August 2020

Yesterday morning, east central Iowa farmers were looking at a healthy, promising corn crop. By mid-afternoon, they saw thousands of acres flattened by “derecho” straight-line winds up to 110 miles per hour.  Corn flattened in Greene County, Iowa, west of Des Moines August 11, 2020 — Insurance companies, co-ops and Iowa ag officials are scrambling to evaluate the crop damage. You […]

This season’s crop residue can replace a chunk of your 2021 fertilizer bill. Several “bio” firms offer live organisms, enzymes and stimulants for your  soil’s natural fungi nd bacteria which digest those lignin-laced cornstalks. August 10, 2020 By Jerry Carlson — Thousands of farmers are also seeing how multi-species cover crops amplify soil biodiversity, which accelerates residue recycling.

This summer’s dry weather across much of the Midwest reveals how a natural fungal endophyte helps crops hang onto yield under stress. Dramatic yield differences between treated vs. untreated crops has encouraged growers worldwide to expand applications from 220,000 acres in 2017 to more than 2 million acres this season. August 5, 2020 — It’s a friendly fungus, Trichoderma harzianum, developed by

We at Renewable Farming applauded a United Soybean Board’s 2019 soybean quality research project which invited Illinois soybean growers to send in samples for feed value testing. Such research could eventually link soybean market appeal to soil quality and production practices, helping Illinois farmers improve feed value and gain export markets. Aug. 3, 2020 — Farmers sent 367 samples from their 2019-crop