The optimal corn seeding rate for any situation will depend on the anticipated environment and how the hybrid responds to that environment.

After talking with many farmers throughout Ohio during this years Extension meetings, one common question keeps popping up: What about nitrogen application to soybean? Yes, soybean plants have high nitrogen requirements due to the high protein content of grain. On average, approximately 4 pounds of nitrogen is removed per bushel of grain.

Cover crops can be excellent systems to capture excess nutrients and reduce the risk of erosion over the winter months. The most common cover crop used is wheat but other species are gaining popularity.

Cargill Inc., the top exporter of U.S. grain and oilseeds, said it will reject crops containing a new genetically modified Syngenta AG corn trait that are delivered to its grain elevators for export contracts. Corn seeds containing Syngenta's Agrisure Duracade trait are available for planting in the U.S. for the first time this year after U.S. authorities cleared the trait in 2013.

Populations of European corn borer (ECB), a major corn crop pest, have declined significantly in the eastern United States, according to Penn State researchers. The decline suggests that the use of genetically modified, ECB-resistant corn hybrids an expensive, yet effective, solution that has been widely adopted by farmers may now be unnecessary in some areas.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture opened the door Friday to commercial sales of corn and soybean seeds genetically engineered to resist the weed killer 2,4-D, which is best known as an ingredient in the Vietnam War-era herbicide Agent Orange.

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.