According to the latest Crop Progress report from USDA, some 96% of corn was reported emerged, above both the 94% emerged last year and the 90% emerged in the week prior. The 5-year average emergence rate for this week was 91%.

Economists at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University have issued a new policy brief that measures the revenue impacts the COVID-19 outbreak is having on some of Iowa's largest agricultural industries. Estimates show overall annual damage of roughly $788 million for corn, $213 million for soybean, over $2.5 billion for ethanol, $658 million for fed cattle, $34 million for calves and feeder cattle, and $2.1 billion for hogs.

This spring has been called the wettest on record in the Corn Belt and other major growing regions of the U.S. and the pace of planting would seem to verify this claim. As of Sunday, May 26, corn planting in the U.S. is 32 days behind the 5 year average and soybeans are 37 days behind the 5 year average.

USDA data indicates that corn planted after the middle of this month (May) tends to produce lower yields than corn crops planted in April or early part of May. This isn’t good news for anyone involved.

Enlist E3 soybeans are approved for cultivation in the U.S., Canada and Brazil and have received import authorization in importing countries, including China and the Philippines. The Enlist E3 trait is the only commercially available trait that confers tolerance to a new 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate in a three-gene molecular stack.

Jody Wynia, U.S. Soybean marketing manager for BASF, discusses the reasons behind the growth in usage of Credenz soybeans by U.S. farmers, as well as the new varieties being launched that have herbicide tolerance to both Liberty herbicide (glufosinate) and glyphosate.

If Fe deficiency persists, leaf tissue and even the plant growing point may die. In addition to being important for chlorophyll production, Fe is important for energy transfer within the plant cells, enzyme production, and root nodule formation.

Cover crops can be used for different reasons, such as to provide soil erosion protection, alleviate compaction, control weeds, fix atmospheric nitrogen for the next crop, harvest for hay, and as a grazing resource. The reason for using a cover crop will determine which species or mixture of species you choose, as well as how you manage it.

Knowing key pests is just the first step; developing an insect-management strategy for crops based on scouting, use of crop rotation and field history are critical next steps that enable you to choose the right product for the job.