Latest News From Corn

USDA reports 3% of the country's soybean crop is in the ground, the same as this time last year but two points ahead of the average pace. In all 10 states are reporting progress, and planting is ahead of average.

It's a tale of two extremes this year. Some farmers report they can't find soil moisture to plant into, while others are struggling just to get into their fields. Agronomist Ken Ferrie weighs in on both scenarios.

One of the biggest benefits from waiting to plant corn until conditions are ideal, is the crop emerges more uniformly and forms those picket-fence stands that deliver huge yields, says Agronomist Missy Bauer.

Along with too much moisture, high numbers of corn flea beetles are posing an early-season concern. Ferrie advises checking your Stewart’s wilt bacteria rating on hybrids. There's no treatment option for infected corn.

What’s the key to growing big yields? According to the reigning national corn yield contest champ, David Hula, you can’t have 300-bushel-per-acre yields if you don’t start with 300-bushel-per-acre stands.

The second USDA Crop Progress Report of the year shows farmers are already ahead in planting the 2024 crop with six states pacing ahead of the five-year average.

As most of the U.S. is still prepping for spring planting, USDA's weekly crop progress report shares Texas growers have already planted more than half their corn acres.

Some Illinois farmers started planting soybeans in late March. Ken Ferrie offers tips to help you weigh the risks of planting now. Plus, be aware that poor saturated cold scores are impacting some seed corn hybrids.

Judge for yourself: Travis McCormick’s DOES IT PAY fungicide trial reaped a major yield increase.

USDA says farmers intend to plant 90 million acres of corn this year, which is lower than the trade expected prior to USDA's big Prospective Plantings report.

WinField introduced the BioVerified program earlier this year to help bring clarity to the biological marketplace.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says areas that have been experiencing snow drought this winter, such as Minnesota and northern Iowa, could potentially see more snowfall in the next few weeks than they have all winter.

According to the company, the use of PhotoSeed technology has the potential to lower a crop’s carbon intensity score.

Researchers and agronomists are using a creative way to study corn plant root structures and hope it will lead to a new understanding of how below-ground root systems can impact yields and plant stress.

It’s been said high-yielding corn needs 25" of moisture per acre per year. In 2023, when Mother Nature didn't cooperate, management strategies to retain moisture coupled with new traits made a difference at harvest.

Just because tar spot was mostly a no-show in 2022 and 2023 doesn't mean that will be the case in 2024. Charting humidity levels can help predict if the disease will strike.

In a year with razor-thin margins, at best, corn and soybean growers can use a variety of new technology and tried-and-true agronomic tools to score higher yields this season.

The NewLeaf Symbiotics team says reluctance to try biologicals is often a result of feeling overwhelmed by the options available, making education key as the space continues to grow.

If weather stresses have you looking for ways to give your crop a stronger start this spring, consider whether a plant growth regulator could be part of the solution, especially in high-yield environments.

Two new studies from Locus Ag and Pivot Bio found the use of biological products consistently increased yields in a variety of crops across a range of growing conditions.

Don't take equipment to fields too soon and create headaches that will linger all season. While you wait for the right timing, consider doing prep work and projects that can help set you up for yield success.

During testing, the company found only 4% of CRW larvae chose roots treated with TS201 when given a choice between treated and untreated roots.

Do you want to plant early-season soybeans? Do you grow non-GMO crops? If the answer to either question is yes, Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, says to address weeds in the process.

Reports say China has purchased more than 20 cargoes of feed grain in the past two weeks. Where is China buying from, and what's behind the sudden surge?

Helena introduces Resgenix to help farmers manage the water available to crops and optimize its use.

There was a total of nine reported incidents in the U.S. last year – the same number as 2022. Those nine explosions led to 12 injuries with no fatalities.

Before heading to the field to apply anhydrous, firm up what crop you're going to plant. Growers have been kicking around the idea of going beans-on-beans, given the markets. But anhydrous essentially ties you to corn.

AMVAC reports on-farm trials found corn treated with BioWake Prime had an increase of 8 bu./acre win advantage over grower standard practice.

Corn growers can use this free tool to understand which hybrids have which traits, as well as evaluate insect problems and herbicide needs in-season.

Agtrinsic has expanded for the 2024 growing season to create a contiguous disease monitoring network from border to border in Illinois and Iowa as well as in parts of Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Compact corn hybrids appear to take winds 50 mph in stride with little greensnap or lodging resulting. However, yield performance hasn’t been as consistent, and technology providers are working to change that.

The product is intended for use on corn acres and is the industry’s first solid-encapsulated herbicide technology.

The barometer reported its lowest reading since May 2023, falling seven points from December and 24 points from January 2023.

Super Bowl fans in Illinois will be able to cheer on some familiar faces in a commercial during the big game on Sunday. Illinois pork producer Chad Leman says the commercial is all about communicating trust in farmers.

As the 2023 new product of the year runner-up, Storen corn herbicide’s status as an early favorite may not come as a surprise to some. The product was developed based on feedback from its target audience.

This is the first year a biological has been voted new product of the year by The Scoop's readers.

Ken Ferrie answers two additional questions: Was it allelopathic toxins in the cereal rye ahead of corn that caused such a yield ding last season? Will there be a cap to Carbon Initiative payments per farm operation?

Ag economists have little doubt Brazil will remain the world’s top exporter of soybeans, but with potential safrinha corn production problems, economists aren't confident Brazil can hang on to the top spot in corn.

ICIS senior fertilizer editor Mark Milam shares that while the fertilizer market appears to be in good shape at the moment, there are a couple of important trends moving forward this spring.

The study’s team has found inputting excessive heat and cold data into their model slowed plant growth, though the heat proved to be a larger issue for the plant. 

The company introduces Contour and UpLink with the intention of increasing yields through increased nutrient utilization and efficiency in plants.

You break, you pay. Fighting to save his farmland, Marvin Houin proved the government destroyed his yields.

While you can't make Mother Nature send rain, you can review crop-rotation restrictions on chemistries you applied last year. Knowing that information can guide what crop you plant where this spring.

The survey uses records from ag retailers to measure the use of cover crops, nutrient management and conservation tillage and no-till by Iowa growers.

David Heublein won the conventional, non-irrigated category of the 2023 NCGA yield contest for the state. The amazing yield was grown with only one-third of the total rainfall his fields usually get in a growing season.

“These microbes are naturally occurring. They are on every plant that you would ever see, on the salad you eat, on the grass that you grow, on the trees that you look at, and everything in between,” Smith says.

With larger-than-expected yield revisions to both corn and soybeans, it leaves one burning question: which states grew such big yields in 2023? USDA NASS released maps and charts to help answer that.

Convergence can be used in corn, soybeans and peanuts.

InnerPlant is developing early-stress signaling capabilities in soybeans and corn. The concept is getting serious buy-in from big players in U.S. agriculture.

Harvest weed seed control systems have a hefty price tag, but some farmers and researchers say they are a good investment and provide a ROI, especially where resistant weeds are taking over and control options are few.