Stories about science
Brad Zimmerman wrapped up a busy season of applying fungicides and foliar feeding via drone and has entered the meeting season.
With the sustainable aviation fuel coming online, CoverCress looks like it’s going to be something that we need to at least take a look at as a valid additional crop that we could grow.
Soy buyers from several countries took advantage of the opportunity to see soybeans growing on an Illinois farm during a tour of Ryan Frieders’ farm.
A phone call from a friend changed Debbie Ruff’s career trajectory 35 years ago, and she’s “still having fun” as ag literacy coordinator.
A trio of new herbicide products to control tough weeds with anticipated launches in 2027 were highlighted at the recent BASF Showcase Plot Tour.
Rick Bieber considers a shovel as one of his most important tools.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Agricultural Robotics Club accomplished an impressive feat in its first international competition.
With numerous cover crop species available, farmers have a lot of opportunities to add diversity to row-crop systems.
Spraying fungicide for the corn and soybean crops as well as the last nitrogen application have been completed for the 2026 growing season at Wessels Family Farm.
For our operation, we have been really fortunate with rainfall. We’ve had a lot of rain, but our drowned-out areas are minimal.
Foliar diseases are popping up in cornfields, with gray leaf spot most prevalent, according to an update from Purdue Extension plant pathologist Darcy Telenko.
Tolvera, a new herbicide to control broadleaf and grasses in winter wheat and other small grains, was used across over 1 million acres in its first year in the marketplace.
Pioneer launched its new Fungicide Timing Solution this year, an integrated approach designed to help corn growers make more confident, data-driven fungicide application decisions and protect yield potential.
Every year is different in farming, but each year can also be a learning experience.
One of the trademarks of summer is the sight of planes and helicopters making gravity-defying turns as they make passes up and down cornfields.
On-farm tile monitoring provides data to researchers that shows losses of nutrients is not simply an overapplication of fertilizer.
Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers.
Hauling water across rugged landscapes has become a daily chore for many ranchers in the U.S. Rockies.
Corteva announced the launch of a new herbicide option with two modes of action to expand farmer options for 2027.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Soybean Germplasm Collection at the University of Illinois.
Root digs across five Midwest states were conducted in late July to evaluate the performance of a new mode of action to control corn rootworm.
More than 200 people attended the Ag Policy Summit, an annual policy-focused program presented by the Indiana Corn Growers Association and the Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership & Policy Committee.
It has been an exceptional year and all-around extremely wetter-than-normal growing season. When it rains, we see inches — not tenths.
With optimism for the cattle business remaining strong, nearly 700 cattle producers from across the country gathered in Colorado, for the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting.
The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition hosted a first-of-its-kind contest for youth as part of the Heart of America Grazing Conference in Effingham.
GeoKnife mechanically collects a uniform cross-section of soil at a controlled depth, helping reduce sample variability while making high-volume sampling more efficient.
Seed Genetics Direct’s 2026 Wheat Yield Contest entries averaged 119.1 bushels per acre, with an average test weight of 58.1 pounds per acre.
We went from drought to a month of flood in June to drought in July again. It’s getting dry — but, knock on wood, everything of mine and everything around here is looking good.
A morning of applying fungicide and insecticide on 160 acres of corn was already in the books, and Jay Whalen was rinsing out the drone to ready for another round that afternoon.
Blue skies and sunshine marked the perfect weather for Southern Illinois University’s Ag Field Day where a drone and artificial intelligence, some of the latest technology to sweep the farming industry, were among the star performers.
Led by its 77 farmer-leaders, United Soybean Board approved a $122.5 million budget for the 2027 fiscal year, strategically allocating funds across vital research, promotion and education investments.
A new study by the University of Illinois and the Illinois Soybean Association finds that Illinois farmers could see a revenue loss if the state banned glyphosate.
Speeding in your car to work, to pick up your children from school, or go from one errand to the next not only wastes money in gas and sends harmful emissions into the air, it barely saves you time, new research says.
The soybeans have been pretty clean and I think weed control has been good overall compared to last year. There is nothing out there that I have noticed of any concern.
Spraying for weeds in corn and soybean fields has been completed on Cliff Lane’s farm and the next task will be spraying the crops with fungicide.
A full commercial launch of a new nematode-resistant trait for soybeans remains on track for 2028, pending any unforeseen hurdles.
Hoosiers planted an estimated 1.58 million acres of cover crops, according to survey results from Indiana Conservation Partnership.
Through genetic advancements, corn is utilizing more nitrogen later in the season.
Public lands offer quality grazing grounds for livestock, which in turn reduces wildfire risk and contributes to the vitality of rural communities across the West.
When timing matters, Woodley Aerial Spray Inc. is ready to help you get across your acres quickly, efficiently and professionally.
The soil contains a complex community of interconnected microorganisms.
An all-in-one soybean fungicide and insecticide premix seed treatment is on track for commercial release this fall.
Indiana sits at the intersection of human health, animal health and plant science — a rare concentration of expertise where breakthrough science creates real-world impact.
While weather and markets continue to test farmers, southern Indiana farmer Deidra Roell said there are reasons to be hopeful as harvest approaches.
In this stage, I’m just watching the weather and praying for appropriate rain and heat balance without any severe heat and drought stress.
Chad Bell harvested his two fields of wheat and once the straw is baled he will be planting a cover crop on these acres.
Despite the fluctuation in available funding, farmers are still encouraged to utilize the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
A multispecies grazing system can result in several benefits including more uniform grazing, reduced herbicide use, eliminating unwanted plants and the potential for more profit.
Soil tests are important tools for farmers to determine the limiting factors for crop production on their fields.
The use of AI in agriculture has potential to enhance efficiency through precision agriculture, optimize resource use and improved production.