learned a lot about farming and how difficult it truly is.
While relationships remain the foundation of the farmer business ecosystem, technology is bringing a new structure to how everyday business is done.
The initial round of ECAP payments will only amount to 85% of the per-acre payment to ensure enough funding is available for all farmers who sign up for the program.
In the next two years, the actions you take in business will define what happens in the next 20 or 30 years. That’s the outlook from Ken Zuckerberg, director of global research for CHS Inc.
Randy Hughes is continually refining his fertility program and has seen yields improve 40 bu. to 50 bu. per acre over the past six years. Hughes chats with corn yield champs David Hula and Randy Dowdy about the importance of being a lifelong student of the crop.
Farmers who are seeing this issue show up in their seed sample test results might want to consider not using starter in-furrow this spring. There are good options off the seed, Ken Ferrie reports.
You want nutrients where corn roots can “luxury feed” on them without expending energy going and looking for them, say yield champions, David Hula and Randy Dowdy. They share some tips on how to accomplish that and make the most of your fertilizer dollars this season.
A market study evaluated future potential for the co-op’s grain, opening access to domestic and export markets and arbitrage. At the new terminal, ALCIVIA has three shuttle loading facilities on three different Class 1 railways: BNSF, UP and CPKC.
USDA says Texas farmers have 59% of their crop in the ground, identical to 2024. One key difference from last year: Illinois has yet to register any discernible corn planting progress, according to the first report of the 2025 season.
Many seed beans were hammered by heat and drought at harvest last year, leading to variable seed quality this season. Knowing your warm/cold germ scores and using seed treatments at planting can help you get the crop off to a stronger start, especially early soybeans.
Fill out this year’s salary survey to shed light on trends in ag retail compensation
For high-yielding corn and soybean crops, there are some baseline fertility requirements you have to fund. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fine-tune practices and products and save some money. Here are four suggestions from high-yield champs David Hula and Randy Dowdy.
“All of this is about giving farmers a great experience, which helps us get deeper into their operation and become more of a partner and work together to make their business better,” says Nick Sawyer.
USDA’s March Prospective Plantings report estimates U.S. farmers will plant 95.3 million acres of corn in 2025, 83.5 million acres of soybeans and 45.4 million acres of wheat.
The opportunity to participate comes available at a crucial time, as growers are experiencing low commodity prices, high input costs and a variety of trade uncertainties.
Brian Naber says growing up in a farming family in southwest Minnesota helped prepare him for the rigors of leading the company through the ag industry’s current economic and regulatory challenges.
Add several thousand ears per acre to your yield results and boost ROI by getting your planter ready for the field. Be sure to download our free planter prep checklist.
When that corn crop comes up this spring, you want it to be green and stay green. One potential issue: if you’re using urea surface-applied, work it in right away or use a urease inhibitor. Make sure the N doesn’t gas off.
The senior senator from Iowa wants E15 approved for year-round use, fair and tariff-free trade, plus more action and a lot less talk regarding tax cuts and budget reconciliation efforts in the Senate.
Many farmers keep a record of their planting intentions by field in a notebook or on a USB drive. Automation can make both of those practices obsolete and improve corn and soybean seed placement accuracy in the process, the companies report.
Ferrie details six agronomic factors to keep in mind, if you’re newer to growing continuous corn, that can help you achieve success this season.
The agency will hold at least six listening sessions for stakeholders between late March and into April. Persons or organizations wishing to provide input will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“We are using cutting-edge technology in farm accounting, and it also makes our partners easier to do business with,” says Brian Stark, co-founder of Traction Ag. “Farmers can avoid the paperwork nightmare and focus on farming—the time savings is super important.”
A corn grower asks: Will making a shallow application of 10-34-0 provide corn plants with sufficient phosphorus during early growth stages when corn is planted in cool soils with a soil Bray P1 of 35+ ppm? Ken Ferrie and Missy Bauer, Farm Journal field agronomists, share their recommendation.