Those number on your glyphosate bill are going to look a lot larger. In fact, glyphosate prices have doubled from a year ago, and could perhaps triple in some cases.

A new No-Till network, known as the Conservation Agriculture Systems Alliance (CASA), has been formed to help local and regional organizations drive adoption of no-till systems and represent North American interests in international conservation agriculture talks.

Main has been the only state in the U.S. that doesn’t permit the planting of Bt corn, but that might be about to change. The state’s Board of Pesticide Control licensed the genetically engineered corn this past summer and recently held a public hearing on proposed rules regulating its use in the state. Bt corn could be used for the first time in Maine as soon as 2008.

Corn cobs and fiber, along with stover, are likely to remain the main focus for cellulosic ethanol research and deployment in the Midwest over the next few years, according to the National Corn Growers Association. Cellulosic ethanol is made from the woody parts of plants, rather than the more easily refined grain. Cellulosic studies are now moving from basic research to applications, the NCGA notes.

It's fair to say that optimum fertility helps produce optimum yields. Getting the right nutrients to the corn plant is imperative.

The complexity of precision ag technology, when combined with your own knowledge, boils down to creating information that guides your decisions toward greater profits, according to Joe Nester and John McGuire.