Which beans should you plant first?
Suppose you’re planning your soybean planting. You can plant varieties ranging from very early to very full season for your area Which varieties should you load into the seed tender first? Which beans...
View ArticleWhy these farmers like their grain systems
In 2008, just one year before the harvest that lasted through Christmas, Effingham, Ill., farmer Gary Wachtel boosted his wet holding capacity and installed a new tower dryer. Why these farmers like...
View ArticleGet ready for April
Maybe the mercury is at zero and there’s 6 inches of snow outside as you read this. Maybe not. Either way, odds are your target date for corn planting is less than three months away. The Indiana...
View ArticleFarm Progress America, June 21, 2019
Max Armstrong looks at a special insight on the farm from a university president Max Armstrong shares insight on a recent op-ed piece by Mitch Daniels, president, Purdue University and former governor...
View ArticleMORNING Midwest Digest, June 21, 2019
Max Armstrong talks about summer, train vs. car accidents, aerial seeding, a pipeline expansion and the cost of a wedding. Today is officially the first day of summer, although it may not quite feel...
View ArticleUSDA moves prevent plant haying, grazing date to Sept. 1
Silage, haylage and baleage will be treated in same manner for this year Farmers who planted cover crops on prevented plant acres will be permitted to hay, graze or chop those fields earlier than...
View ArticleBulk beans here to stay
If you still get your soybeans in 50-pound bags, you may want to hold onto them rather than burn them after the season. The way the shift toward bulk soybeans is moving, paper sacks with various...
View ArticleDon’t let wireworms chew up stand
Wireworms are long, slender, brown, shiny insects aptly named since they look downright “wiry.” They’re more of a concern at earlier planting dates, notes Dan Ritter, Newton County Extension ag...
View ArticleVolunteer corn bad for crop ecosystem
Volunteer corn growing in soybean fields that originated from Bt corn the year before may be much more onerous than it looks. One possible negative effect is obvious: soybean yield loss. The other...
View Article60-year shift in weeds tells ag’s story
Quick! Take this quiz before you look at the chart. First, were perennial weeds more common today or in the 1940s? Second, which weeds have always given Midwesterners more fits, grasses or...
View ArticleBulk soybean handling roundup
There are probably as many ways to get soybean seed to the field these days as there are farmers and seed companies. What’s more certain is how seed isn’t going to the field — in 50-pound bags. Bulk...
View ArticlePick where to control rootworm
Suppose your budget said “no” to planting all triple-stack hybrids. They include the Bt trait for rootworm control. If you still opted for some Bt rootworm corn, where should you plant it? Pick where...
View ArticleHistoric barn gets a facelift
Several generations will be linked together when Tom Dull’s family and volunteers restore an old barn this April. Restoration of the barn, dating back to the 1800s, wouldn’t be possible if not for the...
View ArticleHave tools, will travel ... to field
Nobody truly enjoys making repairs in the field. John Epperson may not mind it as much as most. He’s put plenty of thought and ingenuity into making sure he can get to the field with the tools he...
View ArticleEstate tax bite could skyrocket next year
Ask an ag economist about the estate tax situation, and he may ask if you want the good news, worst possible news or so-so news first. Estate tax bite could skyrocket next yearBy TOM J. BECHMANAsk an...
View ArticlePatience pays off
Ever been to a social function when someone was standing just a little too close, just inside your personal space? Chances are, consciously or unconsciously, you took a step away. Patience pays offBy...
View ArticleStand count job No. 1 early in season
Corn Watch: Take stand counts to gauge planter performance and to make future management decisions. One of the first things Dave Nanda did on his initial visit to the Corn Watch ’19 field this year...
View ArticleUsing heavy tarps for better vegetables
The tarps at Root Five Farm help to suppress weeds and improve soil in vegetable beds. By Susan HarlowVermont farmers Danielle Allen and Ben Carr are doubling their usage of tarps this season....
View ArticleWhat's being said about ERS, NIFA relocation?
Some support relocation, some don't support relocation; many expected to leave agency rather than relocate Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s plan to relocate the Economic Research Service and...
View ArticleWhat to watch for in cornfields at this point in season
Corn Illustrated: This slideshow illustrates the different growth stages and problems that could appear thanks to the wide range of planting dates. What will you find if you make herbicide...
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