21st annual gathering of innovative no-tillers in Indianapolis offers valuable management tips from more than 40 speakers over 4 information-packed days in January 2013

With this years drought conditions there is less residue than normal in many fields. In some, the crop was harvested as a forage or cut as silage, leaving very little residue at all. Without residue to absorb the energy of raindrop impact and keep the wind off the soil surface, soil erosion will be greater and surface crusting could be a problem. Also, without the water-conserving residue mulch, soil moisture losses by evaporation will be much higher.

A study published this week by Washington State University research professor Charles Benbrook finds that the use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops - cotton, soybeans and corn - has actually increased. This counterintuitive finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service. Benbrooks analysis is the first peer-reviewed, published estimate of the impacts of genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-resistant (HT) crops on pesticide use.

More corn acres brought on by high corn prices in recent years could tempt winter wheat growers to plant the crop into corn stubble, but a Purdue Extension pathologist says the practice puts wheat at risk for head scab development.

A new field drainage technology could help reduce runoff from farm fields and reduce the risk of harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie and other Ohio lakes.

It’s apparent Mother Nature dealt farmers throughout much of the United States a rough, dry hand this summer.

November 2012 soybean futures reached a high of $17.89 on September 4, but have declined sharply since then.

Soil Quality Specialist Jeff Hemenway of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Huron said if producers reduce tillage or increase surface residue, they can increase infiltration rates.

The combination of drought conditions, heavy irrigation, and widely varying yields means that soil testing is more important than ever this year.

With this year's drought conditions, the stress on soybeans was intensified by soybean cyst nematode (SCN) in many fields, causing visible yellow patches of stunted plants that we usually only see associated with high SCN populations.