Agronomy
From putting ‘three in the pre’ to making a herbicide pass before flowering, field agronomist Mike Hannewald breaks down the layered approach needed to protect your soybean yields and reduce the seed bank.
Farmers detail how they navigated the strip-till learning curve and offer some tips you’ll want to know before making the move.
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.
How you manage the mix in cornfields can determine whether the nitrogen feeds your crop or disappears into thin air.
While the EPA has set federal regulations for 2026 applications, some states are implementing tighter calendar deadlines and temperature cutoffs.
Bigger roots, higher populations, and easier in-season access mean fertility programs should look different for these new hybrids.
Ken Ferrie explains how to prioritize planter attachments, why digging cross-sections is essential for ground-truthing planter performance, and the hidden risks of excessive closing wheel downforce.
Despite shifting market signals, some economists predict corn will remain the undisputed king of the acreage race.
World-record corn growers David Hula and Randy Dowdy share three essential practices that don’t cost a dime but could take your final yield numbers this fall from just OK to great.
Working with Mother Nature may require adopting a new mindset, but for some farmers these four practices could be the ‘missing piece’ in having a sustainable, long-term weed management plan.
As herbicide resistance builds, Extension urges farmers to diversify control tactics and use as many tools as possible this season.
Drift reduction adjuvants help keep products where you want them in the field and deliver measurable yield results.
Swapping your fluency agent for a value‑added product could turn a routine step at the planter into real ROI.
New research shows that pairing hybrid root architecture with your tillage system and residue management is a way to grow more bushels.
New high-speed disk models offer autonomous operation while See & Spray provides new upgrades, delivering more ways for farmers to manage heavy residue and stubborn weeds.
A new multi-year AI partnership between Syngenta and SAP SE aims to modernize supply chains and speed up product development to help farmers better navigate production and market volatility.
High-yield growers David Hula and Randy Dowdy say three things deserve your sharpest focus now: your planter, fertility program and seed.
Crown rot is showing up more frequently in Midwest cornfields. Plant pathologists say it’s likely a multi-pathogen disease and offer five practical ways to address it this season.
Ken Ferrie gives some practical tips on how you can rely more on facts and less on your gut to reduce management mistakes and achieve better cropping outcomes.
Confirmed populations of glufosinate-resistant waterhemp are in Illinois with suspected resistance reported in at least six other states. Weed scientists say how farmers respond now will determine how long the chemistry remains a reliable tool.
Ignore the hype of unproven products and practices. Research shows that doubling down on five core fundamentals will deliver the best ROI.
A detailed “farming playbook” can help guide essential input investments and maximize ROI.
Planning for next season? Review the expert insights and recommendations from farmers and field agronomists on how to reduce costs and strategically reallocate resources.
With the outlook for high input costs and low commodity prices, the impulse for farmers is to cut their spend on products across the board for 2026. There is a more effective approach that will deliver better results and ROI, say Extension field agronomists.
A new report details the need for more ag funding to address existing weeds, insects and diseases as well as agronomic problems that have yet to reach U.S. shores.
Syngenta’s latest innovation knocks out corn rootworm and addresses a host of other yield-robbing pests in a variety of crops.
Several years of low commodity prices, high input costs and thin margins have taken a toll on soil stewardship in some parts of the country. As a result, farmers need to use caution and do their homework before renting ground that’s coming available in their area for 2026.
In many areas of the Corn Belt, farmers experienced 10-to-50-bu.-per-acre yield losses from disease pressure this year, says Ken Ferrie. In a period of tight margins, timely treatment decisions were more crucial than usual.
Because every growing season is unique, agronomists are encouraging corn growers to make a management plan for the “driver diseases” they’re most likely to encounter in fields next year.
The companion piece to the Senate’s Fertilizer Research Act of 2025 has the same, ultimate goal: to provide U.S. farmers with more clarity on the pricing of crop nutrients, lawmakers say.