Pivotal Issues Blog

By: Sonja Begemann Farmers across the U.S. are out scouting, and in some cases spotty soybean fields are leaving them wondering if there are enough plants out there to grow a crop. Cutworms, weather, whatever, scout to determine what’s going on—and save time by calculating soybean populations with a hula hoop. Replant is a tricky […]

By: Natalina Sents John Deere has introduced the new 5075GL specialty tractor for farmers working in orchards and vineyards. The new narrow, low-profile machine is ideal for navigating tight spaces in dense, high value crop fields. Growers will appreciate the small stature of the specialty tractor but can still enjoy enough power to pull flail […]

By: Robert M. Harveson Rust, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia helianthi, is not a disease that we see every year. However, if it occurs early in the season, it can pose severe disease problem of sunflowers in Nebraska, particularly in irrigated fields. Signs of rust observed this spring in volunteer sunflowers at the Panhandle Research […]

By: Darrell Smith “Farmers will have to become more efficient than ever to meet goals like the 45% reduction in nitrogen loss called for in Illinois’ nitrogen reduction strategy,” Ferrie adds. The purpose of the strategy is to reduce nitrate pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and other water bodies. States are adopting their […]

By: Southeast FarmPress When a spring season is compressed, it puts pressure on things around it. This is true if you are talking about a spring in the physical form or the season of spring in the agricultural world. The spring of 2018 in Kentucky has not been friendly for planting corn and soybeans, and […]

By: Mike Witt The 2018 planting season for corn can be officially called “delayed and condensed” in the state of Iowa. April brought cold and snow well into what is usually the early corn planting time for farmers creating many challenges. These challenges in the spring will affect corn hybrids and farming decisions throughout the entire […]

By: Clarke McGrath It’s been another challenging season so far. A combination of cold temperatures creating challenges for seedlings, untimely rains impeding planting progress, and windy days wrecking spray schedules hit the highlights, or maybe lowlights, of the start of the 2018 growing season. With soils cool and wet at soybean planting time, we are set […]

By: Tom J Bechman OK, corn likes it warm when growing. That’s a no-brainer. But a pair of researchers looked at exactly how corn responds to warmer temperatures as it germinates and grows. What they found may help you better understand why corn planted in cool soils or subjected to cool weather after planting struggles until […]

By: Industry Voice by Dow Enlist Don’t let weeds rob your crop of valuable nutrients and yield potential. Ryan Miller, Ph.D., market development and new technology specialist, reminds farmers to remain proactive to control tough weeds. You can implement a successful weed control program with a few key steps. Here are Miller’s six suggestions for developing […]

By: Terry Basol Each year in the spring, as corn is emerging, my colleagues and I get called out to assess why some fields are exhibiting uneven corn stands. There are many reasons why a couple of corn plants could be missing here and there in your corn rows. Here are five common causes for you […]