Marestail, also known as horseweed, competes with soybeans throughout the growing season, reducing crop yields. In a 2010 Ohio State University study, soybeans yielded 51 bushels per acre when burndown treatment failed to control emerged plants; 57 bushels per acre when the burndown was effective, but there was no residual herbicide; and 65 bushels per acre when the burndown was effective and effective residual herbicides were used.

Advanced production techniques, informed growing practices and improved seed varieties helped corn growers achieve high yields in the National Corn Growers Association 2013 National Corn Yield Contest. Entrants continued to far surpass the national average corn yield, setting a contest record with a new all-time high yield of 454 bushels per acre.

Media coverage of the controversy surrounding the use of certain non-native feedstocks for bioenergy is as pervasive as invasiveness itself. Plants such as giant reed (Arundo donax) and elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) are known to be weedy or invasive in natural habitats; the concern lies in their ability to spread propagules into natural habitats outside intended areas.

Purdue and University of Illinois researchers have discovered a novel corn mutant whose leaves are highly susceptible to attack by Western corn rootworm beetles, a pest that feeds primarily on corn silks and pollen. While Western corn rootworm beetles were previously thought to avoid corn leaves based on food-source preference, study of the mutant suggests that normal corn plants have an active defense mechanism that deters the beetles from feeding on their foliage.

Conditions have been unusually cold throughout Kansas during most of December.

No doubt most farmers are good stewards of the land and want to conserve it for themselves and future generations. To most farmers that means conserving their soil base and to others it means improving it which means practicing no-till.

We have been receiving reports since corn harvest began this fall about an unusual phenomenon: yields of the outside 8 to 24 rows on the south or west edges of corn fields show lower or much lower yields than corn farther into the field.

CropLife Foundation (CLF) released “The Role of Seed Treatment in Modern U.S. Crop Production,� an in-depth report detailing the uses of seed treatments, primarily fungicides and insecticides, and the resulting benefits for growers, consumers and the environment. The report highlights the role of modern seed treatments in producing healthier, more uniform crops; increasing crop value; and allowing growers to plant earlier in the season, all while reducing potential environmental exposure through an increasingly precise application method.

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) will host an important national webinar on Jan. 23, 2014, to discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent efforts to assure greater uniformity and clarity on its policy related to farmers who currently grow cover crops or may grow them in the future.

In the minds of many, a freshly tilled field is picturesque — clean and ready for the next planting. But according to a soil health expert, what looks good to the eye, isn’t always good for the soil — or a farmer’s bottom line.