In both wet spring weather and drought conditions, the timing of cover crop termination can have a big impact on soil moisture levels, according to Purdue University.

In case you missed them, here are the items that have garnered the most interest from farmers in the past month.

USDA reported 46% of corn planted as of the week ended May 2, according to the latest USDA Crop Progress report.

Data from the 2nd annual Cover Crop Benchmark Study — compiled and organized by Cover Crop Strategies — shows a proposed rule change to NRCS conservation technical standards relating to cover crops could have a very negative affect on farmers and ranchers.

The fava bean is a frost tolerant, saline tolerant, nitrogen-fixing legume that has cool season and warm season varieties, produces abundant biomass and has a stout, erect growth. With a wide spectrum of forms and genetic traits, it can be tricky to find the variety best adapted for a specific area, but recent research from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service is helping to pinpoint the best options for growers in the West.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Montag Manufacturing, we chat with independent agriculture consultant Bill Stangel of Madison, Wis., who joins us to discuss some of the ways farmers can minimize environmental impacts by focusing on developing healthy soils.

According to the latest USDA Crop Progress report, some 3% of corn has emerged in the week ended April 25, in line with the 3% emerged in the same week last year but below the 5-year average of 4%.

A Mexican judge has sided with Bayer AG in a legal challenge to a government plan to prohibit glyphosate, providing temporary relief from a looming ban on the widely used herbicide.