Yesterday, July 18, one of our northern Iowa clients counted 60 pods per plant on his thriving soybeans. They’re loaded with blooms. Three weeks ago those beans were yellowing and wilting, with fungus attacking roots in rain-soaked soil. July 19, 2018 — This 114-acre field of beans is an especially valuable variety grown for seed, and the […]

Yesterday an experienced casualty insurance agent in our farming area told us, “Farmers will soon have to understand that herbicide damage claims could have a huge impact on the cost of their liability policies.” July 17, 2018 — The ag insurance specialist brought up this subject himself. He told us his next appointment was with a farmer

We work closely with crop consultants who’ve tackled challenges like this season’s excess rain, nitrogen loss and crops which look yellow and chlorotic because of saturated soil. Here are some of the consultant’s answers to the questions we’re getting as growers scout corn and soybeans. 1. Question: In this county, there aren’t enough high-clearance sprayers equipped with Y-drops available

Each season, no-till farmers are realizing more fully how to replace costly fertilizers and chemicals by unleashing soil biology. An enthusiastic example: Russell Hedrick, who farms in the rolling hills of Catawba County near Hickory, North Carolina. From our travels in that region, we can appreciate the challenges he faced when he started farming about 10 years ago.

This time of year, we get calls from farmers asking about a wide range of weedkiller combinations to fight weed escapes. This summer’s persistent rains and muddy fields make their challenge tougher than in most seasons. We wish we had a magic bullet for you. One thing we do know: Our WakeUP Summer reduces water surface tension for

If you’ve accumulated just too many old totes, don’t shuttle them off to the old totes home. Turn them into an easy-to-manage garden, with unmatched drainage and no way for rabbits to invade. June 29, 2018, Updated July 30   Weekend essay by Jerry Carlson — I’m not the brilliant grower on thousands of acres like Hal

Here at Renewable Farming, we’ve field-trialed many in-furrow fertility products since 2008. Visual crop response is usually so subtle it’s hard to see. Growth differences tend to fade as the season progresses. It usually takes a trial with four or five random replications to confirm a yield gain of 4 to 6 bushels. June 28, 2018 — But

When crop consultant Dr. Michael McNeil tells us of promising results in a field test, we listen. This morning he reported seeing clear-cut growth gains in Minnesota corn where early-season soil fertility was applied — carried in water treated by a complete Pursanova system. That means the energizing tube which we’ve used for years, plus a new