An insect sample received by the Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic lab from a homeowner in Elkhart County, Indiana, on October 19, 2010 was confirmed to be the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys.

Farmers are starting to overcome some misperceptions about cover crops, which include the myths that they cost too much and aren't profitable, an Ohio State University Extension educator says

The increased use of no-till farming since the 1980s, and the increased use of glyphosate-resistant crops since 1996, has significantly turned farmers into environmentalists. Less soil has eroded, less chemicals have been applied, and less fuel has been used because of significant changes in farming practices.

Keeping agriculture environmentally sustainable while improving productivity is a growing challenge, and a new report shows that agricultural biotechnology is a key tool in overcoming it.

Slug activity is picking up, particularly in portions of the Midwest receiving regular rains.

With cooler temperatures this fall, slugs seem to be feeding incessantly, attacking newly planted cover crops and fall-planted small grains. Slugs are most often problematic in no-till systems and thrive in high-moisture, high-residue fields.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching this year a comprehensive new evaluation of the no-till pesticide atrazine to determine its effects on humans.