Lake Erie algal blooms aim of grant for Michigan State
Michigan State University was awarded a $1.5 million grant to fund a five-year study on which factors and farm management practices are most effective in preventing nutrients from leaving farmlands and moving into rivers and lakes, with a primary focus on Lake Erie algal blooms.
Soybeans and corn stocks up sharply over September 2016
USDA’s most recent estimate of soybean and corn stocks should provide for intriguing discussions as farmers plan for 2018, according to DTN’s senior analyst.
Rural assistance key to U.S. growth, witnesses tell Senate
Discussion on the 2018 farm bill continues as U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry members learn more about rural development and energy programs.
Illinois pumpkin production progressing just perfectly
While heavy rains at the wrong times played havoc with some corn planting early this growing season, Mother Nature timed rainfall perfectly for Illinois pumpkin growers.
Unseasonable fall warmth may limit apples’ shelf life
They won’t turn mushy once picked from trees overnight, but the record late September heat wave across the Midwest and East Coast could noticeably limit the shelf life of apples.
Multiple livestock groups seek $150M for FMD Vaccine Bank
The Illinois Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA) voiced its support for federal funding to establish a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccine Bank in the 2018 farm bill, an initiative supported by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc. (NCBA) and the American Beef Assoc., among others.
Illinois study shows more tillage, more cover crops
Recent increases in crop tillage have continued, but so has farmers’ interest in cover crops, according to the Illinois biennial Soil Erosion and Cropland Tillage Transect Survey, completed this summer by the 97 Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).
