Seed

Beck’s acquired Gro Alliance’s corn seed production facility in Howe in northern Indiana and its soybean seed production and corn drying facilities in Mt. Pulaski in central Illinois.

Uncertainty in both commodity prices and input prices is making farmers’ already tough job even more difficult.

The Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers honored two individuals for their contributions to agriculture and the profession at the group’s recent annual meeting.

Farmers should be aware that overusing Bt corn can be problematic, according to an analysis of data covering 12 years and 10 U.S. Corn Belt states.

A professor at Purdue University is using particle science to improve grain facility safety.

There is always something to learn from a previous growing season. As the new year begins, it’s a great time for farmers to analyze results from their fields to make informed decisions for 2025.

Seed selection remains one of the most critical decisions a grower can make. The right seed, on the right acre, at the right rate, planted at the right time sets the foundation for yield potential and defense against weeds, pests and diseases.

As soybean growers evaluate input decisions for 2025, return on investment once again reigns supreme as a critical factor in a rollercoaster market.

Following reports of high disease outbreaks last year, the World Meteorological Organization is predicting a 60% chance of La Niña weather in 2025, which could lead to cooler conditions.

Red crown rot is a concerning, relatively new disease to the Midwest that more farmers are finding in their fields. The pathogen was found in Illinois in 2018 and Indiana in 2022.

The Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program from Brevant seeds provides FFA students with the opportunity to gain industry experience and fundraise for their chapter.

As we bid farewell to February, I find myself aching for the warmth and promise of spring in the heart of middle America.

Farmers may add root structure as another trait to consider when choosing corn hybrids for their operation.

Among the ways to improve profitability during times of lower prices and high input costs is to implement the 5% rule.

It’s common knowledge that weeds impact cash crop yields, but they can also impact farmland values.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison and partners in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan are seeking licensed and experienced grain and fiber hemp growers to conduct on-farm variety trials.

As I write this, snow is falling outside my window, and I feel like I just stored my gardening tools and patio umbrella for the season. And yet, with the winter solstice in the rearview mirror, it’s already time to start preparing for spring.

Illinois agricultural and forestry producers who want to address or improve natural resources are encouraged to sign up for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Seed oil composition and soybean cyst nematode resistance are among the soybean checkoff-funded research projects currently underway at the University of Illinois.

Research is underway at the University of Illinois to develop high-yielding wheat varieties with early maturity enabling earlier planting of double-crop soybeans.

I have said it many times: farming is not an easy life’s work and certainly not for the faint of heart. Farming can push you to your physical and emotional limits. It can nearly kill you. It can save your life.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the 2025 enrollment periods for key safety-net programs — Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage, as well as Dairy Margin Coverage.

Even with recent drops in interest rates providing some relief from the extreme highs in 2023 and 2024, farmers faced with challenging financial pressures are looking for an advantage as they head into the next production season.

Channel seed is introducing an exclusive, new offering of downstream seed treatment products for next season along with an expanded portfolio of seed products.

Bayer announced new Climate FieldView features to help customers transition from 2024 harvest to 2025 planning.

AgriNews has followed the Rahn family throughout the year. This is the last in a series of updates about the family members and the decisions they make on their farm.

Digital agriculture is the next wave of technology that will help farmers increase their production and improve their management decisions.

Winners of the Hoosier Hay Contest were announced at the 2024 Hay Quality seminar.

Corn crops have a voracious appetite for nitrogen.

Illinois and Indiana had the highest amount of agricultural land lost to development in the Midwest over a 20-year period.

What is the value of seed treatments to U.S. soybean farmers, and how do they feel about alternatives to seed treatments?

A public hearing for a proposed wheat checkoff was held at the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The proposal calls for a 1.5-cent checkoff per bushel of wheat sold in Illinois.

A warm, dry fall gave the Rahn family the opportunity to finish harvest early and rain showers over the past several weeks improved the conditions for fall work.

This marks the 90th year the University of Illinois Variety Testing will provide unbiased, third-party performance evaluations free for farmers.

A new digital platform designed to assist farmers implement precision farming strategies was rolled out this year.

Corn products are typically recommended based on soil type and other factors, but a new effort now looks at root characteristics to tie it all together.

Beck’s broke ground on a new soybean processing facility near New Madrid in southeastern Missouri as part of its expansion into the Mid-South.

McDonald’s USA, Lopez Foods and Syngenta North America announced a collaboration that aims to increase feed efficiency and help reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released per pound of meat produced.

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.

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.

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.

Mark Seib, a grain farmer in southern Indiana, has finished soybean harvest and is closing in on corn.

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.

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.

We have all but finished our harvest for the year. Corn chopping went extremely smooth with no rain delays and to my recollection only one truck needing pulled all season long — surely a record.

Over its 50-year history, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s causes may have shifted, but it has never lost its focus on advocating for local farmers and communities.

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.