BASF, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, welcomed 51 farms to the FiberMax One Ton Club following the 2021 growing season, continuing its long-standing tradition of celebrating cotton farmers’ impressive yield achievements. The farm with the highest yield in 2021 went well beyond the club’s one-ton threshold. Michael and Melissa Hoch of M & M Farms reported an average yield of 3,417 pounds of cotton per acre—the second highest yield on record for the One Ton Club—and a gross val… Read more

The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program announce the launch of a pilot project in western Kansas for sorghum farmers to generate high quality carbon, greenhouse gas, water quality and biodiversity credits in ESMC’s market program. The project will test ESMC’s streamlined programming to create environmental credits from sorghum farmers’ fields. Read more

The National Sorghum Producers’ 2022 Sorghum PAC Series broke the organization’s fundraising record for the third consecutive year. The series, co-sponsored by Sorghum Partners and ADAMA, brought in more than $188,000 for the Sorghum PAC—an increase of more than $50,000 from the previous year. Read more

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, sorghum crop conditions were as follows for the week ending May 22. Read more

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, wheat crop conditions were as follows for the week ending May 22. Read more

The Deltapine seed brand’s New Product Evaluator program kicks off its 15th season in 2022, celebrating a milestone of helping raise yield potential and improving production across the Cotton Belt. The class of ’23 cotton variety candidates under evaluation will include an especially diverse lineup of maturities and pest trait platforms. Read more

Field bindweed has long been one of the most persistent and troublesome weeds for growers throughout the U.S. but especially in the southern Plains region. Because of its drought tolerance, it seems to be especially prevalent in 2022.

The weed spreads by both seed and rhizomes and can infest new fields by seed contamination from combines and cattle manure. Once the seed germinates, the new plant can become a perennial in as little as six weeks. Read more

The May 12 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates showed little change in the corn balance sheet from the previous WASDE, but soybeans and wheat told a different story. The report was the first WASDE to offer a mix of old and new crop estimates, and to take account of the disruptions of the war in Ukraine to world crop production. Read more

The 2022 Wheat Quality Council’s Hard Winter Wheat Tour across Kansas wrapped up on May 19. During the three days of wheat scouting, tour participants traveled six routes from Manhattan to Colby to Wichita and back to Manhattan. This year's tour hosted people from 24 U.S. states plus Mexico and Canada in 20 vehicles while traveling across the state. Read more

As All Aboard Wheat Harvest cuts into its 14th year, High Plains Journal is celebrating wheat’s journey from the early summer soils of the High Plains to our readers’ tables year-round. Read more

After a disappointing first day on the north corridor route the second day, May 18, provided a glimpse of patches of better Kansas wheat. Read more

Those who might have been hoping for bright spots of top production were likely to be disappointed during the first day of the Kansas Wheat Tour. Read more

In this video from K-State Research and Extension, wheat specialist Romulo Lollato outlines the effects of various management strategies—including seeding rate and the application of starter fertilizer, nitrogen, sulfur, chloride and foliar fungicides—on wheat yields. Read more

Quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah") is increasingly popular as a high-protein, slightly nutty flavored grain-like seed that can be made into flour for bread and pasta, used in soups and cereal, eaten as a snack food, and fermented into alcoholic beverages like beer. Read more

USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported the following crop conditions for the week ending May 15. Read more

To provide infrastructure to Missouri’s largest soybean producing region, Cargill has unveiled plans to build a new soybean processing facility in Pemiscot County, near Hayti and Caruthersville, to support growing domestic and global demand for oilseeds driven by food, feed and fuel markets. Read more

Kansas State University researchers are out to develop a better diagnostic test for a disease that is sometimes confused for a pathogen regulated by some countries that import U.S. wheat. Read more

Managing farm workers has never been easy, but changes in regulations, immigration laws and a shrinking pool of eligible hires has increased the level of difficulty for farm managers, according to Brandon Davis, a nationally recognized labor attorney. Read more

In recent months, U.S. grain rail shipping has faced a host of service-related challenges ranging from delayed cars to metered traffic and dramatic spot freight market increases. Those service problems reached such elevated levels that the U.S. rail regulatory body, the Surface Transportation Board, stepped in. Read more

Modern agriculture is a lot more than just digging in the dirt; today a breeder's toolbox might include genomics and informatics (data management and software) along with their shovel and spade. Read more

Once solely associated with the old South, plantations and "Gone with the Wind," cotton production has migrated toward the High Plains over the last few years and is on its way to becoming a staple in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Researchers at Oklahoma State University and Kansas State University recognized this shift and have launched a four-year joint research program—funded by a $750,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture—to study cotton in the High Plains. Read more

While recent rains have provided a needed respite for agricultural producers in some parts of Texas, the majority of producers did not benefit and continue to hope for more, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts and others. Read more

Last week saw much needed rainfall across the state, but areas in southwest Kansas missed out on it once again. Much of southwest Kansas has gone nearly 300 days without an inch of precipitation. Read more

USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported the following winter wheat crop conditions for the week ending May 8. Read more

Seven new sources of edamame soybeans are now available for use in breeding commercial varieties that can resist insects and disease, according to Agricultural Research Service and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scientists. Read more

A new peer-reviewed research report published by the Soil Health Institute provides fresh insights into the vital role that soil organic carbon levels can play in preventing drought, reducing flooding and improving the health and water retention of the soils used to grow crops. Read more

The world is watching and wondering about this year’s wheat harvest—both in Kansas and abroad. The combination of expanding drought conditions and steep input prices in the United States and the continued impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has the markets—and farmers on both sides of the world—on edge. A collection of resources from policy-makers and analysts offers insights into the economic impacts of current geopolitics. Read more

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently planted a tree to announce the reopening of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s People’s Garden Initiative. People’s Gardens across the country will grow fresh, healthy food and support resilient, local food systems; teach people how to garden using conservation practices; nurture habitat for pollinators and wildlife and create greenspace for neighbors. The garden at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. will be joined by 17 flagship gardens lo… Read more

When management practices degrade a natural resource used in farming to the degree that its sustainability or intended use is impaired, then a given land unit is said to have a resource concern. The Natural Resources Conservation Service has identified 47 specific resource concerns affecting crop fields in the United States. Read more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a commitment of $50 million to assist eligible apparel manufacturers of worsted wool suits, sport coats, pants, or Pima cotton dress shirts; Pima cotton spinners; and wool fabric manufacturers and wool spinners. The new Cotton and Wool Apparel program is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative and the Department’s efforts to help our food, agriculture and forestry sectors get back on track and plan for the future. Read more

Kansas State University will host field days in Kingman and Sumner counties on May 12 to highlight the latest research, variety, and production information on winter canola. Read more

Missouri farm income appears on pace for another record year, according to John Kruse, associate research and extension professor in agricultural and applied economics at the University of Missouri. Read more

Justin Knopf believes that a major part of his life as a farmer is to build a partnership with the land. Not just today, tomorrow—but every day. Read more

It’s hard to believe, but it’s now been more than three years since the 2018 farm bill became law. As the old saying goes, though, there’s no rest for the weary, something South Dakota agriculture producers know better than anyone. We’re still more than a year away from needing to pass the next farm bill, but it’s time to start thinking about it now. Read more

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report recently that underscored the urgency for implementing climate solutions and spelled out the gravity of the situation if action is delayed or curtailed. The urgency of climate change isn’t something that needs to be explained to Nebraska’s producers—they are on the frontline, seeing the impacts every year. Read more

Soil health is hot. Never has there been so much interest in the general culture about soil health and how it affects food. But better soil health practices are not being adopted fast enough, and the window of opportunity for preserving soil health is closing, according to Wayne Honeycutt, president and CEO of the Soil Health Institute and a 25-year veteran of the United States Department of Agriculture. Read more

The National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Associates applaud the Joe Biden administration’s announcement April 28 stating the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development are providing $670 million in food assistance to countries in need. Read more

Fertilizer prices, already rising before Russia invaded Ukraine, have been sent into the stratosphere. How soon are they likely to return to earth? According to data from the American Farm Bureau and the United States Department of Agriculture, fertilizer costs are expected to jump 12% this year, after rising 17% in 2021. According to one farm publication, the price of one fertilizer, di-ammonium phosphate, is the highest it’s ever been. Read more

Beginning in February, already elevated global wheat prices surged in the wake of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, who together accounted for 28% of all wheat exports in marketing year 2020-2021. Read more

Oklahoma State University’s flagship field day is quickly approaching with an opportunity to gain valuable wheat knowledge and earn continuing education credits. Read more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking nominees for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board to succeed four members whose terms expire in December. Read more

Chefs, food marketers, millers and other wheat industry representatives came together in Napa, California, on April 11 to 14 for the Wheat Foods Council’s Chef Workshop and first Future of Food Forum. Read more