Agronomy
David Vail, a 40 Under 40 honoree and insights and analytics specialist, explains how Power BI and ArcGIS are turning sales and field data into faster, sharper decisions across Simplot’s retail network.
One Minnesota family is breaking with tradition and reserving fall fieldwork for acres where it can make the biggest contribution.
Ken Ferrie walks through the problems plaguing this year’s corn crop and shares his strategy for salvaging yield and protecting grain quality in storage.
Starting small on less productive acres gave Whalen Farms room to learn — and eventually cut fertilizer costs across 2,000 acres.
Crop protection, seeds and digital tools could be rolled into a standalone company by middle of next year.
Warm fall conditions could push back the window for safe, effective anhydrous and manure applications across parts of the Midwest, says Iowa State agronomist.
Recent university studies find that corn kernels usually hold their weight through the dry-down process while pinpointing the operational realities that lead to missing grain.
Innovative research is revealing thousands of untapped genes that could help breeders develop hybrids with better stress tolerance, grain quality and performance across diverse farming systems.
Planting soybeans months before wheat harvest sounds risky. But farmers Brian Tanner and Jason Mauck find it dries wet fields faster, cuts input costs and gives wheat a profitable place back in Corn Belt rotations.
Researchers say a simple combine tweak gives farmers a way to concentrate up to 95% of their toughest weed seeds into just 5% of a field.
The answers to which hybrids, products and practices paid off may already be in your fields. The trick is stopping long enough to find them, say David Hula and Randy Dowdy.
Farm Journal Field Agronomists say adjusting yield calculations for compromised plants could reveal 20 to 40 fewer bushels per acre than what farmers in parts of the Eastern Corn Belt currently expect.
Some Midwest cornfields are losing more than a percentage point of moisture daily, tightening timelines for growers trying to determine how much crop they can confidently sell into the market rally.
PTI Farm research reveals how GMO, non-GMO and organic corn each offer unique economic advantages depending on local markets, input costs and management capabilities.
Barbell, beer can and banana are descriptive names for abnormal ear shapes that show up every season and cause yield losses — problems growers could avoid more often by tuning into three factors researchers refer to as GEM.
After decades of planting beans after beans, Greg Anderson continues to test maturity groups, planting dates and harvest timing to spread risk and capture more value.
Environmental factors are behind this year’s crown rot surge. The disease is appearing in hybrids that agronomists say are rarely prone to having the problem.
Red crown rot is now active in at least eight Midwest states. The significance of the disease is building. The Crop Protection Network estimates 7.7 million bushels of soybeans were lost in 2025 versus 121,000 bushels in 2024.
Yield champions Randy Dowdy and David Hula saw hybrid performance differ significantly this season in the same fields under the same management practices. Their evaluation process went beyond yield and can help corn growers working on their seed decisions for 2027.
Research from Michigan State University links an early seeding window and 5‑inch row spacing with more wheat heads per square meter and double‑digit bushel gains.
Iowa State research reveals PI 88788 resistance is losing effectiveness at 2% per year, with yield losses potentially reaching 9 bushels per acre by decade’s end if management practices are unchanged.
Saturated soils and high winds have downed corn and sparked disease risks for it and soybeans. Here is how to adjust your harvest equipment and strategy now to save yield.
Pro Farmer National Forecast: Corn Falls Short of Last Year’s Record, But Soybeans Eye New Milestone
Scouts say early-season weather stress reduced corn ear counts and grain length and cut stands across the Corn Belt, but above-average soybean pod numbers mean farmers could harvest a record bean crop this fall.
Day 4 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour found a crop with plenty of potential — and plenty of hidden gaps. Fewer ears, shorter grain length and early-season stress are showing up in fields in parts of both states, complicating the yield picture.
Total acreage, labor and scouting frequency can help you determine whether owning a drone is a smart investment.
Weather extremes are creating challenges, but growers can still make agronomic decisions between R4 and R6 to help protect yield potential.
Illinois Soybean Association on-farm research found that sulfur can boost yields under certain soil and management conditions—but it’s far from a blanket recommendation.
From fragile Wisconsin ground to deep Illinois prairie, Andy Benson and Ryan Frieders are adapting their soil-management practices to keep inputs working effectively, yields improving and their respective farms on course for a brighter future.