At the top of the printed agenda from the manager’s meeting that week in a larger font was the goal they had been working toward for over two years: “30/30 by ’13.” Below it was the explanation: “30,000 Rolling Herd Average, 30 percent Cull Rate by December 2013.” They were goal-driven.

Researchers at the University of Maryland and Columbia University have developed a new soil testing kit designed to help farmers in third world countries. On-the-spot soil testing could have major impact in improving crop yields due to poor soils.

Monsanto Company today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire The Climate Corporation for a cash purchase price of approximately $930 million. The acquisition will combine The Climate Corporation’s expertise in agriculture analytics and risk-management with Monsanto’s R&D capabilities, and will provide farmers access to more information about the many factors that affect the success of their crops.

Study suggests earthworms could be established in drought-prone dryland soils to improve soil quality.

Harvesting soybeans in a timely manner and at the optimum moisture is important to getting the best yields. Even though stems may be green, soybeans may be dry and ready for harvest.

Variable soil types, knolls, and drought have left some growers with extreme in-field variability of soybean maturity. There are areas in fields where the soybean seed is 13% or less moisture adjacent to areas with green seed.

Environmental advocates in states along the Mississippi River have won a round toward a long-term goal of having federal standards created to regulate farmland runoff and other pollution blamed for the oxygen-depleted “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, and problems in other bodies of water.