When I was a kid, I loved reading choose-your-own-adventure books. You never knew where you were going to end up or how things would turn out. Farming is a lot like a choose-your-own-adventure story.

The most recent Crop Progress report from USDA reported 67% of corn had been planted as of the week ended May 10. This far exceeds the 28% planted in the same week last year.

Data from the first-ever Cover Crop Benchmark Study finds many growers are new to cover crops and are starting with smaller plantings.

Using nitrogen fertilizer can result in substantial economic return for farmers, but when nitrogen inputs exceed crop needs, excessive amounts of nitrate can enter either ground or surface water. Selecting the right nitrogen source can help growers produce crops in a more profitable and environmentally-friendly way, says the University of Minnesota.

The USDA Crop Progress report for the week ended May 3, 2020 showed planting progress for both corn and soybeans above progress for the same week last year, as well as above their respective five year averages.

Winter annuals like henbit, pennycress, shepherd’s purse, mustard, annual bluegrass, and cheatgrass are often a problem that seem to magically appear in alfalfa stands every spring. Find out what to do about them with these guidelines from the University of Nebraska.