Latest News From WEATHER

There's now a 60% chance La Niña will develop between June and August and an 85% chance it's in effect by November 2024 to January 2025, according to NOAA.

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows drought coverage is now at its lowest level since spring of 2020, but USDA's topsoil moisture map shows it's still extremely dry in areas of the west and too wet in the east.

Shipping may have been easier back in the days of Columbus

Two consecutive years of drought has been devastating for farmers in West Texas, and with forecasts of a transition to La Niña, economists and cotton leaders say it will force even more cotton farmers to call it quits.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Experts are watching global dynamics to understand the input market’s longer-term outlook in the U.S. Among their top concerns are geopolitics, weather and low supply.

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.

Jim Rothermich of Iowa Appraisals shares what he expects from land values in the year ahead.

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.

“Our goal is simple: use traits to help plants grow deeper roots,” says Cquesta CEO Michael Ott.

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.

With another round of frigid temperatures blanketing the U.S. again, what's behind the cold? Here's a hint: it's not El Niño.

Despite nearly 24 inches of snow, below-zero temperatures and raging winds that some people are affectionately calling “Death Storm #2,” Illinois livestock producers are finding ways to overcome the horrific conditions.

El Nino is starting to break down which is good news for grain producers but potentially bad news for cattle producers, especially feedlot operations. 

Major winter storms are on the way early next week. With the possibility of blizzard conditions to flooding in the southeast, the impact on agriculture could be two-fold: good news for drought but stress to livestock.

Brazil is seeing a sudden shift in weather with heavy rains now forecasted over the next two weeks. While it will bring relief to drought areas, it could cause harvest delays and issues planting the safrinha corn crop. 

From the intense heat in the South to drought blanketing much of the U.S., weather stole headlines again in 2023. What caused such extreme conditions? One meteorologist explains the culprits of the heat and drought.

According to the meteorologists at BAMwx, the upcoming month in Brazil could be comparable to this past August for U.S. soybeans.

West Texas is the largest cotton production area in the country, but after battling drought and heat, area farmers say the dryland crop is a failure, and the irrigated acres are only yielding half of normal.

COP28's decision to not include food and agriculture as a way to meet climate goals was influenced by a request from the G77 group of developing countries for additional review related to agriculture and food.

Despite weather concerns sprouting in Brazil, USDA didn’t make any major adjustments to the South American crop in Friday's reports. Increased demand from China and Mexico prompted USDA to trim U.S. ending stocks.

After a year of struggles in 2022, this year’s crop reaped weather that was much more favorable for growing cotton. Burlison, Tenn., farmer Brad Williams describes this year’s growing season as almost perfect.

AgResource Company forecasts 80% of the soybean crop is planted as of today, but for some farmers it's been a year of replant for both corn and soybeans.

While the Farmers' Almanac and Old Farmer's Almanac are both backward looking – derived from past data that come close to current conditions. Weather agencies are tending more toward predictive computer models.

Various factors impact planting dates, but now's the time to get everything in order so you don't miss the windows of opportunity when they roll around next spring.

Recent WASDE reports had assumed another record Brazilian soybean crop and Argentina returning to normal, but the El Niño weather pattern might have something to say about that. 

The Panama Canal is now cutting its daily ship transits by half this winter due to severe drought.

According to USDA’s crop progress report, 71% of corn and 85% of soybeans have been harvested so far, which is considerably ahead of the five-year average.  

The shift to El Nino brings several changes to the upcoming winter.

If your combine monitor is showing a wide range of yields in the field, Ken Ferrie says to investigate. Evaluate soybean stand, pod set and bean size while there’s agronomic evidence.

What is vertical farming and how can it set you up for future government incentives? Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, explains it often requires mixing and matching tools for primary and secondary tillage.

USDA's weekly crop progress report shows harvest progress slightly behind average for corn and soybeans.

As extreme weather events affect the profitability of agriculture, here are four areas to bring focus to the ripple effect.

Restrictions are in place at the Panama Canal to conserve water - creating a backlog of ships waiting to pass.

It’s game time says Soy Transportation Coalition executive director Mike Steenhoek, and key waterway infrastructure systems are not ready. 

Tune in to this webinar to hear insights from industry pros

We have gradually resigned ourselves to Brazil being the leader, but last year they also took the top spot for corn exports, a tougher fact to swallow. There is more going on for the 2023-2024 growing season in Brazil.

A heat dome will consume the Plains and Mississippi Valley into the South this week with "oppressive and dangerous conditions" expected at least through midweek, the National Weather Service reported early Monday.

Hitting the road on Pro Farmer Crop Tour this week? I hope you packed your rain gear.

After record low water levels on many of the major rivers used for export movement in 2022, agriculture could see a repeat this fall.

An ongoing lack of water and volatile prices bring heightened focus on fertilizer and nutrient management. They are critical components to creating a more resilient ag production system, says one industry agronomist.   

Bret Walts of BAM Weather predicts the transition to a colder pattern will be later in September and into October.

What’s often called the “white combine” is hammering western Kansas this year, an ugly reality for an area that’s finally receiving rain after nearly five years of drought.

John Phipps says there are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S. He thinks it's a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.

Drought is creating a dreary outlook for Missouri farmers, but it wasn’t until mid-July that some realized just how bad it was. Farmers in pockets of severe drought now say they have widespread pollination problems.

Arizona is breaking records for consecutive days with temperatures 110 degrees or above. Yuma County, Arizona farmer John Boelts says he always plans for high heat in July and grow crops like cotton instead of lettuce.