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Weather will affect how much disease pressure we see in 2026
Due to the beautiful weather we have seen in Iowa recently, which has included some cool and wet nights, tar spot has already been detected in some fields across the state. However, this week’s much hotter temperatures should suppress any additional pressure from tar spot for the time being. Dan Bjorklund, technical agronomist at Landus Cooperative, said the weather in July will play a huge role in determining what disease pressure we will see this crop season. Southern rust, which became a...
Naig: Pork remains safe after pseudorabies case
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says consumers should remain confident in the safety of pork products after Iowa confirmed a rare case of pseudorabies tied to pigs brought into the state from Texas. Naig said the detection marked the first confirmed case in a...
South American Weather and Crop Update (5-27-26)
The weather is drying out quite a bit in South America. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said some areas are being viewed as deficient in rainfall. McBride said the first crop corn harvest in Brazil is nearly complete. McBride said corn and soybean harvest in...
Rain has been appreciated, but dry weather will return
The weather forecast for the Midwest could be a bit of a mixed bag in the near future. DTN Meteorologist John Baranick said the recent rainy weather will give way to drier conditions across a significant part of the Midwest. Baranick said the South has seen plenty of...
More details of latest U.S.-China ag trade commitment
During President Trump’s visit to China earlier this month, China agreed to purchase $17 billion worth of U.S. ag goods. USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg provides some of the details behind the recent agreement by China to...
Farmers for Soil Health reopens enrollment for cover crop adoption
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....
Naig says E15 backers finally proved their case
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the recent House vote approving nationwide year-round E15 sales confirmed what biofuels supporters have argued for years: once lawmakers finally allowed the issue to reach the floor, it had enough bipartisan backing to pass....
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New research studies connection between PRRS and gastric ulcer development in pigs
Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome, or PRRS, is a disease that is always top-of-mind for swine producers. On top of its primary symptoms, there are many side effects that can occur in infected hogs. Boehringer Ingelheim has led some new research into the...
USDA finalizes specialty crop assistance program details
The USDA announced it has finalized the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program, announced late last year. Danny Munch, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the funds are part of the USDA’s broader Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The...
Taste What Pork Can Do is celebrating global flavors
The Taste What Pork Can Do® campaign from the National Pork Board launched in May 2025 with the aim of getting younger generations of consumers interested in buying more pork. Jose De Jesus is vice president of market growth with the National Pork Board and he says...
Farmers trim input costs as profit margins remain tight
Farmers across the Corn Belt are reducing spending on fertilizer, seed and crop protection products as they prepare for another year of narrow profit margins. Agricultural economists and industry analysts report that many producers are carefully managing expenses...
Interior seeks flexibility on predator management
When I visited Washington, D.C. recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Karen Budd-Falen, Associate Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior, about several wildlife management issues affecting western ranchers. Among the topics discussed were wolves...
