As of today, June 26, most cornfields in Pocahontas County, northwest Iowa, are only three to four feet high following persistent rains since mid-April. The field pictured below is an exception. Almost all farmers in this region were forced to plant the last half of May, usually into soil that was too wet. And this week, many fields have widespread ponding following as […]

You’ve probably enjoyed one of America’s most encouraging experiences: Watching or even participating in a local July 4 parade. This July, hundreds of small-town parades will see Moms Across America banners carried by mothers and their kids — urging families to choose healthy, non-toxic food. June 25, 2018 — Moms Across America, now a nationwide force, is quickly taking

For two generations, the U.S. ag fertilizer industry has taught farmers that fertilizers are a settled science. A formula. Name the yield you want, and the soil lab prescribes how much NPK and trace elements to apply. Here’s a plant physiologist who upends that formula. June 23, 2018  By Jerry Carlson — When I joined Farm

A detailed analysis of Midwest soil nutrient deficiencies by research agronomist Jim Porterfield indicates that soybean growers may be losing $24 per acre by overlooking nutrient deficiencies which have crept up on them the past several years. June 22, 2018 — A summary of Jim’s study will appear in an August issue of No-Till Farmer, but Jim is

Corn growers who’ve seen saturating rainfalls this month have accelerated their soil nitrogen tests and followed through with streaming or dry nitrogen applications. Here’s what some top agronomic advisors recommend now, so you can make the most of a strong seasonal start. June 21, 2018 — Here are their key points to keep corn vigorous and

“The most profitable, fertile soil is the one with the largest population of beneficial microorganisms and a vigorous soil food web.” June 19, 2018 — That quote from AgriEnergy Resources founder Dave Larson was a typical opening theme for his seminars — in the mid-1980s. He urged farmers to build living soils long before today’s agronomic firms, researchers and Extension

  We’re fortunate that Goss’s wilt doesn’t challenge the corn crop every season like it did in 2011, and again in 2015.  But it’s advisable to scout this season’s fast-growing corn for early signals of this bacterial disease. Symptoms vary, and a good refresher is to browse this article written by Alison Robertson, Department of Plant Pathology and

Rapidly growing corn can sometimes outrun its ability to extract and deliver nutrients from the soil. That hidden hunger can be supplemented with foliar fertility. Foliar application is a highly efficient way of delivering NPK and trace elements.   June 14, 2018 — University of Nebraska research shows that only 10% to 40% of soil-applied nitrogen

Usually, the visual differences in corn growth caused by planting dates or early fertilizer fade as corn accelerates into its rapid growth phase from V5 through early tassel. But so far this spring, corn given an in-furrow microbial boost, Environoc 401, is showing a consistently widening growth advantage over untreated corn in adjacent rows. This comparison represents entire