Top Stories
Historic Iowa rainfall washed nitrogen away from crop roots
It’s been a historic year for rain in Iowa, and while rain is normally a good thing, too much of it can cause crop issues. Outside of physical damage, disease, and soil issues, excessive rains can cause nitrogen runoff, which may have led to the lower yields Iowa farmers have observed so far. Landus Cooperative Technical Agronomist Dan Bjorklund said he believes nitrogen runoff has been a major factor for this year’s crop. Bjorklund said some hybrids even prefer to have additional nitrogen...
Long-term effects of data centers must be considered
As the development of large-scale data centers continues to be pushed in rural areas, many communities across the nation have one major question: what is the long-term impact on the local environment? University of Illinois environmental science student Bruce Beam...
Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling advances with Senate farm bill
Mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef moved closer to returning after the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version of the 2026 farm bill. The legislation includes an amendment tied to the American Beef Labeling Act that would restore mandatory...
USMEF holds seminars to grow demand in Saudi Arabia
For over a decade, U.S. beef faced technical barriers in Saudi Arabia that left only a small fraction of U.S. production eligible for the market. With those obstacles now removed, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) – with support from USDA and the Beef Checkoff...
Technology and value added ag guide ISU priorities
Iowa State University President David Cook is spending his first year on the job looking at where the university can have the greatest impact in the years ahead, and agriculture remains a major part of that conversation. Cook has been traveling across Iowa during his...
Voraxor goes after tough and stubborn broadleaf weeds
At this year’s Farm Progress Show, BASF unveiled Voraxor, a next generation, ultra-low use rate burndown and pre-emergence herbicide. Josh Putman, technical marketing manager for corn herbicides at BASF, said Voraxor will be available to farmers next year and combines...
More than 400 FFA students gather for annual Ag and Dairy Expo at NICC
More than 400 Future Farmers of America (FFA) high school students from 36 schools in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin gathered on the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Calmar campus this week for the annual Tri-State Ag and Dairy Expo. Hosted at Iowa’s Dairy...
Video
More Ag News
Rain makes grain but also halts combines
A stubborn high-pressure ridge has brought excessive moisture to areas of the United States, including the Great Plains and Midwest this summer. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that the rain was welcome at first, but too much rain has become a problem in some...
Environmental group sues EPA for dicamba records
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the National Agricultural Law Center. The suit claims the EPA failed to release records the group requested under the Freedom of Information Act about...
Heavy rains reveal both water quality progress and needs
Heavy rains can put Iowa’s water quality challenges under a microscope. When water starts moving across farm fields, erosion and nutrient loss can become much easier to see. But those same conditions can also highlight the progress being made on farms where...
BASF pleased with herbicide weed control in 2026
This crop season has been defined by heavy rains across much of Iowa, especially as we get into harvest. Mid-season rains made weed control more difficult, but BASF has heard a lot of good feedback about the performances of their herbicide portfolio. Kurt Maertens of...
Trump administration weighs diesel export ban
Record-high diesel prices are pressuring farmers heading into harvest, and the Trump administration is considering whether restricting diesel exports could provide relief. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says officials are examining whether a full or partial export...
