Science

Jim Fulton heard concerns about nitrogen leaving cropland and related water quality problems and decided to do something about it after hearing about constructed wetlands.

A constructed wetland designed to receive tile drainage water from 73 acres of corn and soybeans is doing its job of removing nitrates.

Illinois FFA members received prestigious awards for the development of their outstanding projects during the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

ILSoyAdvisor Soy Envoys recapped the top agronomic challenges of 2024 and what potentially lies ahead for 2025 in an Illinois Soybean Association Field Advisor podcast.

If you’re waiting for water, then the weather outlook headed into the first weeks of November will be good news. But if you’re ready to break out the cold weather gear, you may have to wait a while.

While the extended dry, warm fall has made harvest of corn and soybeans smoother for farmers, it also means farmers might have to put the brakes on when it comes to fall fertilizer applications.

Soybean farmers have benefited from decades of checkoff-funded research that’s pushed yields, and now a program is taking those efforts to the next level.

Cabbages are not exactly the typical big university landscaping, but at Northern Illinois University, cabbages — and other vegetables, fruits and herbs — are the first step in what could be a food revolution.

Moderate to severe drought conditions across the Corn Belt provided ideal conditions for fast harvest, but it also draws questions about fall fertilizer strategies and tillage if the weather trend continues.

Farmers for Soil Health empowers farmers to lead the charge in sustainability, putting real money directly into their hands to drive change where it matters most — at the farm level.

Examples of typical and not-so-common cover crops used in corn and soybean rotations were featured in a recent plot tour on the Farm Progress Show grounds.

Participation in the Precision Conservation Management program continues to grow and farmers can still sign up for the 2024 crop year, as well as 2025.

Lincoln Land Community College Continuing, Corporate and Professional Education and Todd Steinacher, agronomic coach, will offer a comprehensive Agronomy Journey Conference.

Purdue University and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are conducting a multiyear study of salmonella in southwest Indiana — a region known for its cantaloupe production.

Farmers and ranchers are leading the way in climate-smart practices that reduce emissions, enrich the soil and protect our water and air, all while producing more food, fiber and renewable fuel than ever before.

A groundbreaking technology has been developed that could boost domestic corn demand by over a billion bushels.

The timely planting of cover crops for maximum biomass has typically been limited to post-harvest or aerial inter-seeding, followed by the hope of rain for stand establishment.

Volunteers built a high tunnel with Purdue Extension in Lake County — the first phase of a new demonstration garden for the community in northern Indiana.

Harvest is on pace for the Rahn family to finish earlier in 2024 than they have in many years.

An Illinois State University organics class toured a farm and milling facility to see up close the field-to-bag process.

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. took top honors in the National Milk Producers Federation’s annual cooperative communications contest, winning five categories and the competition’s Best in Show: Writing award.

This St. Joseph County village with a population of 2,076 is touted as the “Seed Corn Capital of the World” and the site of Bayer’s largest seed corn production facility.

Warm, dry weather is helping farmers in northern Illinois to quickly harvest corn and soybeans with little need to run the crops through a dryer prior to storage.

It has been quite a run. This harvest is going to go in the history books for the ease of getting things done. By Halloween, there won’t’ be much left around here.

Drone technology is increasing in its applicability in improving farm operations.

Growing specialty crops including vegetables, pumpkins, gourds, mums and gladioli have developed into award-winning projects for Ty Steffen.

FFA students can explore future job opportunities at the National FFA Convention, thanks to Career Success Tours.

Getting a jump-start on fieldwork in preparation for next year’s planting season can set you up for success, according to AgriGold Agronomist Jacob Gehrls.

Beck’s is expanding its research network after acquiring the BASF Research Station in Beaver Crossing in east-central Nebraska — now called the Beck’s Goehner West Research Station.

Between harvest and preparing for the state corn-husking competition, From the Fields contributor Clay Geyer has a busy October ahead of him.

Alternative energy sources such as wind, geothermal, hydro and solar have grown increasingly popular as ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the grid by decentralizing power production.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced up to $7.7 billion in assistance for fiscal year 2025 to help agricultural and forestry producers adopt conservation practices on working lands.

We harvested my two corn test plots. Technically, this is a corn-on-soybean plot because we broke the cycle of corn-on-corn last year. Both of my companies — LG Seeds and Golden Harvest — are helping.

Seed Genetics Direct LLC announced the addition of Doug Dierksheide as northwest Ohio area seedsman.

Farmers are increasingly turning to high-moisture corn silage, specifically earlage or snaplage, due to its high energy content and easy digestibility.

Bayer unveiled FieldView Drive 2.0, a small plug-and-play device that farmers can use to connect, monitor and record activities across different farm equipment types and brands.

As you make your way through another busy harvest, it’s important to record your field observations in order to make informed decisions for next year’s product selections.

Farmers should consider stalk quality as they decide which cornfields to harvest first.

AgriGold agronomist Brett Leahr is concerned crown rot will be widespread in the Corn Belt this fall, especially in his territory that stretches from northern Missouri to central Illinois.

The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership recently accepted four new member organizations into the partnership.

As you make your way through another busy harvest, it’s important to record your field observations in order to make informed decisions for next year’s product selections.

Kyle Schminke deep tills all his farm ground. However, it is not done with a tractor and tillage equipment.

A team of nine people from Huntington University traveled to serve local communities through sustainable agriculture projects to Momostenango, Guatemala.

GSI is introducing a new lineup of Mixed Flow dryers for the 2025 harvest season, designed to promote greater efficiency and maximize grain quality.

Most consumers are unfamiliar or only slightly familiar with regenerative agriculture, according to the August 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report.

The Illinois Wheat Association Checkoff Committee is circulating petitions for a wheat checkoff program in the state. The proposal calls for a 1.5 cent checkoff per bushel of wheat sold.

While most farmers’ planters have been cleaned and put away and their focus is now on harvest, Eric Miller’s planter — along with his combine, grain cart and tractors — is ready to go.

I think the very earliest planted corn is getting close, but with the dry forecast, producers are probably taking advantage of in-field drying to get the moisture down so there’s not much drying expense.

The Dairy Management Inc. New Product Competition for college students is accepting entries for 2025. The competition seeks innovative dairy product concepts and is open to undergraduate and graduate students.

Rain at the end of August was good timing for the double-crop soybeans growing in northern Illinois.