Corn

FTC Launches Formal Investigation Into Fertilizer Industry as Farmers Say They're 'Fed Up'

Thu, 28 May 2026 18:54:54 GMT

The Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday it has formally launched a sweeping investigation into fertilizer pricing and market concentration, marking the most significant federal scrutiny of the fertilizer industry in years and giving farmers hope that long-running concerns over soaring input costs and limited competition may finally face legal examination.

Speaking before farmers gathered on a North Texas farm, FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson announced the commission had already initiated a “major industry-wide investigation” into fertilizer prices, citing USDA data showing fertilizer has delivered the largest increase in production costs for U.S. farmers since 2020.

“These continued price increases are not something our nation, much less our farmers, can continue to ignore,” Ferguson says.

FTC Chairman Ferguson just announced an investigation into the fertilizer industry following continued advocacy from Iowa Corn. Thank you to him and the FTC for listening to corn farmers feeling the impact across the country. We look forward to continuing to keep the pressure on. pic.twitter.com/YT0sWA32kB
— Iowa Corn (@iowa_corn) May 28, 2026

For farmers attending the event, the announcement drew a standing ovation. After years of frustration, congressional testimony and criticism of the fertilizer industry, the FTC’s move marks the first formal federal investigation with subpoena power and the potential for antitrust enforcement if wrongdoing is uncovered.

“We’re highly encouraged,” South Dakota farmer Trent Kubik told Farm Journal following the announcement. “This is something we’ve looked forward to for a long time. We’ve heard a lot of talk from this administration, which has been nice because they’ve really looked into fertilizer and other anticompetitive issues in agriculture. But now we finally have some action.”

Kubik says Thursday’s announcement signals that the federal government is beginning to take farmer concerns seriously.

“We finally have an investigation announced today that can look into whether there’s antitrust behavior happening and whether something can finally be done about it,” he adds.

Farmers Say Fertilizer Prices No Longer Reflect Market Fundamentals

The FTC investigation centers on concerns surrounding fertilizer market concentration and pricing practices among major fertilizer manufacturers including Mosaic, Nutrien, CF Industries and Koch.

Farmers attending the event argued fertilizer prices have remained historically elevated long after the supply chain shocks of 2021 and 2022 eased, even as commodity prices and farm profitability declined.

According to organizers, fertilizer prices have risen more than 150% since 2020, while net farm income has fallen sharply from recent highs.

Thank you to @FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson for announcing an investigation on fertilizer competition! This is a great first step towards true capitalism and uses the law to help family farmers.

South Dakota Corn board members joined farmers and agricultural leaders from across… pic.twitter.com/hPAECLbTH9
— South Dakota Corn (@sdcorn) May 28, 2026

Kubik, a fourth-generation farmer from south-central South Dakota who grows corn, soybeans, small grains and cattle feed, said fertilizer costs have fundamentally changed the economics of farming over the last five years.

“We were paying $200 to $300 a ton for urea in 2020. That jumped to over $900 a ton in 2022 when corn prices were high. And at least back then, corn prices were also elevated, so there was somewhat of a relationship there,” he says.

But Kubik adds that relationship has since disappeared, heightening the scrutiny of the fertilizer industry and pricing.

“Now we’re still sitting at $700 to $800 fertilizer, and the price of corn has not gone up,” he says. “There’s no correlation anymore. That’s what’s leaving us with very few answers and very little control in the situation.”

Kubik adds the persistence of high fertilizer prices has forced many farmers to rethink purchasing decisions and cash flow strategies.

“I held off buying a lot of fertilizer this year because, at the time, it just did not make economic sense to buy at those levels,” Kubik explains. “I kept saying the math isn’t working out. Eventually it’s going to come down. But it just doesn’t.”

‘Fed Up’ Farmers Push Back Against Industry Concentration

The event itself carried a clear message for both regulators and fertilizer manufacturers. Behind the speakers hung a large sign reading: “Fed Up: Fertilizer Cartel Profits off Farmers’ Backs and Your Grocery Bill.” While the event was in Texas, it drew farmers from 18 states to attend, representing multiple commodities.

Kubik says no matter what crop you grow, the frustration over fertilizer has been building for years.

“The backdrop today said ‘Fed Up,’ and that’s exactly what we are,” he says. “We can understand maybe one year or two years of a price hike because of supply constraints or production issues. But this has gone on multiple years now, and it just doesn’t make sense anymore.”

Farmers also point to recent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East as an example of how global events continue to rapidly inflate fertilizer prices, even when domestic inventories appear unaffected.

“They use issues like the Strait of Hormuz closing to jump up fertilizer that’s already here in this country. It didn’t come through the Strait of Hormuz. But they use that excuse to jump the price. There’s just so little control,” Kubik says.

The South Dakota farmer says he and other farmers hope the FTC investigation sends a strong message to fertilizer companies that their business practices are finally being scrutinized.

“I hope this is kind of a shot across the bow to tell them we don’t like the way they operate and the way they treat us as customers,” Kubik adds. “Their increased profits again and again and again are on our backs while our income is not in the green — it’s in the red.”

Farmers Want Competition, Not Government-Controlled Prices

While many farmers attending the event called for aggressive federal oversight, Kubik emphasizes producers are not asking the government to dictate fertilizer prices. Instead, he says farmers’ wants are simple: to get back to transparent and competitive markets.

“We obviously don’t want the federal government dictating our prices or anything like that, but the federal government does have a role to play here to make sure our markets are free and fair,” he says.

Kubik adds market concentration within the fertilizer industry has left farmers with few alternatives when prices rise.

“There are so few fertilizer manufacturers, which means there’s just not a lot of competition,” he says. “Right now it kind of emulates what it used to be like before we formed this country where we were under king control. Now we’re under the king control of monopolies.”

Kubik says farmers believe increasing competition could help stabilize prices over time, and he points specifically to phosphate imports, where he argues trade barriers are limiting supply options.

“There’s a countervailing duty on imported phosphate right now,” Kubik says. “When that duty went on back in 2021, my phosphorus fertilizer went up and really hasn’t come back down to sustainable levels.”

Kubik also says the U.S. has the resources necessary to expand domestic nitrogen production if permitting and regulatory hurdles were eased.

“We have cheap natural gas here. We can make nitrogen here,” he points out. “We just need to reduce the roadblocks to put new plants in and expedite permitting so we can entice more competition into this market.”

Farmers From 18 States Gathered in Texas

The event brought together farmers and commodity leaders from across the country, including producers representing corn, soybeans, cotton, rice and wheat.

“This wasn’t just corn growers. There were rice farmers, cotton farmers, soybean farmers, wheat farmers. This affects all of us equally,” Kubik says.

The South Dakota farmer credited Texas Corn and other state commodity organizations for helping bring national attention to the issue.

“Texas Corn has done a ton of work on this,” he says on why it was important to host the event in Texas. “But this issue is widespread, and we wanted to make that known.”

In addition to launching the investigation, the FTC emphasized Thursday that it would protect the confidentiality of anyone participating in the inquiry and encouraged individuals with relevant information to come forward.

“We appreciate the opportunity to share the on-the-ground reality farmers are experiencing,” says Lance Lillibridge, Iowa farmer and former president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. “We’re grateful Chairman Ferguson and the FTC came to Texas, listened to our farmers and took action. Now we need that investigation to follow the evidence wherever it leads.”

Thursday’s announcement does not immediately lower fertilizer bills heading into another difficult farm economy. But after years of sounding alarms about fertilizer costs, Kubik says many farmers left Texas feeling like progress had finally been made.

“We wish this would have happened five years ago before this issue became really challenging, but we’re really glad it’s happening now,” Kubik says.

A new complaint inbox for the investigation has also been set up. If you would like to file a complaint, send an email to fertilizercomplaints@ftc.gov .

Administration Targets Both Long-Term Supply and Immediate Fertilizer Movement

The FTC investigation also comes amid a broader push by the Trump administration to address fertilizer affordability through both long-term production expansion and short-term supply chain relief.

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled a sweeping federal strategy aimed at rebuilding domestic fertilizer production and reducing America’s dependence on foreign suppliers. The effort includes accelerating fertilizer manufacturing projects, streamlining permitting, expanding supply chains and coordinating policy across multiple federal agencies.

The initiative involves USDA, the Department of Energy, EPA, Department of Commerce, Treasury Department, State Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in what administration officials described as an “all-of-government” approach to fertilizer policy.

Among the key announcements was the fast-tracking of permits for the $3.7 billion Blue Point ammonia facility in Louisiana, which could become the world’s largest ammonia plant by 2029 if completed as planned.

The administration also announced plans to revive and restructure USDA’s Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, helping stalled fertilizer projects move forward while encouraging additional domestic nitrogen and phosphate production capacity.

Then this week, the administration announced additional emergency steps aimed at easing fertilizer transportation bottlenecks during the busy application season.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Rollins announced a new 90-day waiver suspending hours-of-service limits and electronic logging device requirements for fertilizer transport in 35 states.

Speaking at a Pennsylvania farm, Rollins said President Trump has activated his entire Cabinet to address both the short- and long-term availability and affordability of fertilizer.

According to USDA, more than 50% of all fertilizer tonnage moves by truck, while every ton of fertilizer transported in the U.S. travels by truck at some point in the supply chain.

Trump Warns Fertilizer Giants Against "Price Gouging" as Costs Soar 40%

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:46:56 GMT

Fertilizer market volatility is once again taking center stage as geopolitical tensions disrupt global supply lines and push input costs sharply higher. New analysis shows the increase in fertilizer prices may not be over, even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens soon.

Even with the situation in Iran pushing prices even higher, the sharp increase in fertilizer prices from 2020 to now is catching attention in Washington. Not only did President Donald Trump take to social media to warn of ‘price gouging,’ but Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also posted on X Monday, specifically expressing frustration over Mosaic’s response to farmers.

While Rollins and USDA Under Secretary Stephen Vaden have raised concerns over fertilizer prices this year, the president posted on Truth Social over the weekend that he is closely monitoring fertilizer prices and pledged support for American farmers.

Trump said Saturday on his Truth Social platform he is “watching fertilizer prices CLOSELY” during what he described as the US “FIGHT FOR FREEDOM in Iran”, adding that the administration “will not accept PRICE GOUGING from the fertilizer monopoly”.

On Monday, Rollins posted on X, saying she was “So disappointed in this response” from Mosaic, “especially as you decide to idle two fertilizer production facilities, removing 1 MMT of supply from the world market.”

So disappointed in this response, @MosaicCompany, especially as you decide to idle two fertilizer production facilities, removing 1 MMT of supply from the world market. 🚨

Our Great President and this Administration have our farmers' backs. 💪🌾

Any sleight of hand will not be… https://t.co/GTCxcBQNgi
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) April 13, 2026

Mosaic announced last week the decision to shut down major phosphate operations in Brazil, a move the that will cut production, reduce jobs, and signal a *strategic shift in how the fertilizer giant deploys its capital.

Mosaic Company announced Thursday it will idle two phosphate facilities in Brazil as part of a broader effort to cut costs and shift capital. Mosaic expects idling of the facilities to reduce annual phosphate production by approximately 1 million tonnes. CEO Bruce Bodine says the decision reflects what he calls a disciplined focus on long-term returns.

.@MosaicCompany, you’re right that U.S. farmers are facing a difficult economic situation, only made worse by the extra $6.9 BILLION they have had to spend on fertilizer since you petitioned the government to place duties on imported phosphorus. This has played a major role in… https://t.co/UuOqjE0jBu
— National Corn (NCGA) (@NationalCorn) April 13, 2026

Mosaic and Simplot have also been in the cross hairs of the push to remove countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate . Groups like the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) claim the CVDs are costing U.S. agriculture $1 billion each year.

The CVDs on Moroccan phosphate were put into place by the International Trade Commission (ITC) in 2021. As the sunset review begins, more than 50 state grower groups including the Texas Corn Producers Association, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the ITC to revoke the countervailing duties on imported phosphate fertilizers from Morocco and Russia.

In separate filings by Mosaic and Simplot to the ITC and the Department of Commerce, both companies said the continuation is necessary to maintain a “level playing field.”

In a written response to Farm Journal, Mosaic said:

“American farmers depend on a strong domestic fertilizer industry, which in turn depends on strong enforcement of U.S. trade laws that ensure a level playing field. Mosaic is proud to support U.S. agriculture with high-quality, reliable products produced here at home.”

Iran War’s Current Impact on Fertilizer Prices

The message from the Trump adminstration comes as tensions escalate in the Strait of Hormuz, where the United States is weighing a potential full naval blockade. Ship traffic through the critical waterway has already dropped from roughly 135 vessels per day to the single digits. A complete shutdown could halt flows entirely, further increasing fertilizer prices.

The stakes are high as roughly one-third of global fertilizer shipments move through the strait, and the disruption is already sending prices higher, up more than 40% compared to a year ago.

It is the 6-week anniversary of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Fert price comparisons:

NOLA urea - +$230 or 49%
NOLA UAN - +$145 or 38%
Midwest NH3 - +$245 or 32%
NOLA DAP - +$130 or 21%
NOLA potash - +$10 or 3%

...corn - 2-cents or 0.5% higher#sickeningforfarmers
— Josh Linville (@JLinvilleFert) April 10, 2026

Market data shows the impact Iran is having on already high fertilizer prices. According to StoneX analyst Josh Linville says in the six weeks since the war started:

Urea prices have surged by $230 per ton, a 49% increase
UAN is up $145 per ton, or 38%
Anhydrous ammonia has climbed $245 per ton, a 32% jump.
In contrast, corn prices have barely responded, rising just two cents, or about half a percent. The divergence is putting additional pressure on farm margins.

DOJ Probe Into Fertilizer Costs Seeks Input From Farmers

The Trump administration is asking farmers to help provide information as part of an ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation into elevated costs for fertilizer, machinery and other key agricultural inputs, according to reporting from Bloomberg.

Bloomberg reported the effort is aimed at gathering more on-the-ground data as regulators examine whether fertilizer producers may have coordinated to raise prices. The DOJ investigation was first reported in early March, when Bloomberg said federal officials had begun looking into whether fertilizer companies engaged in price coordination.

According to the Bloomberg report, Vaden said he has already met with officials at both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to discuss potential lines of inquiry. He also noted that farmers could play a key role in the process.

Vaden said farmers “have a lot of information that might be relevant to these investigations.”

Bloomberg previously reported in early March that the Department of Justice is investigating whether fertilizer producers colluded to increase prices.

Speaking at the North American Agricultural Journalists’ annual conference in Washington on Monday, Vaden encouraged farmer participation in the probe, emphasizing confidentiality protections.

“We need farmers to help provide us with that information on a confidential basis, so that that can help inform the investigations that are ongoing,” Vaden said, according to Bloomberg. “I think we will have a mechanism in order to help encourage that exchange of information.”

NCGA Surveys Show Not All Farmers Have Fertilizer Secured for 2026

Against that backdrop, along with fertilizer prices climbing even higher in the six weeks after the conflict started with Iran, new surveys results from NCGA highlight how those market pressures are translating to on-farm realities.

Krista Swanson, chief economist for NCGA, says the organization conducted the survey to better understand fertilizer availability from the farmer perspective. Ag Secretary Rollins has told mainstream media that 80% of farmers have fertilizer locked in for 2026, but NCGA data contradicts that figure.

“We’re hearing that number being thrown around too, which is why we really wanted to find out directly from farmers what the status is for them,” Swanson says.

NCGA Grower Survey

(National Corn Growers Association (NCGA))

A Significant Gap in Fertilizer Readiness

The surveys show that only 60% of farmers report having their nitrogen fully purchased or secured for the 2026 growing season, while 64% say the same for phosphate. That leaves a sizable portion of producers still working to lock in supplies.

“When you think about over 500,000 corn farmers in the U.S., this isn’t a small number,” Swanson says. “Our survey results indicate that over 200,000 farmers still need at least some fertilizer for this year.”

Nitrogen remains a critical input for corn production and is closely tied to yield potential. Any shortfall, whether driven by availability or cost, can directly affect productivity and profitability.

NCGA Grower Surveys

(National Corn Growers Association (NCGA))

Younger Farmers Feeling the Pressure Most

The survey also points to uneven impacts across the farm sector, with younger farmers facing greater challenges in securing fertilizer.

Swanson says younger producers reported having more nitrogen left to purchase compared to older farmers.

“You think about younger farmers that have less capital already built up in their business, maybe tighter cash flow needs because of their equity position,” she says. “This does seem to have a disproportional impact on younger farmers.”

That dynamic raises concerns about financial strain among newer operations in a high-cost environment.

Corn Acres Likely Stable, But With Reduced Inputs

Despite the challenges, most farmers are not planning to reduce corn acreage. The survey found that 80% of respondents expect to maintain their planned acres.

NCGA Grower Survey

(National Corn Growers Association (NCGA))

At the same time, fertilizer application rates may fall short. Half of the farmers surveyed say they do not expect to apply their full amount of fertilizer.

“Pairing these two together, it seems to me like we are still going to see a lot of corn acres get planted,” Swanson says. “But those corn acres will have less fertilizer than maybe what they would have otherwise had.”

That combination could limit yield potential if input reductions become widespread.

Growing Concern Shifts to 2027

While fertilizer availability remains a concern for 2026, attention is already turning to the next crop year. Fertilizer purchasing follows a rolling cycle, and planning for 2027 will begin soon.

Survey responses show that for every one farmer more concerned about fertilizer price and availability for 2026, nearly two are more concerned about 2027.

NCGA Grower Survey

(National Corn Growers Association (NCGA))

“So farmers are concerned as we look ahead to next year,” Swanson says.

The shift reflects uncertainty about how long supply disruptions and elevated prices will persist.

Supply Chain Recovery May Take Time

Even if geopolitical tensions ease, relief may not come quickly. Swanson notes that the fertilizer market is still dealing with production disruptions and supply chain backlogs.

“A short-term ceasefire has limited immediate impact on this ongoing fertilizer crisis for farmers,” she says. “Even when a permanent end to the situation is reached, we’re still looking at recovery from supply chain backlogs and halted production that could take a long time to recover from.”

Damage to key inputs such as liquid natural gas and sulfur production could take years to repair, keeping pressure on supply.

A Tightening Outlook

The NCGA survey underscores a challenging environment for corn producers. Most acres are expected to be planted this year, but not all will receive optimal fertilizer applications. At the same time, concern is building for 2027 as farmers look ahead to the next purchasing cycle.

For many producers, the issue is no longer just securing fertilizer for this season. It is navigating a period of sustained uncertainty that could shape production decisions, costs, and risk management strategies across the U.S. corn sector.

Longstanding Concerns Over Market Concentration

In September 2025, USDA and the U.S. Department of Justice signed a Memorandum of Understanding, committing both agencies to jointly examine high and volatile input costs, which included fertilizer, by scrutinizing competitive conditions in agricultural markets and enforcing antitrust laws, particularly around price setting and market concentration.

While geopolitical tensions are the latest driver of volatility, many farm groups argue the root of the problem runs deeper. Matt Perdue, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, says ongoing federal investigations into fertilizer pricing must lead to meaningful action.

“We appreciate the administration’s investigations into input costs,” Perdue says. “But investigations don’t do anything if they’re not followed by enforcement, and they don’t do anything if we don’t learn what came out of those investigations.”

Groups like the Texas Corn Producers Association have been raising concerns about fertilizer market concentration for years. Texas farmer Dee Vaughan says the organization began studying the issue in 2020, working with the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M to examine pricing trends.

“We’ve been very concerned about all of our input costs, but specifically fertilizer, because it’s the one that just keeps going up almost exponentially,” Vaughan says.

He adds those studies found a shift in how fertilizer prices are determined . Historically tied closely to natural gas costs, the study found nitrogen fertilizer pricing began tracking corn prices more closely after 2010, a change Vaughan says reflects deeper structural issues.

According to Vaughan, the small number of firms controlling the market have the data and market awareness to price inputs based on farmers’ revenue potential, rather than production costs.

“They all have economists on staff,” Vaughan says. “They know exactly what our costs are, what our income is, and they’re able to extract value based on what they see as the gross income of a farmer. It’s not based on cost of production any longer.”

Beyond the Blame Game: Navigate the Mental Toll of Modern Ag

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:55:10 GMT

When market pressures mount, it is easy to succumb to the “blame game.” Yet, the most resilient operations are those that anchor themselves in a mission larger than the current balance sheet. For leaders like James Burgum and Lamar Steiger, coping with stress isn’t just about managing the books, it’s about managing the mindset.

The Many Hats of the Modern Producer

James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes the first step in managing stress is acknowledging the sheer weight of the roles farmers play.

“One of the things I did when I stepped into my role is an exercise where I said to our team, ‘Help me understand all the hats on the farm – farmworker, agronomist, grain merchandiser, mechanic, truck driver, snow removal lead, banker, economist,’” Burgum said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “You start to go down the list, and its dozens and dozens of roles that an individual farmer plays.”

By recognizing the complexity of these roles, Burgum argues that producers can move toward servant leadership—prioritizing the team’s needs.

“There are things that are much more important and much bigger than the challenges we’re wrestling with on the job every day,” Burgum says. “It’s hard to juggle all the balls, but at the end of the day, we want everyone on our team to make sure they get home at night and be there for their families.”

Choosing Abundance Over Scarcity

Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, learned about stress through the lens of his father, a man who seemed to face every possible setback: health crises, financial downturns and missed market peaks.

The farm struggled during times of high interest rates in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and his father was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barre, that left him paralyzed for six months.

Still, his dad always had an attitude of abundance, not scarcity, Steiger says.

“With my brothers holding other obligations, I was left to milk the cows,” Steiger says. “We were so far behind, and all my dad would say is, ‘It could be worse.’”

Breaking the Silence

Eventually, his family lost the dairy. After hitting rock bottom and battling depression , Steiger realized that the “tough it out” mentality was a liability, not an asset.

“When the stresses pile up, you’ve got to find help,” Steiger says. “I wasn’t ‘man enough’ to step up and say, ‘Hey, something’s wrong here.’ I should have said, ‘Time out—this is not working.’”

Steiger’s advice for those feeling the weight of the current market is simple: Find your “who.” Whether it is a spouse, a neighbor or a professional, talking through the stress is the only way to separate your self-worth from the volatility of the markets.

“In agriculture, we’re so reliant on outside forces,” Steiger says. “You’ve got to have an attitude that it’s going to work out. As my Dad would say, ‘Well, we never missed a meal.’ That was his bottom line for ‘It’s okay.’”

From Constraints to Catalysts: How Ag Leaders Turn Hardships into Strategy

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:19:04 GMT

In an industry defined by “one-year-at-a-time” cycles, the greatest threat to a growing operation isn’t just a market downturn—it’s the inertia that comes with size. Farm Journal CEO Prescott Shibles argues that long-term survival requires a rare blend of faith and agility. To maintain an entrepreneurial mindset, leaders must lean into “conviction” as the core of a strategy that survives the lows.

Here is how four industry leaders are turning today’s constraints into tomorrow’s differentiators.

1. Build when times are hard.

When Brent Smith, president and CEO of NewLeaf Symbiotics, joined the company in 2023, the grain market was entering a significant down cycle. While some saw a risky time to lead a startup, he saw an opportunity.

“I learned in my first startup that the best time to build a business is in hard times,” Smith said said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “Because if you can’t withstand tough times, you’re not going to survive long term.”

For Smith, survival meant doubling down on the company’s core: science. Despite the pressure to cut costs, NewLeaf continues to spend half of its operating expenses on science.

“It would be very easy to peel that back,” he admits. “But we focused on projects that make the most impact the quickest, while keeping an eye on the long-term innovation in our pipeline.”

2. Control what you can control.

Farmers face the ultimate constraint every year: the weather. Scott Beck, president of Beck’s Hybrids, recalls the planting crisis of 2019 when constant rains kept tractors out of the fields well into May.

“I was concerned for our customers not being able to plant, but also for us not being able to plant our seed for the next year,” Beck says. “There was nothing that we could do to control the weather, but we could control how we interacted with our customers.”

Rather than retreating, the Beck’s team focused on transparency and empathy, using video series to connect with farmers and even forming small groups for prayer and support. Ultimately, they wanted farmers to know they cared and were there to support them however they could.

Despite the financial reality of what could happen if farmers didn’t plant and returned seed, Beck’s decided their course of action would not include employee layoffs. Instead, they prepared to sell land to protect their people.

“Fortunately, the weather broke and everybody was able to get planted,” he says. “Then the second miracle happened. We had the second warmest September on record, and that’s what brought the crop through to enable 2019 to not turn out as bad as it started.”

3. Turn disadvantages into advantages.

In 2014, Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, was tasked with a monumental challenge: helping Walmart reinvent its beef supply chain. At the time, the retail giant was at a disadvantage, forced to accept whatever the major meatpackers provided.

Steiger’s strategy was to turn that lack of control into a new kind of independence.

“I convinced the Walmart team to go around the traditional supply chain,” Steiger says. Today, Walmart sources 28% of its beef from its own “farm-to-table” supply chain.

There’s no question that decision was really good for Walmart. But Steiger says it was also really good for him personally.

“It reminded me that no matter how big you are, there are always challenges,” he says.

4. Create “white space” for the future.

When the day-to-day tasks of an operation become overwhelming, long-term strategy is often the first thing to go. James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes leaders must intentionally carve out “white space” for their teams.

“It’s important to find ways where people can actually spend their time working on the business, not just in the business,” he says.

By protecting time for team members to execute ideas that are three to five years out, Burgum manages the tension between short-term urgency and long-term viability.

“It’s hard to step away from the daily fires you’ll face in your operation, but it’s important,” he adds. “How we manage that tension of short term and long term is creating that white space and making sure that we consciously work on the business.

The Long Game

Ultimately, resilience in agriculture is about knowing when to push and when to pivot.

“You have to know when to put the gas down, and you need to know when to tap the brake,” Smith says. “And regardless of what you are doing, you need to stay focused on what you’re doing.”

Whether it is investing in science during a downturn or choosing customer empathy over the bottom line, these leaders say constraints don’t have to be roadblocks; they can be the very catalysts that drive an operation forward.

Does Short Corn Stack Up as a Silage Option?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:33:35 GMT

Brown midrib (BMR) corn silage has long been a go‑to forage option for dairy farmers looking to improve fiber digestibility and maintain strong milk production. But as seed companies begin to phase out their BMR offerings, producers and nutritionists are evaluating other silage strategies.

One option gaining attention is short-stature corn.

How Short Corn Works

Short-stature corn hybrids are designed to change the structure of the plant without sacrificing its productivity. Instead of growing tall stalks, these hybrids shorten the space between leaves, known as internodes. The plant still produces a similar number of leaves and ears, but the overall plant height is reduced.

Luiz Ferraretto, assistant professor and Extension specialist in dairy nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shares his thoughts on short-stature corn, explaining the altered plant structure may also affect how fiber is distributed within the stalk.

“Basically, [short-stature corn] has shorter internodes, and there are some claims that there are changes in lignin distribution within the stalk,” Ferraretto says.

As researchers take a closer look at how these shorter plants are built, the early results are looking pretty promising. Trials in both Italy and the U.S. show the shorter stalk structure seems to boost forage quality. Across several plots, short‑stature corn has consistently come in with higher starch and better‑digesting fiber compared with regular hybrids.

This plot data matches what university researchers are seeing, too. At Michigan State University, Mike VandeHaar, a professor of animal science, has seen similar trends in fiber digestibility and yield with short corn. During a recent “Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt” podcast, he explained how his team ran studies comparing short hybrids with conventional tall corn and BMR varieties to see how they performed side by side.

“We compared three short corn varieties with a conventional tall hybrid and a BMR variety. We treated the conventional corn as the low-fiber-digestibility baseline and the BMR as the high-fiber-digestibility benchmark to see where the short corn fit in between,” VandeHaar says.

In the trial, the team measured fiber digestibility using 30-hour in vitro NDF.

“What we found was the shorts really did have better fiber digestibility than the tall. The BMR had higher in vitro NDF digestibility at 30 hours, like 65% versus 55%, and the shorts were all around 60%,” he says.

These differences suggest short corn could offer a real nutritional advantage over conventional hybrids.

Yield Performance

Those nutritional gains didn’t seem to come at the expense of tonnage. In the Italian trials, short corn yielded right with conventional hybrids and even topped the BMR in that dataset. Ferraretto notes the bump in starch and better NDF digestibility didn’t show any clear yield penalty.

John Goeser, dairy nutrition and management consultant at Progressive Dairy Solutions Inc., added his thoughts on how short corn performs at higher plant populations.

“Generally speaking with greater plant populations, say 40,000 to 45,000, we see a decrease in fiber digestibility,” Goeser says. “Yield will actually increase, but there’s usually a trade-off between quality and yield. The fact that short corn is being planted at higher populations and still maintaining — or improving — fiber digestibility is intriguing.”

Milk Production Response

For dairy farmers, forage quality only matters if it translates into milk production. Feeding trials with short corn silage suggest these hybrids can boost milk in a way that differs from BMR. Ferraretto described a trial in Italy where cows started on a common diet before switching to rations containing either conventional or short corn silage.

“What we saw change was milk production,” Ferraretto says. “Feed intake didn’t really differ between groups. That’s important because with BMR, almost every trial increases intake to drive more milk. Short corn seems to work differently — milk went up without cows eating more. I don’t know if that’s better, but it’s promising and interesting to see this kind of response.”

At Michigan State University, VandeHaar structured diets to limit cows by gut fill, ensuring improvements in fiber digestibility would show up as a milk response.

“I fed diets that had more forage NDF than I would normally even feed to cows in about 200 days in milk, and when I put them on my diet, milk production dropped about five pounds or so, showing that they were, in fact, limited by fill. So therefore, if I had a forage with better NDF digestibility, I would have expected a response, and we did, in fact, see that,” VandeHaar says.

That improvement appeared as increased energy-corrected milk. In a follow-up trial, the same short hybrid was compared with conventional tall corn at two starch levels, 32% and 24%. The advantage for short corn persisted.

“We went on and did another study with that variety,” VandeHaar adds. “In both cases, the cows fed the short produced about two kilos, so about four or five pounds more energy corrected milk than the conventional.”

What it Means for Silage Decisions

As BMR availability changes, dairy farms may need to consider multiple strategies to maintain silage quality. Hybrid selection, harvest timing, kernel processing and ration formulation all affect fiber digestibility and milk production. But adding short-stature corn to your silage lineup may be another tool to add to your toolbox.

Short corn is unlikely to fully replace BMR, but early results suggest it could provide another option for high-quality silage. As more trials are conducted and management practices become clearer, producers will better understand how short corn fits into their forage programs.

Smart Strategies for Planting in Wet or Dry Conditions

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 21:41:51 GMT

There are few mistakes that you can’t overcome, given enough time. But problems at planting time set the stage for an entire season’s worth of trouble.

Many, if not most, planting problems result from failing to adjust practices and equipment to fit soil and weather conditions, says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. Since you can’t know what the weather will do, you have to plan for various scenarios.

What If It’s Dry?

Ferrie has one rule: Don’t plant corn into dry soil, hoping to “rain it up.”

“Putting corn in dry soil, and not having it germinate in timely fashion, can be a disaster for your stand,” he says. “If you do spring tillage too far ahead of planting, that lets the soil dry out. Don’t let your soil finisher get too far ahead of the planter in a hot, dry spring.”

In a dry situation with conventional tillage, use row cleaners to push away clods in front of the planting units. “If you crush clods with your depth wheels, you’ll put dry soil around the seed,” Ferrie says. “Use your row cleaners as a clod roller.”

In either no-till or conventional tillage, use row cleaners to move residue out of the way. “Normally, a little residue is no big deal,” Ferrie says. “But if it’s dry, residue tucked into the seedbed wicks moisture out of the furrow, away from the seed.”

Running out of planting moisture in no-till is rare, but it can happen in sandy soil or if you fail to kill a cover crop on time, Ferrie notes. “It can happen when strip-tilling in coarse soils, if you are not timely with your planter,” he says. “In strip-till, you may have to go off the strip and no-till the seed beside the strip.

In tough conditions, with no rain in the forecast and you know it will be even drier in 10 more days, use your row cleaners to move away the dry soil. Hopefully, this will get you closer to some moisture where you can place the seed, Ferrie advises.

This carries risk, though. “If you applied a pre-emergence herbicide, there will be no herbicide left in the row,” Ferrie says. “Have a plan in place to control weeds in the row.”

If you “plow down to moisture” in strip-till or conventional tillage, you will actually be planting in a valley. “If the weatherman turns out to be wrong and you get a toad strangling rain before the corn comes up, the corn will get buried and you’ll have to replant,” Ferrie says. “But at least you’ll have moisture to replant in.”

What If It’s Wet?

Unless you own a crystal ball, you need a plan for wet weather, too. “Don’t mud a crop into cold, wet soil unless you’re running up against the crop insurance date because of prolonged cool, damp weather,” Ferrie says.

Most often, you’ll have soil that, while fit to plant, is on the wet side. “In marginally wet conditions, the biggest problems I see are carrying too much down pressure on row units and being too aggressive with row cleaners,” Ferrie says. “That makes it difficult to close the slot. If you back off down pressure and let up on the row cleaners, you’ll often find that a field that seemed too wet to plant will plant nicely.”

Worries about maintaining seed depth are what make farmers too aggressive with down pressure. “That gets people in trouble in marginally wet conditions,” Ferrie says. “With today’s monitoring equipment, you can back off down pressure and know whether you’re maintaining depth control.”

A row unit functions sort of like a Jet Ski, Ferrie says. The faster you pull the planter, the more it wants to come out of the ground, so it takes more down pressure to maintain proper depth.

“In these marginal conditions, in order to stay on top of dry soil and plant through it without moving it, you may have to slow down the planter to maintain depth control,” Ferrie adds. “Slowing down from 5 mph to 4 mph is still faster than waiting for the field to dry out, so you can plant with more down pressure and a higher speed.”

In marginal conditions, stop the planter and adjust row cleaners, closing wheels and down pressure from field to field, Ferrie says.
One other time you might need to plant in wet soil is when you have wet spots in an otherwise dry field.

“It’s a time-sensitive issue,” Ferrie says. “If you’re in danger of missing the optimum planting period, and 80% of the field is ready but 20% is still wet, go ahead and plant. You’ll have yield loss in the areas that aren’t ready, but not as much as if you miss the optimum planting window on the 80%.”

If spots in a field are wet every year, consider tiling them. “If you improve timeliness over the entire field, you pick up yield everywhere, not just in the wet spots,” Ferrie says.

If you can’t improve drainage in those fields, set your planter for wet conditions. “Use spoked closing wheels to close the furrow,” Ferrie says. “Put scrapers on your planter’s depth wheels. Use a variable down-pressure system, so you can take the pressure off when planting through wet areas.

“Be conscious of planter weight in those fields. If you have a center-fill planter with starter fertilizer tanks, fill the hopper and tanks only partway. Keep the planter as light as possible.”

Give Extra Attention To Fertilizer Management

“In a dry year, be careful about applying starter in the furrow, even if you’re using a low-salt product,” Ferrie says. “If you’re worried about having enough moisture to germinate the corn, don’t put any salt in the furrow.”

If you apply anhydrous ammonia in the spring, allow at least two weeks between application and planting, and hope for a 2" rain. “In a dry spring, I’ve seen ammonia applied in February burn corn planted in April,” Ferrie says. “If you have auto-steer, you can use it to apply the ammonia and then plant between the ammonia strips.”

Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind if spring turns out dry: “Soil-applied herbicides need moisture to disperse in the soil and activate the active ingredients,” Ferrie says. “Plan to scout more and apply rescue or cleanup treatments, if needed.”

In northern areas where primary tillage is done in the spring, do secondary tillage within hours after chiseling. “There will be no freezing and thawing to break up chunks and prevent them from turning into clods,” Ferrie says. “If they turn into clods, you’ll have to deal with them all season long.”

Whatever the weather brings, patience at planting is a virtue. “Don’t feel that you have to plant just because your neighbor is,” Ferrie says. “With today’s genetics, we have a wider planting window. Diversity in planting dates, as long as you don’t miss the optimum range, reduces pollination risk.”

Is Planting Always a Struggle?

If weather is cool and wet, you might have to fight to get corn planted during the optimum window—that’s normal. But if you struggle to finish on time every season, or if you find yourself starting earlier to finish on time, you might need to re-evaluate your equipment and manpower, says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “Early planting is fine if conditions are right, but if you plant in wet soil in order to finish on time, you risk problems with stand establishment,” he says.

Consider the following pinch points to determine if your planting pipeline needs an update:

Timing. How much time do you have to get planting done? Your landgrant university or seed company can tell you the optimum planting window for your locality because it varies by area.

Ferrie suggests his Midwestern clients be able to plant their corn crop in five days, when conditions are right. “Of course, those five days may not come in one stretch. It may take a month to get five days of good planting conditions, depending on the weather,” he says.

Machine power. Is your planter sized for your acreage? “As farmers pick up acres, they may add a grain cart or a second combine but forget to upsize their planter,” Ferrie says. “Rather than a bigger planter, you may want a second one, so you can plant in two areas at once.”

Manpower. Consider hiring a custom operator to spray while your skilled employee plants. “You can hire people to do a lot of jobs,” Ferrie says. “But it’s difficult to hire someone to plant your crop on a timely basis.”

Life After BMR: How Dairy Farmers Can Rethink Corn Silage

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:23:06 GMT

For years, brown midrib (BMR) corn silage has been a solid forage option for dairy producers looking to push forage quality and milk production. While it was rarely planted across an entire farm, many producers valued BMR as a strategic addition to their hybrid lineup.

But as seed companies have adjusted their hybrid portfolios, BMR options have become less available. As a result, many producers are preparing for a future where BMR is no longer a choice, and they are reevaluating their silage plans with that change in mind.

During the Professional Dairy Producers Business Conference, John Goeser, dairy nutrition and management consultant at Progressive Dairy Solutions Inc., and Luiz Ferraretto, assistant professor and Extension specialist in dairy nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discussed what that shift could mean for dairy rations and how producers can adapt.

What BMR Offered

Compared with conventional corn silage, BMR hybrids typically deliver greater fiber digestibility and lower levels of undigestible fiber. The difference stems from reduced lignin in the plant cell wall, allowing rumen microbes to break down more of the neutral detergent fiber (NDF).

Because the fiber in BMR silage was easier for cows to use, they often ate more and gained more energy from their ration.

“If you improve fiber digestibility, there is potential for cows to improve intake,” Ferraretto says. “And when intake increases, there is potential for greater milk production.”

Despite these advantages, BMR typically made up only a portion of a farm’s corn silage acres. The hybrids often yielded less than conventional corn silage and carried a greater agronomic risk. Over time, these challenges pushed some producers away from the variety.

“For whatever reason, people were not really planting BMR a lot anymore,” Ferraretto says. “But whenever companies decided that this would be phasing out of the market, everybody started asking, ‘What do I do now?’”

According to Ferraretto and Goeser, the answer is not to search for a direct replacement. Instead, the transition away from BMR may push producers to rethink how they evaluate and manage corn silage altogether.

Selecting Hybrids

As BMR corn silage phases out, producers are learning they cannot rely on a single hybrid trait to solve digestibility challenges. While BMR delivered higher fiber digestibility than conventional corn, that advantage came from a specific genetic mutation most other hybrids do not have.

“BMR corn silage sits in its own class for fiber digestibility,” Goeser says. “No current conventional hybrid matches it in the same way.”

Corn silage quality has always come from a mix of traits, not just one. Hybrid choices for digestibility, starch and overall forage quality matter, but so do agronomic traits like standability, disease resistance and yield potential.

“What drives our bottom line isn’t necessarily how much cows eat but what efficiency we get,” Goeser says. “We need to understand what our cost of production is per acre. Then we can judge our hybrid choice and our management decisions relative to the yield and energy we’re getting from that acre.”

According to Ferraretto’s colleagues at UW-Madison, choosing hybrids with strong fiber digestibility, measured as neutral detergent fiber digestibility at 30 hours (NDFD30), is an option. Most conventional corn silage hybrids have NDFD30 values between 47% and 67%, while BMR hybrids typically range from 54% to 74%. Choosing a top-performing conventional hybrid with NDFD30 around 60% to 65% can produce as much, or even more, milk per ton than an average BMR hybrid.

“There’s nothing that’s going to replace a brown midrib mutant, kernel for kernel, in terms of fiber digestibility,” Goeser says. “But there are still several management decisions producers can make to improve fiber digestibility in their silage program.”

Planting Population

How many corn plants are planted per acre can affect silage quality. Research with the Midwest Forage Association found that planting 30,000 plants per acre produced higher fiber digestibility than planting 35,000 or 40,000 plants per acre. In other words, fewer plants per acre can make forage easier for cows to digest.

“Generally speaking, with greater plant populations, say 40,000 to 45,000, we see a decrease in fiber digestibility,” Goeser says. “Yield will increase, but there’s a negative relationship between quality and yield.”

Increasing plant population can boost total dry matter yield, but only to a point. Beyond that, adding more plants may not improve yield and can reduce digestibility. Farmers also need to consider other risks, such as higher potential for insect and disease damage when plants are crowded.

Not every hybrid reacts the same way. Soil type, fertility, row spacing and weather during the growing season can all change how plant population affects silage quality. That means planting decisions should be tailored to each farm and each field rather than following a single number for all acres.

Cutting Height

Among the tools available to improve fiber digestibility, adjusting chop height is one of the simplest and most effective. Raising the cutter bar leaves the lower, most fibrous part of the plant in the field and harvests more of the digestible portion.

“I’ve been asked many times what happens if we increase our cut by 8 or 10 inches,” Goeser says. “Every 10 inches higher, we give up about a ton and a half in as-fed yield, but we gain roughly two units of starch and two units of fiber digestibility. This strategy essentially trades some total tonnage for higher-quality feed.”

Research supports this approach. Studies show that milk per ton is highest at a cutter bar height of 18 inches and lowest at 6 inches. Yield drops about 15% at the higher cut, but starch concentration increases.

However, the economics of higher cuts depend on the year. In years with big crops, it is easier to trade some yield for better feed quality. In tighter years, the focus may shift toward maximizing tonnage. The key is to make the decision intentionally, rather than treating chop height as a fixed setting. Even with the best hybrid, fertility and disease control, timing the harvest and processing the silage properly is critical to capture its full feed value.

Adjusting for the Future

As BMR becomes harder to find, the focus will shift toward a broader mix of management decisions that shape forage quality. Hybrid selection, harvest timing, chop height and emerging genetics all play a role in shaping forage quality. The challenge for producers will be determining how those pieces fit together within the economics of their operation.

Conflict in Iran Ripples Through Global Fertilizer Markets, Raises Prices Even Higher

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:28:11 GMT

Update: President Trump took to social media on Tuesday to say he has ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of all Maritime Trade.

He also says the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary.

"Effective IMMEDIATELY, I have ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide, at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade... If necessary, the United States Navy will begin… pic.twitter.com/pIJyFwL78j
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 3, 2026

The joint U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran has triggered a significant ripple effect across global markets.

While crude oil prices soared on Monday, the global fertilizer market is also rallying. This comes as conflict threatens the stability of the Strait of Hormuz.

This narrow waterway is located between Oman and Iran and links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It serves as a critical maritime chokepoint for global energy and also handles a substantial portion of the world’s fertilizer supply.

Key for Fertilizer Supplies

Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer for StoneX, notes the Strait of Hormuz accounts for nearly 25% of globally traded nitrogen fertilizer.

(StoneX)

“We have got three of the top 10 global urea exporters that sit in the Persian Gulf,” Linville says. “Three of the top 10 anhydrous exporters sit in the Persian Gulf. One of the world’s top five phosphate exporters sits in the Persian Gulf. And with that Strait of Hormuz continuing to stay shut out to safe passage, those tons just don’t matter anymore. They don’t exist until the Strait reopens.”

Conflict Increases Already Historically High Fertilizer Prices

Global fertilizer prices rose immediately following the attack. They moved in tandem with higher energy and natural gas prices, which are the primary feedstocks for nitrogen products.

Fertilizer prices were already at historical highs prior to the conflict. Linville reports urea markets saw the sharpest increases, followed by phosphate.

In New Orleans (NOLA), physical barges for April urea traded at $457 per ton on Friday. By Monday, prices had jumped to approximately $550 per ton.

“We have had prices up about $70 a ton from Friday afternoon trade. It’s been significant,” Linville says.

UAN and anhydrous prices have not reacted as violently, but phosphate values are not far behind.

“Phosphate, we’ve got that price up about $30 a ton from the last trade we had seen. Again, [I’m] a little surprised it’s not up more. That’s, I guess, a thankful thing that’s not up more, but I think more increases are coming. Really, the only major fertilizer that hasn’t been impacted so far is potash. But you can even make a case for that given Israel and Jordan’s importance,” he adds.

Corn-to-Fertilizer Ratio Stretches Further

He says the corn-to-fertilizer price ration was already one of the worst in history, and this has added insult to injury.

“We were already the second or third worst urea-to-corn ratio that we had been for this time of the year, this part of the calendar. This just moves that higher,” Linville explains.

(StoneX )

Timing Threats for Spring Planting

Higher prices aren’t the only problem: Supply is in jeopardy. Linville says, from a timing standpoint, it could not be worse for agriculture.

A multi-week conflict could keep some supply from getting to the U.S. in time for spring planting.

“It takes 30 days to get a vessel of urea to load in the Persian Gulf, sail it over here, hit U.S. shores, and then another three to four weeks to move that product into the interior of the nation to a point where the farmer can put their hands on it,” Linville says.

This means a vessel loading today might not be available until May 1. The window for spring application is closing quickly.

While healthy fertilizer import volumes in February provide some cushion, the industry could see a shift in acreage. Some farmers may move from corn to soybeans if nitrogen supplies do not arrive in the Corn Belt in time.

USDA Forecasts Significant Drop in U.S. Ag Trade Deficit as Exports Rise

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:24:46 GMT

USDA now projects the U.S. agricultural trade deficit will narrow to $29B in FY2026 , down from about $50B a year ago. Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says the trade team isn’t done yet.

(Data: USDA)

“Our goal is to get back to surplus, but going from $50 billion (forecasted) to $29 billion in one year shows tremendous progress, 43% down over this time last year, and we’re continuing to make good progress on seeing that drop even further,” Lindberg says.

Exports rising

Three areas with notable increases in exports by year-end of 2025 include:

Dairy exports up 15%
Ethanol exports up 11%
Corn exports up 29%

Simply put, the U.S. ag trade balance is export value minus import value. Lindberg says the export side of the equation is where his team can make the most impact.

“We’ve seen great opportunities as our producers can take new advantage of some of these trade deals the president has put in place. So, the stat that I love to say right now is over half the world’s population and over half the world’s GDP have come to some kind of a trade agreement with the president in his first year in office. That’s a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of dollars that can be buying U.S. products.”

In recent decades, the U.S. maintained a positive trade balance up until 2020 when the surpluses were much smaller or became deficits.

How USDA says it will push exports

To build back trade, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ team is sticking to a three-point plan:

Get better trade agreements.
Build willing buyer and willing seller relationships.
Hold trading partners accountable.

“Our team and our friends over at the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office have done a tremendous job opening up market access with our dealmaker-in-chief, President Donald J. Trump. Our team at USDA plays an outsized role in getting our farmers and ranchers out there to sell their products. I refer to it as building buyer-seller relationships. And so we’re aggressively approaching that this year, with getting our farmers and ranchers and our agribusinesses on the ground in these countries where they have market access today that they didn’t have yesterday,” he says.

Trade missions: 2026 schedule and priorities

To continue to build trade relations and boost exports, Lindberg points to the traditional USDA agribusiness trade missions ( of which there are six scheduled in 2026 ), and the rapid response trade missions called TRUMP missions (Trade Reciprocity for U.S. Manufacturers and Producers).

“We really do have a robust, aggressive schedule this year to make sure we’re quickly getting into these markets that the president has unlocked,” he says. “We need market access. We need to be able to compete on a fair and level playing field to export our products around the world.”

Domestic angle: imports, tariffs, and “level playing field”

As for the domestic demand of ag products, and potentially reducing the value of agricultural imports, Lindberg says farmers should also have a level playing field stateside.

“Our farmers and ranchers now have a better playing field, both overseas, where we’re taking down trade barriers, but also here domestically, through the President’s aggressive use of tariffs and the way in which he has restructured the opportunities that exist domestically for our farmers. And we’re seeing that in the trade data, where on a dollar-for-dollar basis, we’re going to be importing a significant amount less this year than we did even last year. And what that does is it means more Americans, more of their dollars are going towards food that is produced, consumed, slaughtered, raised, processed, right here in the United States of America, and I think that’s a win as well.”

The next agribusiness trade mission is to the Philippines.

Let Mother Nature Do The Talking

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 20:04:41 GMT

Planting soybeans early is increasingly a norm for farmers in the Midwest, but research from Iowa State suggests there’s a fine line between early and too early.

According to Iowa State University Extension cropping systems specialist Mark Licht, the decision on when to start planting isn’t found on a calendar.

“When we think about planting, we really should be thinking about soil conditions,” Licht says. “Are the soils fit? What’s the moisture of those soils? We don’t want them too wet, because that causes compaction.”

Know Your Conditions And The Forecast

Licht urges growers to watch for soil temperatures of about 50°F and rising, before heading to fields. The focus should be on “fit” soils –not too wet to avoid compaction from wheel traffic and down pressure. He also advises checking the weather outlook for three or four days after planting.

“Really, the first 12 to 24 hours are the most important, because that’s when the seed is imbibing water… if it’s kind of a cold water, the shock can disrupt cell membranes and cause germination issues down the road,” he warns.

Planting into cold, moisture-saturated ground doesn’t just slow things down—it also invites seedling diseases and the potential for a costly replant, which carries an automatic yield penalty.

Finding the Planting Sweet Spot

While an “ultra-early” trend of planting soybeans in March has gained traction in some farming circles, Licht’s data suggests it’s not worth the gamble. In Iowa field trials, mid-March planting showed farmers saw a reduction in final stands, gained only a meager three days in emergence and had no yield increase.

“Planting early is good, but not too early… April 15 to May 20 [in Iowa] is probably about the sweet spot,” he says.

Beyond that timing, though, yield penalties usually start to mount. Survey data from Iowa farmers show losses “anywhere from a .2 to a .5 bushel per acre per day” as planting is delayed after May 20, Licht reports.

The Corn Pivot: When to Switch Gears?

As planting season progresses, your strategy should shift from “when to start” to “what to prioritize.” The calendar does come into play.

Licht notes that if farmers in Iowa can wrap up both corn and soybeans by mid-May, the planting order for the two crops is flexible.

“But if we can’t get everything planted timely, then we should prioritize planting corn timely, because it has a much steeper penalty for being planted late, compared to soybeans,” Licht says.

Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, adds some perspective for those farmers who might feel behind by the time May arrives if they aren’t in the field. In central Illinois, May-planted corn has actually outperformed April plantings for the past three consecutive years due to better moisture availability.

Still, Ferrie says: “My advice for farmers here in central Illinois is if the ground is fit in April, plant some corn.”

But he also cautions against forcing the issue, as May can provide benefits.

“We never know how the rest of the year will play out,” Ferrie says. “Breaking the planting window up is a good way to mitigate risk and take the jam out of the fall of having everything ready at the same time.”

Osler Ortez, Ohio State Extension corn specialist, agrees that flexibility is key especially for those farmers with a single planter. “Focus on corn then [when conditions are right]. Once you get it planted, you can go back to finish up soybeans,” he says.

Hear more of Mark Licht’s perspective at YouTube on the Do’s and Dont’s of Early Soybean Planting here .

Next Year’s Silage Season Starts Now

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:47:24 GMT

As many producers finalize their seed selections for 2026, the foundation for next year’s silage crop is being set well before planting. But how do these early decisions affect yield, quality and feed efficiency?

Hybrid selection plays a major role in forage quality, cow performance and feed costs for the next 12 months. Making seed decisions now allows farms to take advantage of early-order pricing or discounts, review data from last season and coordinate with agronomists, nutritionists or crop managers on the best plan.

Kevin Putnam, northeast dairy specialist with Pioneer, works with producers across the region to help guide hybrid selection and silage management. He offers practical advice on using harvest data and plant performance to make informed decisions for the coming season.

What Can You Learn From Last Year’s Harvest?
Looking back at last year’s harvest is one of the simplest ways to make better silage decisions for the year ahead. Yield, forage quality and what shows up in the bunk all provide clues about which hybrids fit your farm.

“I think it’s a good practice to go back through your records from harvest,” Putnam says. “Look at how the crop performed in each field, check your yields, note any disease pressure and review forage quality results. Understanding what worked and what didn’t helps guide your decisions for the next year.”

That review shouldn’t stop at the field. Putnam also encourages producers to take bunk samples and watch what’s coming through the cows. Regular forage tests help track starch levels, fiber digestibility and fermentation quality, while a quick look at the manure can reveal whether kernels are being processed adequately— or if too many are passing through whole.

“If you’re seeing a lot of intact kernels, that’s a sign to revisit your processing and cut length for next year,” he notes. “You’ve already paid to grow that grain, so you want to be sure the cows can actually use it.”

He recommends using harvest and bunk data to fine-tune seed and hybrid choices rather than making major shifts in hybrid lineups based on a single season.

“Every year is different. Some seasons crops mature faster or slower than expected, but it’s important not to make major changes based on just one year,” he adds. “I recommend reviewing your harvest data and considering your farm’s goals for yield and feed quality to make informed decisions for the next season.”

What to do next: Pull harvest and bunk data together before finalizing seed orders to avoid overreacting to one season.

Can Plant Health and Stability Help Reduce Risk?
In some regions, 2025 brought record-breaking silage yields. In others, farmers wrestled with a roller coaster of early rains followed by drought stress. That kind of year-to-year and even field-to-field variability underscores the need for hybrids that can stand up to a wide range of environments, not just shine in a “perfect” season.

For Putnam, the conversation for hybrid selection in 2026 should quickly turn to plant health and standability. Leaf diseases like tar spot, northern corn leaf blight and gray leaf spot are now common in many areas and can reduce both yield and quality if they appear too early.

“Late-season plant health is huge,” Putnam says. “We want the ear maturing and drying down while the plant stays alive and healthy. We don’t want the plant to die early and drag the silage too dry before the ear is ready.”

When plants dry prematurely, fields can look “ready” from the road, but the ear may lag behind in maturity and starch accumulation. That mismatch can leave producers with silage that’s either too wet for ideal fermentation or too dry and hard to pack. In both cases, they sacrifice quality and feed-out stability.

Instead of stopping at top-line yield numbers, Putnam encourages producers to dig into the agronomic profile of each hybrid, paying particular attention to how it performs under pressure. That means looking closely at disease ratings for the leaf diseases most common in their area, evaluating each hybrid’s drought tolerance and stress response, and understanding its late-season plant integrity.

“I’m a big fan of the ‘Steady Eddies,’” he notes. “Some hybrids may not always top the plot, but they’re consistently near the top, year after year, across a lot of different environments. Those are the ones that help you sleep at night.”

That consistency matters because most farms can’t risk a hybrid that’s spectacular one year and below average the next. By prioritizing stability and resilience, producers can better protect themselves against the kind of weather and disease swings that defined 2025.

What to do next: Note last year’s disease pressure and prioritize hybrids with strong late-season plant health ratings.

How Many Hybrids Should You Plant?
The next practical question is how many hybrids to work into the plan. Too many can complicate management; too few can leave a farm exposed.

Diversity, Putnam says, is one of the simplest tools producers have to protect against weather swings, variable field conditions and maturity challenges. Different maturities and hybrid types respond differently to stress, so spreading acres out can soften the blow if one hybrid or one field has a tough year.

“Four to five different hybrids might be a good spot to start depending on how many acres you’re actually working,” he says.

Farm size, whether silage is the primary use or part of a dual-purpose strategy and whether you work with one or multiple seed companies will all influence that number.

Just as important as how many hybrids is how they are spread out by maturity. Staggered maturities help widen both pollination timing and harvest windows, which can be critical when a hot, dry spell or prolonged wet period hits at the wrong time.

“One hybrid means one pollination window. We want to spread our risk,” Putnam notes. “By planting hybrids with slightly different maturities, you give yourself a buffer if one week of weather doesn’t cooperate.”

That mix of hybrids and maturities gives farms more flexibility — not only to manage risk, but also to line up harvest timing, packing capacity and labor with the realities of a busy fall.

What to do next: Aim for a manageable mix of maturities to spread risk without overcomplicating harvest.

Who Should Be Part of the Discussion?
Hybrid selection shouldn’t fall solely on one person. Nutritionists, agronomists and on-farm managers each bring valuable insight that connects genetics to feed value, crop health and cow performance.

“Ideally, all of the above would be there or at least at different times be part of the discussion,” Putnam says.

Nutritionists link hybrids to ration goals and bunk outcomes, while agronomists provide insight on field performance and disease resistance. On-farm managers add practical knowledge about harvest and operations.

“Get a lot of people at the table. It’d be good to have everybody there, or at least part of the conversation at some point,” he says.

Including multiple viewpoints helps farms make informed decisions that balance agronomic performance with feed quality and efficiency.

What to do next: Bring key advisers into the seed discussion early so hybrid choices align with both field performance and feed goals.

Planning for a Strong Silage Season
As producers look toward 2026, the most successful silage programs will be the ones built on good records, the right hybrids, and a strong advisory team. Using last year’s data to refine seed choices, spreading risk across maturities and agronomics and checking that what goes into the bunk matches what the ration calls for all add up to more consistent feed.

By leaning on good data, tapping the expertise of nutritionists and agronomists, and favoring steady, resilient hybrids, producers can turn an unpredictable growing season into a more predictable feed supply.

Dairy Farmers Wonder: Can Short Corn Replace BMR?

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:29:46 GMT

Corteva dropped a proverbial bomb on the dairy industry this summer when they announced they are exiting the BMR corn business. When Dow (with their Mycogen and Dairyland brands) and DuPont (with their Pioneer brand) merged, they controlled virtually the whole BMR market in the U.S. While KingFisher has had some success with their BMR line, it will be awhile before they can ramp production to fill the Corteva void.

This leaves farmers and their dairy nutritionists looking for different options. One of the most popular will be “short corn”. Let’s look at its pros and cons.

Short corn isn’t new. The first variety I looked at was about 20 years ago. It was originally developed for grain producers as a way to have less input needs, less fodder to deal with, better standability and the ability to spray its whole life. Corteva, Bayer and others are bringing out new hybrids with these characteristics.

Those characteristics positively impact forage quality. The shorter stature and increased leaf/stem ratio increases the fiber digestibility by a few points. The lower fodder yield increases the starch percentage, and it is not uncommon to see 40% to 45% starch samples.

The combination of increased starch and digestibility can make Milk Per Ton numbers that look similar to a BMR. It is not a BMR, though, and will have to be fed much differently.

Because of the higher starch, the UNDF240 as a percentage of Dry Matter may be similar. However, the UNDF240 percentage of fiber is still noticeably higher. This will likely limit forage intake or performance.

Farms who switch to short corn will likely feed less silage and bring in other digestible fiber sources, such as soy hulls, gluten or beet pulp. This can help maintain production but can also complicate nutrient management plans as more nutrients are imported.

The quality of short corn is good the entire way to the ground. To limit yield loss, farms should chop as low to the ground as possible and have a discussion with their harvester..

It will be important for farmers to communicate with nutritionists and not just listen to a company’s talking points. Many of the same company people who (rightly) promoted BMR will change their narrative now that it is going away.

Millions of high-producing cows are fed without BMR. It certainly can be done, but high milk production will get harder for farms who had developed a management system around it.

Your Next Read:
Effective Ways to Enhance Profitability Through Diversification and Innovation

Rust in the Ration: How to Combat Southern Rust’s Impact on Corn Silage

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:04:48 GMT

With the warm and wet conditions this season, southern rust is on the rise in Midwest corn crops. It may be time to start considering the impact that could have on corn silage and preparing to adjust rations accordingly. While southern rust is not a direct threat to herd health, it has been shown to lower the nutritional value of silage and can compromise feed quality.

Southern rust, a fast-developing fungal disease caused by Puccinia polysora, does not itself produce toxins, but it weakens the plant and provides the opportunity for other diseases to move in. These opportunists include various Furasium species, which produce mycotoxins (fumonisin and deoxynivalenol) that can be harmful in feed.

Southern Rust and Corn Silage Quality

Southern rust is known to impact corn silage quality. A study from the University of Florida showed increasing rust infestation resulted in increased dry matter and fiber fractions, but that dry matter digestibility decreased by 13%. Further, high rust silages had lower neutral detergent fiber digestibilities than medium and no rust silages. Southern rust also affected the concentrations of lactate and volatile fatty acids, causing both to decrease with increasing infestation. These results indicate decreased nutritive value.

The observed increased dry matter also reduced silo packing effectiveness. If moisture levels are too low at harvest, it is difficult to achieve adequate packing, which leads to poor fermentation and an increased risk of mold growth.

Because southern rust coverage reduces the photosynthetic area of the leaf, grain fill is often hindered, leading to a lower energy and protein content in the silage.

Southern Rust Silage Management

There are a handful of strategies producers can apply to counteract the effects of southern rust:

Adjust harvest time based on moisture content. Southern rust can cause corn to dry down faster than normal. Monitor moisture levels closely to ensure the proper fermentation of silage.
Consider a silage inoculant. Inoculants improve fermentation, and the rapid pH drop can inhibit mold and yeast growth.
Ensure good packing and storage. Pack silage well to limit oxygen exposure and prevent mold growth. Cover bunkers immediately and weigh down coverings thoroughly.

Feeding Southern Rust Silage

To counter the nutritional challenges of feeding southern rust-infected corn silage, dietary supplementation may be necessary.

Prior to inclusion, test all potentially infected silage for mycotoxins. This will allow you to determine the safety of the feed and avoid potential health issues. If mycotoxins are high, the incorporation of a mycotoxin binding agent into the ration will help reduce toxin absorption in the animal’s digestive tract. Additionally, supplementation with antioxidants, such as vitamin E and selenium, could help animals by countering oxidative stress caused by mycotoxins and supporting immune function.

If grain fill was affected and starch levels are low, you may need to incorporate an additional energy course to compensate. Further, poor grain fill could reduce the already low protein content of corn silage, and protein supplementation may be required.

When incorporating infected silage, ensure it is thoroughly mixed into the TMR to dilute potential ‘hot spots’. Inclusion levels of contaminated silage in the feed may need to be limited or removed entirely for sensitive animals, including lactating or breeding animals. Livestock should be monitored closely for symptoms of mycotoxin toxicity, such as reduced intake, weight loss, digestive issues or reproductive challenges. Be prepared to respond if issues arise.

When feeding corn silage infected with southern rust, caution is essential to protect livestock health and performance. The thoughtful use of compromised silage can help minimize risk while maintaining efficiency and animal well-being.

Your next read: Southern Rust Set To Take Big Bite Out Of Midwest Corn Crop?

From Challenge to Triumph: Mastering Corn Silage in the Upper Midwest

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:42:56 GMT

When it comes to dairying, making informed decisions is an everyday necessity. Recently, the focus has shifted toward feed production and management, which is crucial, especially given the current conditions in the upper Midwest. With tight grain storage and relatively low corn prices, many dairy producers are contemplating the strategic move of chopping additional acreage of corn.

The Value of Corn Silage Reserves
Mike Hutjens, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, highlights the advantages of increasing corn silage storage. He suggests with corn silage valued around $40 per ton, stockpiling for 2026 could prove advantageous. According to Hutjens, ensuring an ample reserve of 2025 corn silage through December 2026 not only facilitates prolonged fermentation but also enhances starch digestibility. However, he emphasizes the necessity to calculate the required amount based on potential forage level adjustments and possible farm expansions.

“You must have enough harvested and stored to allow feeding 2025 corn silage through December 2026 allowing extended fermentation to improve starch digestibility,” he says, noting it can take three to four months. “Larger inventory depends on the value of the corn silage compared to 2026 (not known) versus not feeding it for a year; you have your funds tied up in feed in storage (banker concerns). Be sure to calculate the amount needed based on ration changes (higher levels reaching 70% to 80% corn silage as the forage level in the ration) and possible expansion.”

Innovative Techniques in Forage Harvesting
Echoing this sentiment, Brian Vaassen, Midwest regional business manager for Standard Dairy Consultants, notes the challenges some areas face in harvesting forage. With the opportunity presented by lower corn prices, some producers are expanding their inventory by employing a technique known as high-chop. This method involves harvesting corn plants at an elevated point on the stalk, reportedly resulting in remarkable tonnage per acre. By leaving the lower part of the plant in the field, the silage boasts a higher starch concentration and improved digestibility.

“We are hearing reports of great tonnage per acre,” he says. “I also know of one dairy that goes back and chops the stalks for dry cows and heifer feed.”

Overcoming Crop Health Challenges
Current concerns also revolve around the health of corn crops, adversely impacted by diseases such as southern corn rust and tar spot. These issues can hinder photosynthesis and overall plant health, reducing yield and nutrient quality. Hutjens notes that while these diseases might not directly affect cow performance, they can negatively impact the quality, quantity and fermentation of the feed.

A striking illustration of these crop challenges is captured in a video by Iowa farmer Dan Striegel. The footage shows him harvesting corn blanketed by an orangish-red cloud of southern rust, a testament to the prevailing issues in Keokuk County. Striegel’s experience is a vivid reminder of the importance of vigilant monitoring and adaptive management approaches in farming.

Strategic Planning for the Future
Closer to home, my husband, Scott Bohnert, owner of Bohnert Jerseys in East Moline, Illinois, recently shared his insights when finishing chopping corn silage at the home dairy in late August. With a sudden temperature drop from nearly 100°F to 70°F, moisture levels in his silage decreased from 71% to 66% in just a week. While he reports good grain yields, the crop’s health is a constant concern due to ongoing changes and disease prevalence.

In light of these challenges, Bohnert advises those in the cattle feeding business to consider harvesting additional feed.

“There is surplus of hay on inventory in my area that doesn’t have a lot of value right now, but putting up extra relatively cheap feed is a good idea,” he says.

Navigating these complexities demands strategic planning and proactive management. Engaging with nutritionists and industry experts, alongside staying informed and adaptable, will be crucial in ensuring productivity and sustainability for years to come.

Your Next Read:

Jet Fuel May Propel the Future of Dairy Nutrition

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Advancements in agriculture continue to move at a supersonic pace. One of the latest developments: jet fuel made from corn.

Corn-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) takes biofuels to a new level beyond ethanol production. It actually begins with ethanol, which is then enhanced via “Alcohol-to-Jet” pathways to form a fuel suitable for aviation.

According to the American Coalition for Ethanol , SAF is “a renewable alternative to conventional jet fuel that could be used in today’s aircraft and immediately improve the environmental impact of flight.” Relying on renewable sources like corn, SAF is said to deliver equivalent performance to petroleum-based jet fuel with a fraction of its carbon footprint, and is suitable to use in today’s existing aircraft engines and infrastructure.

At an estimated 80% reduction in overall CO₂lifecycle emissions compared to fossil fuels, SAF promises to drive the “decarbonization” of air travel.

Like ethanol, corn-based SAF could yield massive quantities of co-products. The U.S. livestock industry is poised to embrace those resources, according to Dr. Kurt Rosentrater, Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University.

On a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show , Rosentrater noted that after just two decades, dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) have become a widely implemented staple in animal nutrition.

“When the ethanol industry was in its earliest stages, I remember having conversations with companies saying, ‘in a couple of years, we’re going to be dealing with 10 million tons of DDGS. What are we going to do with all of that? We’re going to have to burn it and landfill it,’” he recalled. “Well, right now we’re sitting at about 33-35 million tons per year, and we’re not landfilling it, we’re not burning it. We’re using it in beef, dairy, swine, fish, and pet foods, plus we’re exporting about a third of it.”

Rosentrater credited dairy and livestock nutritionists with optimizing ingredients like DDGS for a variety of species. At the same time, ethanol manufacturers have fine-tuned production practices to create more consistent, specialized, and high-quality co-products.
He expects that same ingenuity to prevail if corn (and also potentially soybeans) is channeled at a large scale into SAF production. “In the past few years, there has been a big push among lots of different organizations about the idea of the ‘circular economy,’” he shared. “I laugh at that, because, in agriculture, we’ve been doing the circular economy for generations.”

The first commercial-scale facility converting U.S. corn into SAF is currently slated to be in the dairy-boom state of South Dakota. Gevo’s Net-Zero 1 plant near Lake Preston, SD, is projected to produce an estimated annual 60 million gallons of SAF, plus an accompanying 1.32 billion pounds of protein and animal feed and 30 million pounds of corn oil.

Although the South Dakota plant was initially slated to begin production in 2025, delays in financing and carbon pipeline approval/access have stalled the project.

Still, proponents of SAF note that airlines have already made commitments to purchase sustainable fuels to offset their carbon footprints. And they argue that using only the starch fraction of corn for fuel, while preserving the protein and nutrients for livestock feed, helps negate “fuel-versus- fuel” debates.

Southern Rust Set To Take Big Bite Out Of Midwest Corn Crop?

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:17:28 GMT

If one picture is worth a thousand words, then the video Iowa farmer Dan Striegel shot last week must be worth thousands more. In the video, Striegel is shown harvesting a field of emerald-green corn enveloped in a cloud of orangish-red southern rust.

“We were just getting that field opened up, and I looked over and saw that dust boiling up out of the chopper, so I shot the video,” Striegel says.

Southern Rust? Never heard of her.
What Cheer, Iowa. USA. #pftour25 #harvest25 pic.twitter.com/tiIsUc2CHl
— Dan Striegel (@djsinseia) August 21, 2025

To date, Striegel’s video has garnered more than 48,000 views on X, formerly Twitter.

“We’re in southeast Iowa, Keokuk County, and I think the southern rust is as bad here as it is anywhere,” Striegel adds. “Every field you walk in, if you’re wearing a white T-shirt, you’ll come out of there red.”

A Red Path Of Disease Mars The Midwest

Expect to see more red T-shirt-clad farmers walking out of cornfields across the upper Midwest, based on what the Crop Protection Network (CPN) southern rust map is showing.

The CPN continually updates its online, interactive map showing the counties by state where southern rust infections are confirmed. Now, in late August, the counties look like red steppingstones. They form a checkered path from southwest Michigan through northern Illinois and Indiana, into southern Wisconsin, across all of Iowa and nearly two-thirds of the way across Nebraska. Eastern South Dakota is also lit up with a string of red counties, as are parts of southern to central Minnesota.

The amount of southern rust present in the upper Midwest is worrisome to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. In severe cases, the disease can wipe out 45% of the yield potential in a field, according to the CPN.

“At most, one in 10 growers in northern Iowa and Minnesota have seen the kind of southern rust some of them are seeing this year,” says Ferrie, who was working last week with corn growers in both states.

“It was a problem in probably eight out of every 10 fields I was in, and they’d all been sprayed at least once,” he says. “Minnesota has a corn crop that’ll knock your socks off – yield potential of 250, 270. I encouraged every grower to spray their field a second time except for two fields. One had been knocked down by hail, and the other had a hybrid that was clean.”

I spoke with a good friend of mine from Iowa yesterday that is an agronomist and farmer. He said the southern rust in corn across Iowa and much of the Midwest will take 9 to 12 bushel/acre off corn yields on average from what his team and himself are seeing. pic.twitter.com/Ad1VJ9oQBg
— Captain Cornelius1 (@ISU145) August 26, 2025

Hybrids Have Little To No Resistance To Southern Rust

A combination of early-season moisture, heat and wind formed the perfect storm for southern rust this season, allowing the disease-causing fungal spores (Puccinia polysora) to move from southern climes up to the Midwest, according to Kurt Maertens, BASF technical service representative for eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

“We’ve seen it all – southern rust, tar spot, northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot. Our corn has been inundated with all these fungal diseases, and we started seeing them early,” says Maertens.

If there’s a silver lining to southern rust, it’s that it does not overwinter in corn residue like tar spot does. But like tar spot, southern rust takes advantage of hybrids that have no built-in resistance. For many growers, that was an Achilles heel this season.

“When you’re dealing with a 117-day hybrid like they grow in southern Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky, you don’t grow corn that doesn’t have good southern rust resistance, because they deal with it every year,” Ferrie notes. “When you move to Minnesota, and you’re planting 102- to 95-day corn, you’re probably not going to find hybrids with southern rust resistance.”

Striegel says that was true for his neighbor’s cornfield, which he custom chopped for silage. “That field had two hybrids in it, one was worse than the other, and the field had been sprayed with a fungicide,” he says.

He adds that he also sprayed his own cornfields with fungicide, but they are still inundated with southern rust.

“We’ve had southern rust before, and it’s not usually something we have to worry about, but this is really bad,” Striegel says. “I’m standing on my deck looking at the cornfield next to my house, and you know, all of the leaves from the ears down in that field are covered with it.”

Southern rust is real in eastern Nebraska. Fungicide 3 weeks ago, 2nd app today with some potassium acetate pic.twitter.com/WZubU6IBwz
— Trent Mastny (@TrentMastny) August 21, 2025

How Late Is A Fungicide Application Still Worthwhile?

Ferrie says the fields he scouted last week were at late R3 to early R4 and had already been sprayed with fungicide at least once, but the disease was rebuilding.

“Any field where farmers had sprayed two weeks previously, the southern rust and northern corn leaf blight, to a lesser degree, were coming back, especially the southern rust. It was resporating,” he says.

The intense disease pressure from southern rust, tar spot and others have kept fungicide use at high levels this season, despite poor commodity prices.

“Because of that [amount of disease pressure], we have seen increased demand for our fungicides this year,” says Maertens, who encouraged customers to get applications made at the beginning of tassel.

Maertens says he has fielded a lot of questions this summer from farmers, asking how late they could go with a fungicide application and still benefit.

“Our recommendation is to get in front of disease,” he says. “Generally, we stop applications before we get to dent (R5). That’s not to say a later application can’t have some benefit, but our best results have been before infection was able to take place.”

Southern rust is a yield enemy farmers routinely face in the Southeast, reports corn yield champion Randy Dowdy, Valdosta, Ga. He participated in the Pro Farmer Crop Tour last week and said on U.S. Farm Report he believes many Midwest farmers still have time to address disease.

“We need to implore the fungicides, the technologies out there and get after it and protect this crop, especially that crop that still has not reached dent,” he says.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer likes to see farmers complete their fungicide applications on the front side of dough (early R4). “Once we get to early dent, I think it’s a little more challenging to get the payback consistently, though we’ve applied at early dent (R5), and seen a nice response,” says Bauer, who is based in south-central Michigan.

Under the tough disease pressure farmers are facing this year, Bauer is telling growers to scout fields and evaluate what growth stage their crop is in before they walk away or pull the fungicide trigger one last time.

She adds that farmers need to check the label to make sure the product used is able to address southern rust effectively. She describes these as “Cadillac” products containing the newest chemistry.

“When it comes to some of these diseases, especially southern rust and tar spot, I do believe a little bit of a Hail Mary pass can be effective,” she says. “Will it be as effective as an application you could have made on a more timely basis? Well, no, you could have made more money doing it timely, but you’re still protecting bushels and gaining ROI at the end.”

Ferrie adds that farmers might want to do the late-season fungicide application to keep their corn crop standing until they can put their harvest plan in place.

“Be doing the push test to check stalk quality,” he advises.

Southern Rust/Silage Alert!!

Southern Rust has been aggressively advancing in many fields, especially those without a fungicide treatment. In some situations the plants are shutting down prematurely and plant material is senescing rapidly.

While we typically want to get down… pic.twitter.com/aK3hGgZE19
— Pioneer Troy (@deutmeyer_troy) August 26, 2025

Striegel says some of the farmers around him are heading to fields to harvest their silage corn sooner than later, because of standability concerns. “Some of this corn got planted early, and we had a lot of heat. The crop matured quickly, and the diseases are kind of shutting it down. It’s just dying out, and guys are going to go get it,” he explains.

That’s the strategy Ferrie encourages farmers to use in regular production corn, too.

“Harvest the fields most at risk first. But if a field of corn goes down, go combine the fields where the corn is still standing and come back to that one later,” he recommends.

The reasoning is you don’t want to risk more corn going down while you’re harvesting the field of corn that already has.

“While I was driving through Iowa last week, I kept thinking that if I built corn reels to pick up down corn I’d bulk up my inventory, because I know where they’re going to get used,” Ferrie says, only half joking. “Yes, harvesting corn at 25% moisture is expensive, but down corn will kick your butt.”

Your next read: Revenge Applications: Why They Don’t Work, Cost You Money and Bushels, and Are Frankly Illegal

Yes, Corn Sweat is Real, But Here's Why the Humidity is So Thick This Year

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:13:04 GMT

In a year when most meteorologists were watching signs of drought — especially across the western half of the country — the middle of the U.S. has been inundated with moisture. It’s not just been hot, but unusually humid — even for this time of year.

Several Midwestern states are reporting a July that ranks as one of the top 10 wettest on record. Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says you can look to the Gulf to understand what’s been pumping all this moisture into much of the Corn Belt this year.

“We’ve had nonstop access to Gulf moisture. So, there’s just been nothing turning that off. As a result, we’d been able to just generate huge storms on plenty of moisture,” he says.

What Exactly is Corn Sweat?
The other factor that’s pumping moisture into the atmosphere is something called “corn sweat” — the process where corn plants release water vapor into the atmosphere. As the corn plant absorbs water from the soil and releases it through the pores in its leaves, the plant can cool down and transport nutrients.

“Corn sweat shows up a lot in some of the news media,” Snodgrass says. “We just can’t forget that each acre of corn can evaporate an additional 4,000 gallons of water into the atmosphere. Now, that’s not a lot, believe it or not. If you precipitate it back out onto that acre, it’s only about 0.15" deep. But the reality is we expect to see more ridge-riding storms.”

Snodgrass says last week’s rains that caused flash flooding across Iowa, Illinois and Missouri are proof of what the ridge-riding storms can do this time of year.

“We continue to see storms running the periphery of a ridge that’s going to probably live farther into the Southern Plains of the United States. But until you shut off the Gulf, we’re going have moisture coming through the country,” Snodgrass adds.

That “corn sweat” isn’t just aiding the recent ridge-riding storms. According meteorologist Ryan Maue, it’s also fueling some of the recent humidity.

At 7 pm ET, the corn fields 🌽were adding 20°F to 25°F on top of the actual temperature = heat index > 115°F 🔥

Dewpoints in the lower-80s + temperatures in 90s = insane "feels like" readings 📈 pic.twitter.com/JP89U5qXzt
— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) July 28, 2025

Maue said as of 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, the corn fields were adding 20°F to 25°F on top of the actual temperature, which means it felt like 115°F outside.

Much of that is because of the dew point, which according to Maue, reached in the low ‘80s. Dew points of 80°F or higher locally aren’t unusual, but they aren’t necessarily common either. It’s that high dew point creating such heavy humidity, and it’s no coincidence those dew point levels were highest around where there’s a lot of corn.

And we just can’t forget that each acre of corn can evaporate an additional 4,000 gallons of water into the atmosphere. Now, that’s not a lot, believe it or not. If you precipitate it back out onto that acre, it’s only about 0.15" deep.

Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien

With 95 million acres of corn planted in the ground this year, along with all the recent rains, it explains why the dew points and humidity has been so high.

The good news is the Midwest is currently in peak “corn sweat” time, which means the dew point should improve soon.

However, when it comes to moisture, Snodgrass thinks this wet weather pattern could continue over the next couple of weeks.

“If you ask me, the smartest forecast going longer term is probably persistence. In other words, what have we just seen? That will keep going until there’s some big overwhelming push to shove the atmosphere in a different direction,” he says.

Things should dry out for fall harvest. To understand the possible change in the weather pattern, watch Snodgrass’ full forecast from U.S. Farm Report.

What's Really Causing the Tight Tassel Wrap Pollination Problems This Year?

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:19:12 GMT

The view of the corn crop from the road this year looks good. Fields have lush green corn plants and even stands, which is why farmers had high hopes for bin-busting yields.

But as farmers wade into their fields and pull back the husks, some are finding an unpleasant surprise: an issue with overly tight wrapped tassels .

“It’s a very unique phenomenon we’re dealing with, and a lot of these issues have come from tassel wrapping,” says Dan Quinn, Extension corn specialist for Purdue University.

"Tassel wrap" showing up in WC Indiana (photos taken July 10), joining the party seen across much of the Midwest. Seems linked to hybrid, planting date, and pre-symptom temp swings. Potential pollination issues also observed ~10 days after symptoms.@PurdueAgronomy @PurdueAg pic.twitter.com/qVKDr7m1Th
— Dan Quinn (@PurdueCorn) July 21, 2025

Quinn started seeing the pollination problem in some of his own fields, and once he took a closer, he says it was quick to diagnose if you caught the field at the right time.

“It’s just a function of these tassels being almost stuck in the upper leaves,” he explains. “We’re seeing those upper leaves tightly wrap around the tassel, and in many cases it’s delaying the tassel emergence.”

He says that delay from the overly tight tassels is throwing off the synchronization of pollination at a critical time, and now it’s showing up in the form of poorly pollinated ears.

“The big thing with corn is we talk about the synchrony between pollen drop and the silk emergence,” Quinn says. “[Pollination] a very fairly short window in corn. Anything that throws out that timing can cause issues with pollination.”

What’s catching so many farmers by surprise is the fact crop conditions look phenomenal across many areas of the country this year thanks to good planting conditions and timely rains. In fact, USDA’s latest Crop Progress report shows nearly three-quarters of the nation’s corn crop is rated in good to excellent condition.

“You have to get in there and peel back the husks,” Quinn says. “You have to take a look at kernel development. Another thing we often look at is when silks, or the ovules on the kernel, are fertilized. When that occurs, the silks will detach. If you carefully pull back the husk, you have to be careful, and you can actually shake the ear to see which silks fall off or which ones actually stay attached.”

Pollination Problems in Iowa

Mark Licht, an Extension cropping systems specialist at Iowa State University, first started seeing corn pollination issues in early July .

“Some of those first tasseling fields were where this really started to show up,” Licht says. “I think that’s attributed to some of the characteristics around what’s causing it, and it kept going until probably about a week ago is when we kind of stopped seeing it in the field. But then, of course, farmers that had noticed the pollination issues, and that’s when, they were still getting agronomists, myself and others out to look at their fields.”

Tightly wrapped tassels in SW IN—seems to be hybrid specific. Planter was split in each field—The other hybrid and refuge shot normal tassels. pic.twitter.com/xyJFqaG4Oy
— Hillari Mason (@HillariMason) July 21, 2025

He says the tight tassel wrap usually lasts around three to five days and is noticeable in fields during that time. But it’s a short window that growers can see the tassel tight tassel wrap in their fields. And when it grows out of it, and the tassel blossoms out like normal.

That means if farmers didn’t notice the tight tassel in that short three to five day window, they might not even know pollination problems exist in their field until they actually walk into the field and check ears to see how the corn pollinated.

“If it unwrapped quickly, we might only see a dozen or two dozen kernels that were not pollinating,” Licht says. “Some of them that stayed wrapped up a little bit tighter, longer, we might see 25% to a third of that ear didn’t pollinate well.”

What’s the Worst-Case Scenario in Iowa?

For Licht, he has seen fields where eight out of 10 ears had issues.

“One of the fields that I was in, it was about 80% of the ears, and it was probably in that 25% of the ear with poor pollination,” he says. “So, this pollination issues [from tight tassel wrap] could be somewhat significant. That’s a worst-case scenario. Most of this is on the fields with pollination issues that I’ve seen are on the lighter side of things where it may only be a dozen kernels or so impacted on an ear, and it might only be 20% of ears impacted.”

At Least 10 States Are Reporting Pollination Problems From Overly Tight Wrapped Tassels

Licht says the problem is widespread, but in Iowa, it appears to be primarily isolated to the central and southeast portions of the state. He’s also heard reports of tight tassel wrap impacting pollination in Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee, Illinois and Indiana.

Add those seven states with reports of the problem in Missouri, Kansas and Ohio, and the total grows to 10 states seeing pollination issues this year.

What’s Really Causing the Tight Tassel Wrap Pollination Problems This Year?

Plants experience tight tassel wrap each year, according to Licht, but he says the crop typically grows out of it before pollination. This year, the leaves stayed tightly wrapped around the tassel as the plant started to pollinate, which is where the issues occurred.

“I think we do see these plants wrap up each year. Typically it’s more in the mid-vegetative time period, so eighth leaf stage up to 13 or 14 leaf stage,” he says. “This is really rare when it’s wrapping around the tassel as the tassel is starting to shed pollen. I’ve been an agronomist for 20 plus years, and I think this is only the second time I’ve seen it.”

Record overnight temperatures.

(Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien )

Both Licht and Quinn attribute this rare occurrence of tight tassel wrap during pollination to key environmental issues, including a lot of soil moisture and a sudden switch to high temperatures. The near-record overnight temperatures are also thought to have aided the problem. It was a “perfect storm” for issues to exist, and the hybrids impacted may have been more susceptible to rapid growth syndrome this spring.

“We had rapid growth at the end of that vegetative development,” explains Licht.

Can Bad Genetics or Poor Breeding Also Be to Blame?

Farmers are looking for someone, or something, to blame. After all, they have a lot riding on this year’s crop. And considering the issue is occurring across a wide geography of the Corn Belt, some critics are questioning if the issue is all weather or environmental related.

So that begs the following questions: Is it bad genetics? Is it poor breeding, or any one thing to pinpoint as the cause? Those are the questions we asked Licht.

“I don’t think so,” Licht says. “Yes, it is hybrid specific, and it’s happening across all brands, but some of the hybrids I’m hearing about were planted last year and the year before, but the problem didn’t show up. I think it’s really a combination of the hybrid and the environment coming together perfectly, and it’s more prolific this year.”

Kind of depressing pic.twitter.com/Mgf8dJd5dz
— Lance Schiele (@schiele_lance) July 22, 2025

The Issue Is Happening Across Several Seed Brands

Similar to Licht’s assessment, Quinn says it seems to be an issue across seed brands .

“I think this issue has been the biggest surprise because the areas where we see significant tassel wrap and the pollination issues are areas you would not expect to have any issues,” Quinn says. “The fields I’ve walked are some of the best corn fields in the state. Iowa has a lot of issues with [tight tassel wrap], but they have outstanding crop conditions in that state.”

Add ND to the list of states with wrapped tassels pic.twitter.com/VyeQ41og6s
— Blase Hendrickson (@hendricksonfarm) July 23, 2025

Quinn says from the fields he’s scouted, the issue is specific to a late April or first week of May planting date.

“A lot of that corn was reaching pollination in the past couple of weeks,” Quinn says. “If you look at our planting progress, on May 5, we had about 25% of the corn acres planted in Indiana. Based on that number, I would say maybe 10% to 20% of the acres can potentially be impacted in Indiana.”

He says best-case scenario is the tight wrapped tassel caused no pollination issues. Worst case, from what he’s seen, is 20% to 30% of a field is impacted by pollination issues.
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Watch the full discussion with Purdue’s Dan Quinn exclusively on Farm Journal TV .
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Quinn says that’s what makes it so hard to quantify the impact of pollination problems on the size of this year’s crop.

“We still need a lot more time to assess these fields, walk these fields, pull ears and take a look at pollination to get a better handle on the magnitude of it, Quinn says.

Why Isn’t the Corn Market Taking Note?

At the beginning of July, market analysts and traders were continuing to ramp up yield forecasts, which sprouted from the fact crop conditions are so strong, and moisture from the Gulf continued to pump rainfall across the Midwest. Some yield forecasts were as high as 189 bu. per acre, which would be well above the 181 bu. per acre national yield forecast currently projected by USDA.

With no way of knowing the scope or severity of the pollination problems, market analysts say the U.S. corn crop is still shaping up to be good. The pollination problems could trim a few bushels off the extremely high national yield forecasts being thrown around.

“From our vantage point, yes, it does help temper some of the 185, 186, 187 yield forecasts?” says Jim Emter, CEO of Van Ahn and Company. “We’re more in that tune right now of a 179 to 184 [bu. per acre national yield forecast]. It feels like we’re in a race to print the biggest one right now by a lot of people.”

Still, farmers are frustrated. They see the social media posts about pollination problems, and then some walk their own fields, only to find pollination issues firsthand. They’re frustrated the corn market isn’t reacting to what could be an unexpected production problem this year.

AgTraderTalk’s Garrett Toay was on “U.S. Farm Report” this week and was asked why the issue isn’t moving the markets yet.

“Nobody knows,” Toay says. “I’ve talked to industry contacts; I think it’s a fairly widespread issue. It’s not brand specific as we originally thought early on, and what I’m being told is the corn plant grew too quickly in some areas. It works itself out in some areas, but I think the problem of the market is it’s not too concerned about it or not paying attention to it because we don’t know how widespread it is. We don’t know if it will even have an impact on the actual yield. But it’s one of those things we’ll trade when we get there sort of thing.”

Puzzling Problem

It’s a puzzling problem, especially in fields where planting got off to a strong start, and from farmers to agronomists, it’s catching everyone by surprise.

“That’s been the biggest surprise is that we can still have issues even when things look really good out there,” Quinn says.

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Watch the full discussion with Iowa State’s Mark Licht exclusively on Farm Journal TV.

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Near Ideal Growing Conditions?

There’s no secret that pollination problems are an issue in corn this year. However, critics question how weather is playing a factor when the U.S. has experienced near ideal growing conditions this year.

Nutrien’s Eric Snodgrass says moisture has been almost ideal, but the overnight temperatures mgith be playing a factor into the issues farmers are seeing. Watch his discussion, along with the rainfall forecast for the next few weeks.

Searing Temperatures In Store For the Week

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 16:48:44 GMT

Something is missing in eastern Nebraska that Dave Warner says is usually available in abundance – and then some – on his farm in mid-July: sunshine and dry weather conditions. Warner refuses to complain, though, given how dry his soils were at corn planting time in May. Still, he would be happy if Mother Nature would ease up on the moisture deliveries just a tad.

“We’ve had a lot of rain; in the last 30 days, we probably had 18.5 inches. We had an inch overnight again last night,” he said on Thursday. “We are inundated with moisture.”

Weather Outlook Just Ahead

Warner’s weather scenario might or might not change this weekend, given his area is on the cusp of a new forecast. It’s one meteorologists believe will deliver high temperatures and dry conditions to parts of the central Plains, the Upper Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic by Tuesday.

(NOAA)

But first, the National Weather Service (NWS) says those regions will have to endure strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rains this weekend. Then, those regions will see a heat dome start to build.

“We are keeping a very, very close eye on a heat dome that will be building up after this weekend,” says Meteorologist Jack Van Meter. “It’s going all the way through Wednesday, bringing sweltering hot temperatures to most.”

(BAM Weather on X, formerly Twitter)

Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist at weather.com, says temperatures could reach dangerously high, searing levels next week. He says, in summary:

By mid-week, temperatures in the 90s will have spread from the South into the lower Midwest. By late in the week, at least some 90s are possible in the Northeast.

Parts of the South could see triple-digit highs for several days in a row, including Texas, Oklahoma, northern Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri.

Overnight lows in the middle to upper 70s will become increasingly common as the heat wave builds. That won’t allow much heat relief at night.

Michael Clark, with BAM Weather, says he has concerns about a lack of moisture in three states, in particular.

“If there’s a spot where we want to talk about there needing to be some moisture, it is Illinois, Indiana and Michigan,” he told U.S. Farm Report’s Tyne Morgan this past week. “They are running about 25% to 50% of the normal. Despite what anyone is saying right now, it needs to rain there.”

Warmer nighttime lows are not particularly ideal for corn production, notes Clark. But he offers farmers some encouragement as he evaluates the potential impact of current weather trends on yield projections.

“In my opinion, we are tracking close to three years – 2005, 2021 and 2024. In 2005 and 2021 we had above-trend yields, and 2024 was very big,” he says, adding for 2025: “Indications are the weather is doing what it needs to do for a very large crop to come from it overall.”

Your next read: Grains Surge Friday: Was it Weather and Did it Bottom the Market?

20 Phrases Every Farmer Actually Mutters About Rain

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:35:14 GMT

If there’s one topic that unites farmers across all sectors of ag, it’s rain. It’s more than just weather on the farm, it determines your profits, your schedule and your mood all wrapped into one frustrating package. And it doesn’t matter if it’s planting season, mid-summer or the final push before harvest, our entire lives revolve around what’s happening in the sky.

If two or more farmers are talking, you can bet rain will come up in the conversation within the first five minutes. Here’s a look at some of the most common phrases you’ll hear when farmers start talking about rain:

“We could use some rain.”
This is the go-to phrase farmers have said since the beginning of time. It’s a simple, familiar line heard everywhere from church parking lots to town meetings, starting at planting and sticking around through the end of harvest.
“It would be nice if it stopped raining.”
Ah, the full-circle moment. Just two weeks ago we were begging for a slight shower. Now it’s been raining cats and dogs for four straight days.
“How much rain did you get?”
This is more than small talk; it’s actually a competition between farmers, and there is a winner and a loser.
“How much rain did so-and-so get?”
Because we all know that one farmer magically got all the rain, again.
“Did you see the forecast for the week?”
This is a question that leads farmers to check five weather apps that all have five different answers.
“That cloud is looking pretty dark.”
If this phrase is said on any farm, everyone will turn to look and offer their opinion on if it’s actually going to rain or not.
“It always seems to miss us.”
Every time the radar shows a line of storms, somehow it splits, shifts or drifts just enough to leave you high and dry.
“We needed that.”
This is often said with a kind of relief that comes after waiting days or weeks, when even a small rain feels like a lifeline.
“It was just enough to settle the dust.”
This is farmer speak for: it looked better than it was, but we’ll still take it.
“The radar made it look like we’d get rain, but we didn’t get a drop.”
All the signs pointed to a downpour, but somehow the sky held back.
“It split and went north again.”
Of course it did. It always does. It never rains where it’s supposed to.
“The neighbor got an inch, and we got nothing.”
This can go one of two ways: You’re ticked that you didn’t get the rain, or you’re thankful that you didn’t get more of it.
“It’s too wet to get anything done now.”
Welcome to farming: Nothing goes according to plan, and every drought seems to end with a downpour.
“Hopefully it holds off ‘til we get this hay in.”
A tempting statement that all but guarantees a pop-up thunderstorm. Mother Nature never checks your schedule.
“At least we get a break.”
This is said when the rain slows work down but gives everyone a moment to catch their breath.
“We’re overdue.”
This is usually muttered out of practicality and frustration, recognizing that the dry spell has gone on longer than expected and something has to give soon.
“It was just enough to green things up.”
It wasn’t a drought-buster, but it was good enough to make everything look better.
“How long do you think this dry stretch will last?”
Asked like someone might have insider info. Nobody does, but that won’t stop the theories, calendar comparisons or 2012 references.
“You could see the rain line from here.”
Another version of “we missed it,” but with more drama and eyewitness testimony.
“I could be a meteorologist.”
Said when the forecast flips unexpectedly, reminding everyone that sometimes even the experts are just guessing.

Whether it’s not enough, way too much or the perfect amount, rain brings out every emotion in a farmer’s toolkit — hope, stress, gratitude, frustration, envy and relief. And no matter what the forecast says, one thing is always true: If you’re a farmer, you’ll never stop talking about rain.

The Hidden Threat in Your TMR: Identifying and Controlling Mycotoxins

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:58:05 GMT

Mycotoxins are a hidden threat that can quietly chip away at herd health, milk production and overall performance. Produced by molds that grow on feedstuffs, these toxic compounds are more common than many farmers realize, and managing them requires a combination of prevention, monitoring and nutrition-based strategies.

According to Duarte Diaz, professor and dairy Extension specialist at the University of Arizona, the key is not to panic, but to recognize that mycotoxins are one of many risks that need to be built into routine feed and herd management.

Why Mycotoxins Are So Complicated
“When we say mycotoxins, we’re really talking about hundreds of different compounds, produced by many types of molds,” Diaz explains. “Each one behaves differently depending on the crop, the region, the weather and how feed is handled and stored.”

For example, Aspergillus molds, which produce aflatoxin, are more common in hot, humid regions, while Fusarium molds, which produce toxins like DON (vomitoxin) and zearalenone, are more likely in cooler climates. But Diaz points out that mold problems don’t follow hard rules.

“Even in drier or colder areas, the environment inside a grain bin or silage bunker can still create conditions that support mold growth,” he says. “That’s why we find mycotoxins in just about every major crop-growing region in the world.”

Feeds Most at Risk
Corn silage often gets the most attention, but other feeds can also carry risk. Diaz encourages producers to think about two factors:

How often an ingredient is fed
How attractive it is to molds

“Corn is widely grown and makes a good substrate for mold, so it’s always a top concern,” he says. “But cottonseed, peanut byproducts and even some small grains can also be high-risk depending on where and how they’re produced.”

He also emphasizes that details matter. For example, corn ears that are partially exposed due to poor husk coverage are more likely to get infected. Insect damage, drought or high heat during the growing season can also increase the chance of mold growth and toxin production.

Understanding What Triggers a Mycotoxin Outbreak
While molds and fungal spores are present in nearly every farm environment, they do not always produce toxins. So, what turns a common fungus into a toxic threat?

“It is similar to how we set our thermostats,” says Lina Castano-Duque, a mycotoxin researcher with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. “Fungi thrive in very specific environmental conditions. When the temperature, moisture and nutrient availability are just right, they grow rapidly and can start producing toxins.”

For example, Aspergillus grows best around 86°F.

“At that temperature, it grows quickly, produces more toxins and can spread across the field or storage site,” Castano-Duque explains.

Even more challenging is the fact toxin production is not always linked to visible mold or even active fungal growth.

“Sometimes the fungus grows without producing much toxin,” she says. “It often starts producing aflatoxin when it is stressed, which could be due to competition, nutrient shifts or environmental changes. We are still working to understand what exactly triggers that switch.”

Insect pressure plays a major role as well. Caterpillar damage, for example, can create small injuries in the crop that allow fungi to access starches and lipids inside the plant.

“If you have that kind of damage followed by warm and humid weather, the environment becomes perfect for the fungus to colonize and produce high levels of aflatoxin,” Castano-Duque says.

Testing and Monitoring
Identifying a mycotoxin problem isn’t always easy. Many symptoms, such as drops in production, weak immune response or poor reproduction can be caused by other factors. Diaz says testing should be part of a broader herd health and performance evaluation.

“Mycotoxins don’t usually cause one obvious sign,” he explains. “You’re more likely to see subtle issues over time, and they can be made worse by other problems like nutrition gaps or vaccine failures.”

Routine testing of high-risk ingredients and total mixed rations (TMR) can help spot a problem before it gets worse. And while moldy feed is often a red flag, visual cues alone are not enough.

“The most common call I get is, ‘My feed looks moldy but the test came back clean,’” Diaz says. “That actually makes sense. Mycotoxins are usually produced when the mold is stressed, not when it’s growing actively. So, a feed might look bad but be safe or look fine and still contain toxins.”

Can We Predict When Risk Will Be High?
To help producers stay ahead of contamination, Castano-Duque and her colleagues are developing predictive models that use environmental and soil data to estimate the likelihood of a mycotoxin outbreak.

Working with the National Corn Growers Association and other partners, USDA researchers are applying machine learning to evaluate variables such as temperature, precipitation, soil composition and historical outbreaks.

“Our goal is to generate a risk estimate about three months before harvest,” she says. “That way, a farmer in a specific county might get a notice that their region has a high likelihood of an outbreak, and they can take proactive steps.”

Interestingly, the models have revealed the influence of unexpected variables.

“In our Texas model, calcium carbonate in the soil turned out to be a highly influential factor,” Castano-Duque says. “That is important because calcium carbonate is often applied to adjust soil pH. Farms with more acidic soils tend to see higher risk, which lines up with what producers have observed for years.”

The models are still evolving, but the ultimate goal is to give producers tools to make more informed decisions, whether that means applying antifungal agents, adjusting crop management or watching feed quality more closely in a high-risk year.

What You Can Do
If mycotoxins are confirmed or strongly suspected, there are tools available to help reduce their impact. Feed additives, often called binders or sequestering agents, can help reduce how much toxin is absorbed in the cow’s gut. Diaz says some products can significantly lower the amount of aflatoxin that ends up in milk.

“For aflatoxin, a good product can cut levels by 50% to 60%,” he says. “That’s the difference between a marketable tank and a rejected load.”

He also recommends looking at overall ration quality and adjusting key areas to support the cow’s ability to cope. Mycotoxins often affect the immune system, liver and gut lining, so additional antioxidants, fiber sources and gut health additives can be useful.

“Think about what the toxin is damaging,” Diaz says. “Can we help the immune system recover? Can we support liver function? Can we reduce irritation in the gut? All of those things add up.”

Final Thoughts
There is no silver bullet for preventing mycotoxins, but building them into your farm’s risk management approach can help you stay ahead. Understanding which ingredients are most at risk, testing periodically and working with your nutritionist to make ration adjustments are all important steps.

“Mycotoxins are a part of modern dairy production,” Diaz says. “But they don’t have to take you by surprise. If you plan for them like you plan for heat stress or forage quality, you can minimize the damage and keep your cows on track.”

July Weather Outlook: Goodbye Rain, Hello Heat

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 21:02:27 GMT

The Pacific Jet Stream has been going strong since early spring, sending heavy rains down through the Ohio River Valley, delaying farmers’ planting efforts there, then more recently, moving large amounts of moisture into the central Corn Belt.

“Nobody would have thought three months ago that we were going to have this much rain occurring across key crop areas, especially in the southern half of the Plains and in the Delta and Tennessee River Basin,” says Drew Lerner, president and senior agricultural meteorologist of World Weather.

But be advised, the engine driving that jet stream is about to turn off, says John Hoomenuk of EmpireWeather.com . He anticipates that by early July, some farmers will see those heavy rain events turn into a trickle.

Weather outlook for early July.

(BAM Weather)

Weather Brewing For July

“As we get into the second week of July or so, we’ll see the ridge push a little further north, and we’ll see some drier forecasts starting to appear, starting in Kansas and Nebraska, and then spreading a little bit into southwestern and central Iowa at times as well,” Hoomenuk says.

“That’s really caught our attention, because we just haven’t seen that [pattern] so far this year, and it’s a pretty big change compared to where we’ve been,” he adds.

As July goes on and August nears, Hoomenuk says the weather data indicate the jet stream will go up into Canada and drop into the Great Lakes.

If that occurs, he says farmers in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio are likely to get some precipitation dropping on the east side of the ridge. But across the Central Plains, Kansas, Nebraska, Dakotas, and maybe even into parts of Iowa, farmers will see their conditions trend a little drier.

“I think that’s not a huge concern just yet, but it’s a pretty big change up compared to where we’ve been the last couple of weeks,” Hoomenuk told AgriTalk host, Chip Flory, on Tuesday.

Drought Risks Remain In Place

The outlook for drier weather in July is not a surprise, based on the patterns some meteorologists saw shaping up last winter.

“The central United States is at about a 60% drought risk. Some of the best weather forecast models we have out there are trying to put the epicenter of that drought somewhere between Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and southern Minnesota by the time we get into July and August,” says Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien.

Much of the western U.S. has been enduring dry, hot conditions already this year. Much of the central Midwest is about to experience the same.

(The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.)

“When you think about those particular states, developing drought from spring to summer in any year is somewhere in the neighborhood of 28% to 38%,” he says. “Essentially, the risk is doubled this year.”

Snodgrass explains the canary in the coal mine for a drought will come from a combination of the Gulf of Alaska ocean temperatures and the Bermuda high, which is an area of high pressure that can influence weather patterns and tropical systems. If the Gulf of Alaska ocean temperatures begin dropping this summer, that’s a sign moisture will be lacking.

The silver lining, Hoomenuk says, is many farmers have either had excess or sufficient moisture this spring, so no alarm bells have been ringing yet for corn and soybean crops that are now in rapid growth.

His concern is the current weather patterns will stagnate, causing temperatures to rise.

“Most of the long-range data we’re seeing, if you look at July as a whole, is showing some pretty substantial [temperature] numbers in the Central Plains. We’re talking somewhere between four and five degrees above normal in some areas of Kansas and Nebraska, two or three degrees above normal for the month on average, surrounding that in parts of southwestern Iowa and the Dakotas,” he says.

As for states further east, such as Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, Hoomenuk says farmers there will likely see temperatures “closer to normal” for July, based on data he’s reviewed.

“The thing I keep seeing is temperatures looking to be about normal, maybe slightly warmer than normal – just a couple days of heat followed by a cool down and some rain, which is is pretty ideal,” he says. “It doesn’t seem like we’ll get into that long-term heat there in those eastern regions of the U.S, so the concern level out there is pretty low right now heading into July.”

Your next read: Crop Quality in the Midwest: Most States Soar, Some Flounder

All The Details: Inside John Deere’s New F8 and F9 Forage Harvesters

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 18:20:35 GMT

John Deere is rolling out two new forage harvesters for North American dairy producers and custom harvesting operations.

The brand new F8 and F9 Series feature three factory-installed operator cab options, a technology stack that will one day enable autonomous operation, and enhanced feed quality via an integrated inoculant dosing system.

How are F8 and F9 different?
The F8 Series (425PS to 645PS) is a narrow base model that takes the place of Deere’s 8000 Series forage harvester, while the F9 Series (700PS to 1020PS) replaces the 9000 Series. Within the F9 Series is the F9 1000, which is Deere’s largest forage harvest machine to date.

(Editor’s Note: “PS” stands for Pferdestärke, which is the German term for horsepower. PS to horsepower is not an apples-to-apples equal ratio. The F9 1000, for example, features 1020PS which equates to 1,006HP, according to the manufacturer.)

The F9 is available in two engine options:

John Deere 18X (no DEF required)
Liebherr V12 24L

It has five horsepower options, while the F8 comes with the JD14X engine and can be configured across six horsepower options.

The manufacturer last rolled out completely new forage harvesters in 2019.

How much will each new model cost?

The feed rolls on John Deere’s F8 and F9 forage harvesters have integrated metal detection to keep unwanted material out of your feed.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

John Deere is not sharing its pricing just yet, but the two new models are built at its Zweibrucken, Germany, factory. John Deere dealers will begin taking orders for the aggressively styled, technology-packed harvesters this fall, with final delivery in time for the 2026 forage harvesting season.

Deere representatives declined comment on what effect, if any, the still-developing U.S.and E.U. tariff situation could have on its launch plans.

Ahead of the launch, Farm Journal went to Madison, Wisc., to kick the tires and learn all about the new machines. The F8 and F9 harvesters we viewed and climbed into were the first finished production units off the factory line. Deere says several units will be field tested with U.S. customers ahead of the full fall launch.

“We’re really excited about the new cab and the technology we’ve added to these machines like central tire inflation, ground speed automation and the new kernel processing units,” says Bergen Nelson, go-to-market manager, combines and forage harvesters.

Here’s some of what we learned about the new forage harvesters:

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Cab Comforts: The same three operator cab options offered with Deere’s X and S Series combines — Select, Premium and Ultimate — are available on the F8 and F9 Series. A smoothly swiveling captain’s chair, as well as an all-new corner post display that shows real-time machine data, are among the additions. Operators who spend long hours in the cab will also appreciate integrated entertainment like SXM Radio and an optional mini fridge.

(Matthew J. Grassi )

Foundational Deere Tech Stack: Each new forage harvester in the series includes Deere’s baseline precision tech enablement stack — which consists of its G5 display, Starfire 7500 receiver and JDLink modem.

Central Tire Inflation System: A completely new feature (top left inset photo) within the G5 display allows the operator to adjust front tire PSI up or down from the cab.

John Deere Inoculant Dosing System 2.0

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Inoculant Dosing System 2.0: New on both the F8 and F9, a high-volume 85 gallon inoculant tank and integrated pump allow the user to accurately adjust silage inoculant dosage rates from the G5 display in the cab. The system is easy to pump and prime as well with the touch of a button located at the rear of the machine.

Ground Speed Automation: This cruise control-like option reads RPMs and throttles the harvester up or down based on crop conditions. For example, harvesting corn at higher moisture levels will increase power output, so the machine will automatically slow down to ensure it doesn’t plug up or do a sub-optimal job harvesting. This feature comes standard on all base models for both series and does not require a yearly subscription unlock or per-acre fee.

Pro Touch Harvest: Another new feature within the G5 display allows the operator to shift the machine from road transport mode to harvest mode in a single click. It can also be used to quickly engage AutoTrac and ground speed automation once the operator arrives at the edge of field.

This all-new XStream 305 Kernel Processing (KP) unit is built by Scherer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

New Kernal Processing (KP) Units: The new harvesters feature two completely redesigned KP units, the Ultimate 250 (also made in Germany) and the Scherer XStream 305, which is made in Sioux Falls, S.D. An integrated winch and internal rail mounting system makes switching the machine from corn forage to hay forage in the field quick and simple. The number signifies each KP unit’s roll diameter width in millimeters.

“Both KPs will go in both machines and have four different roll options depending on how aggressive the dairyman wants their end feed quality to be,” says Shane Campbell, product marketing manager, forage harvesters.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Integrated Harvest Lab 3000: This on-demand constituent sensing module pulls over 4,000 samples per second with +/- 2% accuracy, and John Deere says it can save dairy operations time and money versus collecting and sending samples to a lab. The sensor tech (available as an add-on option) enables accurate measurement and documentation of dry matter, starch, protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber for both harvested forage and manure. The data can be stored, organized and shared via Deere’s Operations Center. Within Operations Center, users can take geo-referenced data and build out spatial starch content — as well as moisture and protein — maps for hybrid selection and fertility management. Because if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Active Fill Control 3.0: Using sensors and cameras on the grain spout, this tech feature automatically detects the trailer or grain cart next to the forage harvester and begins filling it with a preselected fill strategy. This reduces the number of times an operator has to adjust the spout manually and also lessens fatigue and neck strain, according to Deere.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

New Operating Modes: Several of the models within the F9 Series offer what Deere is calling its “Engine Power Plus” feature — which gives a sizeable horsepower boost when the machines senses it needs a little extra chopping power to the harvesting head. There is also an ECO mode that can be toggled on when the machines don’t need the extra torque.

Ease-Of-Access: Both models have side and rear panels that easily open to grant full access to the inner workings of the machines, making the new forage harvesters much easier to service and maintain without a lift or other heavy specialized equipment. The machine is setup so techs and mechanically-minded farmers will not have to climb underneath it to perform daily maintenance.

“At the end of the day, we know it’s all about the cow, and these machines will put out quality feed,” Nelson says. “We’ll have these out at the farm shows this summer, including Farm Progress Show, World Ag Expo, World Dairy Expo and the U.S. Custom Harvesters Convention.”

Your Next Read - Renewed Confidence: The Dairy Industry is Optimistic in 2025

Corteva Phases Out BMR, Introduces TonnEdge

Thu, 15 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Corteva Agriscience has announced that it will be phasing out its Brown midrib (BMR) corn varieties and investing more in a new line of silage-specific hybrids.

Once the darling of dairy nutrition, BMR corn hybrids have fallen partially out of favor, thanks to yield drag compared to conventional hybrids, and an early lactation-stage niche that makes silage inventories more challenging to manage for growing dairies.

Corteva noted increasing demand for high-quality, high-tonnage corn silage hybrids. The company is now focusing its research and development investment in corn silage hybrids that meet growers’ expectations for silage varieties that deliver both high tonnage and quality, branding its new silage hybrids “TonnEdge.”

TonnEdge hybrids will be selected for high biomass yield balanced with agronomic stability. This includes late-season plant health that will allow for more starch deposition to maintain fiber digestibility while offering a wider harvest window.

The decision to phase out BMR hybrids applies to all Corteva seed brands in the U.S. and Canada that currently offer BMR, including Pioneer®, Brevant® seeds, and Dairyland Seed. The BMR exit will occur over several seasons, with the final year of BMR sales to occur no later than the 2030 growing season.

In a company statement, Corteva noted they remain committed to the dairy industry. “We’re proud to support dairy farmers by continuing to invest in the dairy market, respond to market shifts, and deliver high-quality silage options to serve our customers and remain our leadership position,” they said.

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Mark Carney’s Liberal Win: What It Means for Canadian Agriculture and U.S. Relations

Fri, 02 May 2025 18:12:04 GMT

America’s neighbor to the north has elected a new leader. The result is not a huge surprise to farmers across Canada, but it’s fair to say Liberal Party leader and new Prime Minister Mark Carney likely wasn’t many farmers’ first choice, either.

“I would say farmers are frustrated with the track record of what the (Liberal) Party’s done for agriculture over the last 12 years, and they are probably pretty concerned if they’ll see any change over the next four years,” says Saskatchewan farmer Kristjan Hebert when asked how his farming brethren felt about the result.

Shaun Haney, founder of RealAgriculture and host of RealAg Radio , thinks the aggressive rhetoric from President Donald Trump around the U.S. possibly annexing Canada as the 51st state had an impact. The Conservatives had a large lead in many polls leading up to the election, but there was a seismic shift as Election Day approached.

“The Conservatives couldn’t get out of the trough of many Canadians making the assumption they were just going to roll over to President Trump, which I don’t think was true but definitely was the branding they were labeled with, and now Mark Carney’s first election is over and he’s going to be the prime minister,” he says.

(iStock/Lori Hays)

If there is a silver lining for conservative-leaning Canadian farmers, Haney views Carney as better equipped to manage the high-wire tightrope walk that is dealing with Trump. The U.S. President did back away from the 51st state rhetoric post-election, and the two men share similar backgrounds in global finance. There appears to be a degree of respect between the two.

“I think (Carney) has the opportunity to get some respect (from Trump) in the sense that he’s worked in those circles, but he has been very pro on the climate file, which he backed off during the election. He’s going to want to park that if he’s going to stay out of some of the ire of President Trump,” Haney adds.

Haney talked about the Canadian Election results on AgriTalk today. You can listen to the “Free for all Friday” discussion here:

From the farmer point of view, Hebert says there are actually a few Trump policies that he and many Canadian farmers support; he just wants more respect from the U.S. leader.

“I think most (Canadian farmers) would argue he has enough things to right on his own ship before he needs to worry about everybody else’s,” he says.

One ag market that may become a political football is the dairy industry. There is a lot of shared interests between the two countries in that realm, and Canada has slapped a protectionist 200% tariff on U.S. dairy exports for years, as Dairy Herd Management editor Karen Bohnert wrote in an analysis piece in March.

“Dairy’s going to be really fascinating,” Haney says. “One of the outcomes of the election is the Liberals are going to need support from some of the other parties. That’s going to come from the New Democratic Party or it’s going to come from The Bloc Quebecois, which is based in Quebec. And where is the Canadian Dairy lobby the strongest? Well, it’s in Quebec. So, it’s going to be really fascinating to see where they go on dairy negotiations.”

Another industry with close cross-border ties is the farm equipment manufacturing world. The tariff situation has hit that market with brute force. Many farmers are delaying purchases of new tractors, combines and sprayers until the situation clears up. Manufacturers have responded by laying off factory workers and slowing production of new machines.

An example of the cross-border journey of one piece of agriculture equipment from raw material to delivery on the farm.

(AEM)

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“Six or seven years ago, spending was full bore and it was a good time (in the industry),” Hebert says. “Right now, operations are really looking for efficiencies, and that includes asset turnover, capital utilization and the efficiency of production models. You’re going to see producers really focus on using every dollar to maximize efficiency because the margins just aren’t wide enough right now.”

Haney hopes both countries can come to the table and realize a united North America is stronger than one divided.

“This is a critical trading relationship and economic partnership between two countries that neighbor each other; there are bigger fish to fry,” he says. “China, Brazil and India — those are the countries where we need to be working together and focusing on a partnership, rather than battling each other.”

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Another Week of Major Planting Progress Wraps Up April

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:52:25 GMT

At this point in April, the majority of the farmers have buckled in for spring planting. And with another week of favorable conditions in the tractor’s rearview mirror, USDA has released the latest update on planting progress.

As of April 27, the report calculates 24% of corn and 18% of soybeans are in the ground. That’s up from 12% for corn and 8% for soybeans at this time last week.

The most progress since the last report goes to:
Corn

North Carolina (18% gain)
Minnesota (17% gain)
Iowa, Tennessee and South Dakota (16% gain)

Soybeans

Mississippi (19% gain)
Iowa and Louisiana (14% gain)
Arkansas (13% gain)

Progress up to this point is right on track with last year — with corn 1% behind and soybeans 1% ahead of the 2024 numbers.

Good Conditions To Go Around
With warm, sunny weather and rain where it’s needed, farmers are starting to feel cautiously optimistic for what’s ahead this growing season.

Started beans today. I thought the conditions were great before the rain the other day, even better now. After the last 2 wet miserable planting seasons I'll take it. Hopefully I don't jink myself #plant25 #notill pic.twitter.com/B3azISX2PF
— Bryan Biegler (@BryanBiegs) April 26, 2025

This oughta ease some drought concerns for a while around here. Already double what the forecast was pic.twitter.com/ENOizKjJGu
— Jacob Birklid (@NDSodbuster) April 28, 2025

In fact, conditions have been so good, some growers (like this Minnesota farmer) are way ahead of schedule.

And just like that, 2025 corn is planted. I can only remember being done with corn in April once before. #plant25 @MSP_Traffic pic.twitter.com/kBzZVPpxEz
— Shawn Anderson (@AndersonSM24680) April 27, 2025

They might even be wondering, “What’s the catch?”

It will either be a bin buster or a drought. It will be one or the other, I have not seen ground work up this nice in several years pic.twitter.com/klaAIP5GHx
— Greg Zimpleman (@gregzimpleman) April 27, 2025

Maybe it’s the ongoing windy conditions .

Planting soybeans into a great stand of rye. You can see the dirt blowing in the distance.

38mph wind gusts at the moment pic.twitter.com/JqipfrVtFk
— Ben Longlet 🇺🇸🌽🌱 (@blonglet) April 26, 2025

Or the forecast for the week ahead.

Let’s get crackin’! But actually let’s wait until after all this predicted hail tomorrow night…. pic.twitter.com/Zky90AX0x8
— Nicole Stecklein (@NicoleStecklein) April 27, 2025

🚨Here's our updated thinking for severe weather threats on Tuesday. Greatest timeframe of concern is from 1PM - 9PM ET. All hazards on the table. pic.twitter.com/WjSUuScifW
— BAM Weather (@bam_weather) April 27, 2025

Whether you’ll be making progress this week, or on a severe weather delay, take a lesson from this farmer-in-training. Grab a snack, pet your dog and catch your breath.

Tractor naps were the best pic.twitter.com/bzP1IF0798
— C Bar J (@CbarJRanch) April 27, 2025

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Why Farmers are Flocking to Auctions for Low-Hour Equipment Deals

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:00:42 GMT

The used equipment buying season remains active as spring planting takes off. Farm equipment that is only a few years old with low operating hours continues to draw strong prices at auction.

Machinery Pete noticed that trend last week via a few record-setting transactions. At a Kiko Auctions sale in Diamond, Ohio, a pair of blue tractors and a blue planter raised the bar higher:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2013 New Holland T7 260 tractor with only 1,226 hours on it brought $152,000, which blasted past the previous record high for that year/model by over $19,000.

(Machinery Pete Facebook )

A 2015 New Holland T5 115 utility tractor with a loader (765 hours) brought in $75,000, beating the previous record high by $7,000.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2024 Kinze 3505 8/16 row planter with just over 170 acres planted on it sold for $100,000. That set a new record by $17,500.

“There’s a similar pattern here. Whether its blue, green or orange, if it’s got a few years on it with low hours and in nice condition, those prices are very strong right now,” Pete says.

Moving Iron host Casey Seymour, who has over 20 years of experience in the farm equipment dealership space, says there are more farmers hitting auctions than heading to the dealer lot, and that’s typical of a down cycle in the farm economy.

“Things at auction have a higher demand signal than what you see on the lot. When I was working at the dealership, I would see these sales and think, ‘Man, I’ve got five just like that sitting on my lot that I would sell to you for $10,000 less than what you bought that one for.’ But nobody’s coming to the table, and that’s just where we’re at right now,” he says.

Order-Writing Season For New
Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist with 21st Century Wholesale – a John Deere dealer with 26 storefronts across Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas – joined the podcast to talk about the soon-to-open new machine order-writing period.

Fintel says it’s not something many think about when it comes to buying new, but farmers getting re-approved for financing has “been a process” this year.

“It’s kind of a two-edged sword. If you went and got that new machine at 0% interest at the end of last year because the accountant said to do it, I don’t care that it’s 0% because its also $450,000 sitting on the balance sheet,” he says. “That’s been a huge factor.”

Commodity Markets Update
Chip Nellinger, owner of Blue Reef Agri-Marketing, joined Seymour to wrap up this week’s episode with an update on the commodity markets.

When it comes to corn and soybean futures, Nellinger says there is still “a lot of uncertainty and volatility in the market” but he is seeing some potential upside with President Trump softening on the tariffs against China.

“The stock market seems to be signaling something has changed, and the bean market has been pretty resilient here over the last couple of days,” he says. “There has been a fair amount of activity in planting, and I think that’s why corn has relaxed. We’re ahead of average planting pace at 12% and that’s probably delayed a little bit. So, we should see a lot more progress in next week’s report.”

Nellinger says to keep an eye on the South, where higher-than-average moisture levels have delayed corn planting, and farmers might flip acres to beans or cotton – or even take prevent plant insurance.

Want more Moving Iron? Click this link to watch the episode in full here.

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