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Iowa growers urged to scout for tar spot
Tar spot has already been confirmed in nine Iowa counties, and crop protection specialists say its early appearance should have corn growers thinking about disease management well before symptoms become widespread. While much of Iowa's corn crop has benefited from favorable growing conditions this season, those same conditions have also created an environment where fungal diseases like tar spot can establish themselves early. According to Nate Quam, Technical Service Representative with BASF,...
Settling into a long-term period of low commodity prices
It’s no surprise to you that market prices for grains are low. They’re nowhere near what we enjoyed a few years ago. Many factors are driving this situation, but understanding them doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. The main question I Have been hearing farmers...
Beef-dairy cows providing added-value for producers
A growing trend in animal agriculture is the breeding of dairy cows with beef bulls to take advantage of desirable traits and provide added value for producers. The process, also known as beef-on-dairy, can improve the value of the calf says Olivia Genther-Shroder of...
December starting off with arctic winds
As we get into the colder and drier part of the year, we don’t really see much change to the Iowa drought monitor. However, state climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan said that this year’s drought map looks significantly better than last year. Glisan said a large-scale...
U.S. Export Sales Report (12-5-24)
The weekly export sales continue to look great for corn and soybeans- in fact, soybeans set a record for this week. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest report from the USDA. McBride said flash sales have been slightly slower lately....
Last of Iowa’s Ag drainage wells finally closed off
Drainage and water runoff have been an age-old problem in agriculture. We have taken many steps to try and find quicker and more efficient ways to create drainage solutions. While many of us are more used to the tile systems we see today, that wasn’t always the case....
Administration won’t finalize 45Z guidance
Biden administration officials won’t finalize guidelines on new clean fuel production tax credits intended for the airline and biofuel industries before the officials leave office in January. Three sources told Reuters that casts significant doubt on the future of a...
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Secretary Rollins talks trade at Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins made her inaugural visit to Iowa on Monday, engaging with local farmers and agricultural leaders throughout the state. Her tour culminated in a keynote address at the Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner in Ankeny, where she emphasized the...
March ends like a lamb with mild USDA reports
There’s an old saying that says March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. With today bringing two major USDA reports, it was looking like the month might end more like a lion instead. However, that wasn’t necessarily the case, as both the Quarterly Grain...
Proposed port service fees would hurt red meat exports
The office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) held hearings this week on a proposal to impose a service fee for each U.S. port call of a Chinese-operated ship, or a per-net-ton service fee applied on the ship’s carrying capacity. While they do support the overall...
Recapping the winter weather season
For the most part, the 2024-2025 winter season in Iowa was mild with warmer temperatures and not much precipitation to help replenish soil moisture levels. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that the final numbers from the winter months of December, January, and...
Producers have until April 15th to enroll in key safety net programs
Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2025 crop year have until April 15, 2025 to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm...
