Crop Conditions
Crop protection, seeds and digital tools could be rolled into a standalone company by middle of next year.
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.
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.
Day 3 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour reveals low ear counts dragging down rain-weary Illinois fields, while Western Iowa corn flashes standout potential despite rising SDS and brown stem rot in soybeans.
Day 2 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour reveals surprisingly resilient fields on the Eastern leg, while a late-summer moisture deficit leaves dryland crops on the Western leg lagging behind 2025 yields.
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.
Agronomists urge farmers to scout, treat and communicate any significant losses to landlords and bankers prior to harvest.
Corn conditions posted their steepest weekly drop of the year as triple-digit heat hit the Midwest and Plains. AgResource’s Dan Basse says as a result, slight revisions to national yield estimates are already underway.
USDA ratings show that the nation’s crops lag behind Iowa’s current strong performance, while drowned-out areas and weather stress in Illinois could deliver harvest disappointments.
From inaccurate dry measurements to unseen water issues, simple mistakes and overlooked details could be neutralizing your crop protection investments.
Mike Jenks shares how he reconfigures nozzles, boosts carrier volume and evaluates application timing to protect the leaves that drive grain fill.
Ken Ferrie leads the unsponsored, two-day event focused on crop fertility ROI, weed management and making the 4Rs pay in tight markets.
An unusual combination of severe hail, 88 mph winds and excessive rainfall has devastated some corn acres, while saturated fields, delayed herbicide applications and rising weed pressure threaten remaining yield potential.
As crops accelerate through key growth stages, Mark Herz, agronomy technical specialist at CHS, shares three priorities for midseason crop scouting.
With summer patterns running up to four weeks behind schedule, meteorologist Don Day urges growers to plan in short windows for the second half of the growing season.
Promising new technologies are entering the market, but large-scale corn and soybean farmers often face a frustrating bottleneck.
Ken Ferrie lays out a strategy for farmers struggling with ponded corn acres after rains soak parts of the Midwest.
NOAA officially declared El Niño on Thursday and says the climate pattern has a 63% chance of reaching “very strong” status by fall, potentially shaping U.S. weather through harvest and winter.
After a historic 10-month stretch of dryness, improving moisture conditions are helping crops and pastures, but long-term drought impacts continue to linger across parts of the High Plains and West.
From canola to hemp, recent history shows new crops only stick when margin and infrastructure line up for years—not seasons.
Nitrogen availability, root development and residue load determine whether crops stumble or race through June.
Meteorologist Eric Snodgrass says warmer Pacific waters - not just El Niño - could drive a wetter, stormier summer across much of the Midwest and central U.S.
Sidedressing is often the best opportunity in-season to address corn nutrient needs, but Ken Ferrie urges caution if you plan to go with “blind sidedressing” before the crop emerges or at spike. He offers three considerations.
Agronomist Phil Long explains the critical gap between air and soil temperatures and why the “heat engine” for corn and soybeans has stalled in some areas.
Record corn yields have risen 10x in 100 years. David Hula says continued genetic gains, along with a deeper understanding of what’s happening underground, could push yield potential far beyond what most farmers expect.
Tim Webster and Steve Crothers share their cropping plans, telling Ken Ferrie they hope to bounce back this season from record low rainfall and extreme heat in 2025.
Illinois grower Stephen Butz is uber-focused this season on removing the hidden barriers that have kept his bean crops from reaching their true potential.
University of Illinois researcher details scenarios in corn and soybeans where biological products can provide value.