Top Stories
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...
Farmers must understand macroeconomy to secure their future
For generations, farmers have focused on weather patterns, soil health, and market prices, but today, they realize that the broader macroeconomy plays a crucial role in their success. Interest rates, inflation, and global trade policies now shape everything from input...
South American Weather and Crop Update (2-18-25)
While the dry weather in Brazil is still helping out with harvest progress, it will create problems for the second crop corn that is being planted right behind the combines if it persists for too long. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the...
Future of Food for Peace program uncertain without USAID
Food for Peace, a 70-year-old program that was signed into law by President Eisenhower and championed by Kansas Senator Bob Dole, is now in question as President Trump moves to dismantle USAID over concerns of alleged corruption and mismanagement. Looking to save Food...
Less corn production expected from South American nations
South American corn production forecasts were adjusted lower in the February USDA WASDE report. World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski says the weather is to blame in Argentina. Brazil’s corn production forecast was also reduced by 1 million tons says...
U.S. Soy announces national NEXTILE design challenge winners
What’s the next wave of sustainable fashion? The answer...soy-based textiles which are on the rise. To spur innovation in this space, U.S. Soy announces Clara Padgham from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the national winner of the NEXTILE: The Soy in Textile...
Conservation ag funding is stuck in Farm Bill fiasco
The failure to pass a new farm bill has left critical agricultural programs in limbo, creating uncertainty for farmers and rural communities nationwide. Among the many casualties of this legislative gridlock is funding for climate-smart agriculture, which helps...
Video
More Ag News
Spring weather tests crop nutrition, protection plans
The next stage of the 2025 growing season is well underway, as crops emerge across the state and farmers shift their focus to post-emergence crop protection. With applications on the horizon, timing and field conditions will be key. Spring started off warm and dry,...
Insecticide-resistant soybean aphids pose a challenge to Iowa farmers
For a few years, soybean aphids weren’t too much of a problem in Iowa. However, last year was a wake-up call for farmers in Northern Iowa especially. Kurt Maertens, BASF technical services representative for Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, said that soybean aphids...
Mental Health Awareness Month is especially important for agriculture
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Farmers and ranchers experience higher rates of mental health issues compared to the general population. This is due to many factors, including financial strain and weather-related stress. Dr. Larry Tranel, a dairy field...
Farmland prices began to soften in 2024
2024 was the cooling period for farmland prices after several years of quickly rising farmland values. Randy Dickhut, farmland sales expert with Agricultural Economic Insights, says fluctuating farmland prices are a typical pattern over a multi-year period. According...
Iowa cash rents drop in 2025
The 2025 annual survey of cash rental rates for Iowa farmland shows that rates decreased, on average, by 2.9 percent in 2025 to $271 per acre. It’s the first decline in cash rents since 2019, after a peak of $279 per acre during the previous two years of the survey....
