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Water hemp is one of the top weeds impacting Iowa crops
So far, most of Iowa’s crops are looking healthy, which is especially important as we enter the critical timeframe for pollination. Weed control is incredibly important in making sure that crops are healthy, and one of the top problem weeds is water hemp. Travis Ralfs, Eastern Iowa territory account manager with Valent, said that farmers should have been working on weeds for a while now, as it is getting to be too late to apply herbicides on corn. While soybeans have a little more flexibility,...
Planting window has been wide open in Southwest Iowa
Aside from a few storms earlier this spring, the weather has been mostly wide open for planting season. With most of the crops planted at this point, farmers are now waiting for some timely rains. Southwest Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said the planting window...
Outlook for summer and fall weather
The past week of weather in Iowa has felt more like July than May. The warm and dry conditions have allowed farmers to move quickly with planting, but the heat has some questioning if it is still spring. With abnormal warmth in mid-May, what do the summer and fall...
SAF Coalition commends House Ways and Means Committee for advancing 45Z extension
Today, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition’s Executive Director, Alison Graab, issued the following statement in response to the House Ways and Means Committee’s inclusion of a 45Z extension in its budget reconciliation markup. “Sustainable aviation fuel...
Ernst: keep food policy off Rodeo Drive
It’s been more than two years since California’s Proposition 12 took effect, and pork producers across the country are still grappling with its consequences. The law has done little to improve animal welfare, critics say, but has created significant financial strain,...
South American Weather and Crop Update (5-13-25)
Concerns about the dry weather are becoming more real in South America- in fact, it's to the point where the USDA is now adjusting its crop projections. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said there's some rain in the forecast, but the overall climate is going to...
Farmers travel to Washington D.C. to talk labor issues
Officials with the White House, Department of Labor, and USDA hosted a roundtable with farmers and ranchers to talk about labor challenges facing agriculture. Officials with the White House, Department of Labor, and USDA hosted a roundtable with farmers and ranchers...
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Some farmers are having to replant in Northeast Iowa
It’s never a pleasant thought, but it’s important for farmers to understand when they might have to pull the trigger and replant some crops. Northeast Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Lee Koenigsfeld said planting was mostly done in his area, but some farmers have had to get...
Employing a proactive approach to get ahead of tar spot
The fungal disease, tar spot, continues to expand each year across the corn growing regions of the United States. One of the biggest problems brought on by tar spot is that it has a latency period of 14-20 days. That is the time in between which the plant has been...
Confluence Genetics purchases Benson Hill assets out of Chapter 11
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved this week the sale of the business assets of Benson Hill to Confluence Genetics, LLC. This sale, set to close at 11:59 p.m. tonight, will enable the historic business to continue outside of...
First MAHA report undermines confidence in U.S. agriculture
The Make America Healthy Again Commission released its first report this week, and it contained some troubling assertions. The consequences of this report are causing concerns among farmers and ranchers. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for the American...
2025 planting nearly done, but not easy
Iowa farmers got an early jump on planting this spring, taking advantage of favorable conditions in April. But progress hasn’t come without challenges, as scattered storms and temperature swings kept growers on their toes. With planting nearly complete, heavy rains...
