News Archives
Multi-institutional team of weed scientists helping build genomic resources for agriculture industry scientific community
Growers dole out more than $6.6 billion each year on herbicides and application, according to the Crop Protection Research Institute. But what if there were ways to reduce this cost and deploy more effective weed-control methods?
.jpg?width=320)
Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers providing assistance to livestock farmers following storms
In response to the damage caused by recent storms across much of Iowa, the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) is providing on-farm resources to help livestock farmers get their questions answered about options and considerations for their farms.

USTR faces decision on dispute with Mexico over GM white corn
Lawmakers, farm groups and the ag industry are all eager for the Biden administration to move to a dispute process over Mexico’s restrictions on genetically modified white corn, but there’s no sign yet from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that it’s ready to do that.

EPA's proposed tailpipe standards overlook ethanol's low-carbon, efficiency benefits
By blatantly tipping the scales in favor of battery electric vehicles, the proposed tailpipe emissions standards for 2027 and beyond released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overlook an obvious near-term opportunity to achieve significant vehicle efficiency improvements and carbon emissions reductions through increased use of high-octane, low-carbon ethanol fuel blends.

Six things to know about a developing El Nino
El Nino is knocking on the doorstep, and you have certainly been hearing more about it in recent weeks.
.jpg?width=320)
Scientists evaluate potential human cannabinol exposure from consuming meat if cattle is fed hempseed cake
Scientists from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and North Dakota State University (NDSU) recently found that when cattle were fed with the industrial hemp byproduct, hempseed cake, very low levels of Cannabis chemicals (cannabinoids) were retained in muscle, liver, kidney, and fat tissues.

April WASDE spotlight shines on South American crops
A market analyst says South American soybeans were the spotlight of the April World Agriculture Supply and Demand Report.

Twelve things to know about livestock indemnity payments
Blizzard conditions from the Rockies to the Upper Midwest, couldn't have come at a worse time for spring calvers.

California ports reopen but reliable transportation for ag products uncertain
A pair of West Coast ports have resumed exporting ag commodities after a temporary shutdown due to failed labor contract negotiations.

3% of U.S. corn planted
U.S. farmers made some modest corn planting progress last week.

Colorado State University among USDA Conservation Innovation Grant award recipients
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $40 million this year for 31 new projects through its Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program, including the Innovative Technologies to Reduce Beef Industry Ghg Emissions project led by Colorado State University (CSU).

New GE corn seed gets second comment period
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking comments on approval of a corn variety genetically engineered to resist western corn rootworm and glufosinate-ammonium herbicides.
.jpg?width=320)
April WASDE report weighs in on South American crop estimates
On Tuesday, April 11 at 11 a.m. CDT, USDA will issue the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) for April. Much of the attention will be on South American production estimates and there will likely be small tweaks to U.S. ending stocks estimates of corn and soybeans, but not much else.

Ag exports caught up in California port closures
U.S. ag exporters are suffering painful losses after a union stopped work at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach amid protracted contract negotiations, according to the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.

ACE: Don't overlook permanent fix to E15 sales as summer driving season approaches
Despite urgent requests from the ag industry to authorize E15 this summer, a biofuels group says a long-term solution can’t be overlooked.

Motorists should remain cautious on rural roads this spring; share the road with farm equipment
Planting season is quickly approaching for Indiana’s 94,000 farmers. With the warm weather and sunshine, Hoosier motorists will also see more large slow-moving farm equipment traveling Indiana’s rural roads and highways.

Conservation efforts needed to support monarch butterfly population recovery
The last year was a difficult one for the eastern monarch butterfly, according to a report just released that indicates monarchs occupying forest canopy in their wintering grounds in Mexico decreased by 22%, down from approximately 7 acres in 2021 to a little under 5 ½ acres during the winter of 2022-2023.

Biden vetoes congressional resolution to overturn WOTUS rule
As promised, President Joe Biden vetoed a joint resolution from Congress to overturn his administration’s “waters of the U.S.” rule, likely dooming the measure to failure.

Once taboo for crop insurance, USDA grant seeks to test, encourage relay intercropping
Iowa Learning Farms and a small group of farmers will get the chance to test the benefits of "relay intercropping" under a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant awarded Thursday.

USDA Under Secretary Taylor to lead Netherlands trade mission
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor will lead USDA’s first-ever regional agribusiness trade mission to the Netherlands between April 17-20.

Egg prices expected to go down after Easter
Egg prices were trending downward in recent months but were rising again based on seasonal demand for Easter, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

Pork, soybean oil export sales hit marketing year highs
The USDA says the week ending March 30th was a solid week for meat export sales.

CAFOs lose environmental exemption
Medium-sized concentrated animal feeding operations receiving USDA loans will be required to have an environmental assessment after a federal court on Tuesday vacated part of a 2016 Farm Service Agency rule.

Study demonstrates red meat exports' value to corn and soybean industries
A record value of beef and pork exports brought significant returns to the U.S. corn and soybean industries in 2022, according to an independent study conducted by World Perspectives, Inc. and released by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

Severe weather hits ag facilities, but unlikely to slow planting
Storm damage has ravaged parts of rural America stretching across a wide stretch of the United States over the last week, but area residents say some of the localized damage will not hinder efforts to plant 2023 row crops.

Farmers seek comprehensive reform to federal milk pricing
The American Farm Bureau Federation told USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack that requests to increase make allowances – which are used in part to calculate how much a processor pays for milk – fall short of fairly supporting dairy farmers.

MSU finetuning seed treatment use
Research at Michigan State University is using DNA testing in soil samples to determine a farmer’s risk of soybean diseases.

Biofuel and farm leaders press White House for immediate action on E15
Biofuel and farm leaders today called on President Biden to get ahead of rising fuel costs by authorizing sales of E15 this summer.


