The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program unveiled by Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, is designed to provide $19 billion to support farmers and ranchers while maintaining the integrity of the food supply chain, according to the USDA.

For agronomist Joey Hanson, Elk Point, S.D., spring 2020 is business as usual — so far. Hanson, owner of Diversified Agronomy, a crop consulting and custom strip-till business, has been assisting his 30-plus customers in South Dakota and Nebraska get ready for planting season.

Economists at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University have issued a new policy brief that measures the revenue impacts the COVID-19 outbreak is having on some of Iowa's largest agricultural industries. Estimates show overall annual damage of roughly $788 million for corn, $213 million for soybean, over $2.5 billion for ethanol, $658 million for fed cattle, $34 million for calves and feeder cattle, and $2.1 billion for hogs.

Starting this spring, global commodities trader Cargill will pay American farmers for capturing carbon in their field soils and cutting fertilizer runoff.

In this episode of the “No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editors caught up with two experienced farmers — David Hula and Darin Stolte — from the floor at this year’s Commodity Classic Show in San Antonio for insights into record-breaking corn yields and targeted nutrient management.

The second USDA crop progress report, released April 13, shows that corn planting progress is on track with 2019 progress at 3% planted.

Field scouting to identify the weeds present and their relative densities will provide the information needed to tailor a burndown herbicide program for any particular field. Learn to identify several weed species that are common to midwestern fields at this time of year with these brief descriptions and color photographs from the University of Illinois.