A six-legged robot that can climb hills and plod its way across open deserts, collecting data in all kinds of weather, is helping a USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and his colleagues better understand wind erosion, which is a threat to the western U.S. rangelands that beef producers depend on for grazing.

Prolonged cool weather in spring delayed the onset of wheat diseases during the 2019 growing season. This University of Nebraska Extension article summarizes strategies that can be used this fall to minimize losses during next year’s growing season.

The home stretch of this year’s U.S. corn and soybean crops is still a ways off, unlike recent years when, by this date, farmers would be preparing their combines for harvest.

Manitoba Agriculture is reporting a new strain of clubroot of canola (Plasmodiophora brassicae), having been positively identified in the rural municipality of Pembina, says the Canola Council of Canada.

One plant disease to keep a lookout for when harvesting grains and grasses for animal and human consumption is ergot, which generates toxic alkaloids that could potentially create problems with livestock feeding and when trying to market a small grain crop. The Crop Protection Network shares some of the commonly asked questions pertaining to ergot.

Problems caused by unfavorable conditions this season have resulted in greater than normal weed escapes. While there are no simple answers, in most situations, late-season herbicide applications will not likely be effective and are not warranted, according to Iowa State University.

Beginning in 2020, Germany will begin phasing out the use of the controversial herbicide glyphosate and completely ban it from 2023 as part of measures rolled out by the country’s environment ministry to protect insects.