Farmers and equipment experts gathered in Iola, Kansas at PrairieLand Partner’s soybean and corn research plot to see new farm implements and machinery in action, as well as gain inside information for upcoming harvests and planting.

Strong planning and favorable growing conditions have led to a promising start to corn harvest for Miami, Oklahoma farmer Brent Rendel.

Understanding soybean growth stages can help producers better manage their crop and better anticipate plant changes throughout the growing season. At an Oklahoma State University Extension Soybean Field Day in Miami, Oklahoma, cropping systems specialist Josh Lofton provided an overview of s…

“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.” 

Technological advances that allow scientists to peer inside the genes of a wheat plant far outpace the progress plant physiologists have made at examining complex biological processes using high resolution imaging, but that is starting to change as more research funding becomes available.Gop…

Farmers throughout the Four State area received anywhere from 6 to 15 inches of rain last month, an opportune weather event that MFA regional agronomist Shannon McClintock said could mean perfect conditions for corn perfectionists.

The joke is often made in Southeast Kansas that wheat has become more cover than cash crop — a sentiment reinforced by year-over-year declines in wheat acreage. While wheat harvest may not be a massive undertaking like it is for the area’s western neighbors, it does set the tone for harvest …

When Jason Wacha, owner of Wacha Farms LLC., and his family moved from Iowa to Ozark, Missouri, he noticed the lack of one forage in particular.

The combination of triple digit temperatures and a steady Kansas summer breeze means wheat harvest is progressing quickly across the state.

While poor germination can be caused by a great variety of factors, flooding of our heavy clay soils is a common one. Many soybean fields were left with poor stands in terrace channels and on the edges of this year, much like last year, we had just too much rain after many of the long season…

Property taxes can feel like an ever-increasing inevitability. And while they certainly aren’t avoidable, property taxes fluctuate year after year based on the same calculations for landlord net income as decided by Kansas state statutes.

Small windows of opportunity to treat it, paired with the near-perfect conditions needed to exacerbate it, can make Fusarium Head Blight a frustrating disease for wheat producers to combat.

Arkansas’ livestock producers are moving cattle to higher ground as an unsettled weather pattern threatens to bring up to six inches of rain to parts of western Arkansas.

Developing wheat varieties that flourish in the field while delivering value to consumers is a team effort that involves ten different federal and state researchers and extension educators working collaboratively at Oklahoma State University. The faces of many of these specialists are famili…

With over 60% of the 2021 Kansas corn crop already in the ground, farmers are beginning to see the results of a timely planting without flood-level rains soon after.

The sun was shining as wheat producers gathered at Schieber Farms in Kildare, Oklahoma, many for their first event after a long year of COVID lockdowns. Oklahoma State University’s Kay County Extension Office held the Wheat Field Day last week, providing producers with an overview of current…

Storing forage to save for later sounds simple enough, but decisions made during hay season can determine feeding solutions, and, ultimately, profit for the coming months.

Pre-emergence herbicide programs for corn were discussed in a recent eUpdate. The role of pre-emergence herbicides is similar in both corn and grain sorghum, and some herbicides are similar. But, fewer post-emergence herbicide options, particularly for Palmer amaranth and grass control, make…

Wet weather preceding warm temperatures and dry days creates the perfect environment for farmers hoping to capitalize on an early corn crop. In southeast Kansas, soil conditions are on the verge of excellence and many fields have already played host to planters.

In the coming weeks Blaise Wilde will continue to inspect his fields for damage from mid-February’s arctic assault on Texas, but for now the wheat grower from Wall is feeling optimistic.

After a year without in-person events, Green Cover Seed held their first Southeast Kansas Soil Health Conference at their new Iola location on March 5 and 6. Soil health specialist Doug Peterson provided attendees with information on how to improve their fields through his presentation on on…

The New Year brings new challenges for farmers across the United States. And while experts predict high commodity prices and less dependence on government payments to bolster farm income, there are still obstacles ahead.

Volatility was the defining characteristic of commodity markets in 2020 and experts are preparing for another unpredictable barrage of global agricultural market changes.

As soybean farmers set their sights on skyrocketing market prices, it’s important to keep one eye on the budget. Before going all-in on cropping bells and whistles, keep overall crop goals and just as importantly, the budget, in mind.

Subsurface drainage systems are no longer a technology reserved for the vague fields “up north” or a write-off in good growing years or bragging rights for “fancy” farmers.

Two-time national wheat yield contest winner C.R. Freeman, owner of Premium Beef and Grain of Hobart, swings for the fences without compromising on grain quality.

No year is “normal” in farming — and especially not 2020. Farmers in the Four States spent half of the year praying for the rain to stop and the other half praying for it to start up again.

In the ever changing landscape of food production and renewed emphasis on sustainability, Upfield, the company behind Country Crock, has partnered with No-Till on the Plains to provide cover crop cost share opportunities for farmers in eastern Kansas and the western edge of Missouri.

Farmers from across Southeast Kansas gathered in Humbolt last week for food and fellowship at the Geffert family farm as part of Kansas Corn’s annual statewide listening tours.

Wheat harvest continues to progress across the state of Kansas.

There is still time left to get a good yield with late planted or double-cropped soybeans. First, it rained too much, and now for much of the Four State area, the rains have completely stopped. This is hard on soybeans as they don’t do well growing though crusted soil but also they don’t ger…

Wheat farmer board members of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and Kansas Wheat Commission held board meetings last week via conference call. They discussed current crop conditions throughout the state.

As rain pushes corn planting season back yet again, farmers may be better off sticking with poor stands than replanting, said University of Missouri Extension agronomist Bill Wiebold.

The planting season begins another year under considerable uncertainty. While trade issues remain, the continued spread of the coronavirus and the ensuing market collapse complicates an already difficult decision. Projections from many market observers indicate increases in corn and soybean …

The sharp price drops across equity and commodity markets over recent trading sessions indicate investors foresee a drop off in economic activity over the near term. Only the duration and severity of the economic contraction remain uncertain. A severe contraction extending into the summer do…

Test for soybean cyst nematode in the spring before planting, says University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s soybean ending stocks forecast of 425 million bushels for the marketing year may show little, if any change, in the upcoming World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. Despite the recent strength in soybean crush, the current focus is squarely…

On March 2, the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture Grain Crushing report provides an estimate of corn used for ethanol production in January. In the February World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report, the USDA raised corn used for ethanol production by 50 million bushels, to 5.…

Old crop corn basis and futures spreads continue to signal a smaller crop scenario than the price levels in the futures market suggest. Futures price levels reflect the uncertainty associated with the coronavirus and the potential weaker growth its continuation promises. Producer grain holdi…

Soybean prices put in a moderate rally last week. An outlook for a large South American soybean crop and uncertainty of the impact on economic growth associated with the evolving coronavirus situation hang over U.S. soybean demand scenarios moving forward.  Expanding soybean acreage in 2020 …

Uncertainties regarding the potential trade deal and coronavirus outbreak remain as negative forces for commodity markets. Corn prices came through the difficulty relatively well over the last couple of weeks. March corn futures prices continue to bounce around in a range between $3.75 and $…

With adaptations perfect for the wild, dry prairies of the West, hard red winter wheat has been a clear choice for the majority of Kansas and Oklahoma, but in the wet conditions that permeate southeast Kansas, soft wheat is a rising star.

Weather during the 2019 growing season brought a diverse series of challenges for farmers throughout the Four States. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first or the last time producers will power through difficult conditions.

Disease threats don’t just originate from a potential influenza or coronavirus outbreak — Missouri crop producers should be on watch for potentially devastating diseases in their corn and soybean fields.

From insects, pests and diseases, crop producers face a growing number of challenges. At the Barton County Soils and Crops Conference held earlier this month in Lamar, Missouri, a University of Missouri expert gave his advice on what to watch for in the coming growing season.

It’s never too early to prepare for disease prevention. During the Kansas Corn Management School in Parsons, Kansas State University plant pathologist Doug Jardine named his top diseases to watch in the New Year.

Growing industrial hemp may seem like a novel practice in agriculture but Missouri actually has a history as a leader in hemp production. That history, however, doesn’t mean there isn’t much to learn about the crop with its resurgence in the state.

What’s Thanksgiving without stuffing, Christmas without gingerbread, Fourth of July without hamburgers, or birthdays without cake? A world without wheat looks a lot different when the most iconic of our foods are made from it. As every Kansan knows, we are the bread basket of the U.S. and pr…

What were the most prevalent diseases affecting corn, soybeans and grain sorghum in Kansas during the 2019 growing season? This article recaps the most active diseases affecting summer row crops and discusses the growing conditions that played the biggest role in their development.

The 2019 crop year will live long in the memory. A record amount of prevent plant acres, delayed harvest, and considerable dismay over U.S. Department of Agriculture reports compounded the uncertainty associated with the trade war.  Speculation about the acreage levels in 2020 is already und…