Fertilizer is used worldwide to give plants a boost, increasing yield and ultimately farmers’ profits. But, as the old adage goes: the dose makes the poison. With over-the-counter medicines, people need to take the right dose, at the right intervals, for the medicine to be safe and effective. Fertilizer works the same way.

The sugarcane aphid (SCA) has now been reported in several counties in Kansas and grain sorghum producers should begin scouting their fields on a routine basis, says Kansas State University Extension.

The board of directors of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) issued a statement supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) science-based approach to evaluating glyphosate — a herbicide that has been the focus of recent lawsuits by those concerned that it may be carcinogenic.

Site-specific yield estimation is important for efficient management of agricultural inputs and explaining spatial yield variability. However, the causes of yield variability may differ due to interactions among weather, crop management, and site characteristics such as soil type and topography, according to the University of Minnesota.

A 65-year University of Nebraska comparative analysis between U.S. yields of irrigated and rainfed crops has sounded a message to farmers, land managers and policymakers: Mind the gap.

There was very little change in the overall condition of this year’s corn and soybean crop during the past week, but both continue to lag crop conditions at this point a year ago, according to USDA’s Aug. 19 Crop Progress report.

Thinking about applying manure soon on fields where short-season crops like sweet corn or peas have already come off or will be harvested in the next few weeks? Consider planting a cover crop to hold the nutrients in place this fall and next spring, according to this article from University of Minnesota Extension.

Water quality is a frequently overlooked factor that can adversely affect the performance of pesticides, especially herbicides. Besides pH, water “hardness” is a key concern, with much of the agricultural water sources across the U.S.

In a new study from the University of Illinois, scientists document waterhemp’s resistance to yet another class of herbicides, known as Group 15s. The study provides the first documentation of a non-grass plant to be resistant to Group 15 herbicides.