Agronomy

Bayer and BP announced a collaboration in 2026 to develop camelina seed varieties and build an oilseed value chain for biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. Industry leaders say the move targets growing demand for low-carbon feedstocks in large transport sectors where electri...

Farmers weighing conservation practices face measurable tradeoffs between soil health, greenhouse gas emissions and per‑acre net returns. Decision tools that score soil health and carbon intensity can quantify changes from adjustments in tillage, rotations and cover crop use, but those environmen...

BASF and Nutrien announced a strategic collaboration to help U.S. growers capture more value from sustainable farming practices and participate in low-carbon biofuel markets. The partnership pairs Nutrien agronomy teams with BASF digital tools to document and verify crop carbon intensity for mark...

When Jay Whalen started testing seed and cover-crop products on his own acres, the trials changed how the family farms in Livingston and La Salle counties. Today the Whalens run a 50/50 corn-soybean rotation with cover crops across their operation, and Jay says the practice has transformed field ...

Alfalfa weevil development is running ahead of the crop this spring in Wisconsin, and state entomologists are urging producers to begin scouting. Krista Hamilton of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection told Brownfield that egg hatch has just started in parts of s...

Mississippi State University researchers and growers are changing how rice is irrigated to save groundwater and hold or improve yields. Under traditional flood systems, rice requires about 30–36 inches water annually, and in the Midsouth rice acres use a disproportionate share of...

Drought is putting significant pressure on the U.S. winter wheat crop, with some fields reportedly turned to grazing in the hardest-hit Southern Plains. Traders and state analysts say crop ratings have slipped sharply in several areas, and the USDA's most recent Crop Progress Report shows <strong...

Heavy spring rains in Southwest Michigan are underscoring the role of conservation practices in handling wetter planting seasons, Michigan State University researchers say. Phil Robertson, director of MSU’s Long-Term Agroecosystem Project, told Brownfield that the region is not seeing less precip...

Researchers in Florida are shifting the fight against citrus greening toward stronger rootstocks and more resilient trees. Scientists say breeding work now focuses on trees that can survive the full nursery-to-grove cycle and tolerate field pressures from pests, stress and disease. rootst...

Corteva announced it has named its planned seed business spinoff Vylor and is targeting a separation in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company said the move will establish the seed operations under the new Vylor identity as a standalone business ahead of the planned timeline. Vylor spino...

Farmer sentiment slipped in April, with the Purdue University–CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropping from 127 in March to 121 AEB index . The pullback was driven more by weaker readings on current conditions than by changes in expectations for the future. The monthly survey shows...

Host Mike Pearson spoke this week with agriculture meteorologist Greg Soulje about an El Niño pattern expected to strengthen through summer, bringing wetter-than-normal conditions to large parts of the Corn Belt and Plains. El Niño wet pattern was cited as the primary driver of c...