Eric Brennan and a team of University of California-Davis collaborators began a 2-year field study that evolved into a unique long-term investigation of high-value organic cropping.

Engineered to produce the bacterial toxin, Bt, "Bt corn" resists attack by corn rootworm, a pest that feeds on roots and can cause annual losses of up to $1 billion, but besides merely protecting against these losses, the Bt trait has also boosted corn yields, in some cases beyond normal expectations.

Acid soils are becoming an important issue in Kansas, even in the western reaches of the state where most people think of high pH as a bigger issue.

The quality of your corn stand will largely depend on planter performance, says Sjoerd Duiker, associate professor of soil management and applied soil physics at Penn State University.

The National Corn Growers Association announced that the enhanced Compliance Assurance Program, which includes on-farm refuge assessments, an online survey and IRM education and awareness, is seeing strong success and an increase in the number of growers planting their corn refuge.

With help from a wind tunnel and the latest DNA technology, USDA ARS scientists are shedding light on the travel patterns of soilborne hitchhikers.

Droughts can severely limit crop growth, causing yearly losses of around $8 billion in the United States.

Several years after the initial lime application, it is not unusual for the soil pH to decline again, especially in the upper 2 to 3 inches of soil.

Concerns about long-term shifts in climate patterns have led scientists to measure soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural landscapes and to develop methods to evaluate how changes in tillage practices affect atmospheric carbon sequestration.

Following last year’s record-setting drought, some Vigo County, Ind., farmers have turned to cover crops to help trap nitrogen in the ground to benefit this year’s crops.