A program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working with ranchers in the Western United States to preserve habitat for sage grouse. This USDA news release says the agency, through the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI), has partnered with private landowners to restore 4.4 million acres of habitat for sage grouse while maintaining working landscapes across the West, and … Read More
Farm Incomes Continue Slide in Midwest, Midsouth
Farm incomes continue their declines in the Midwest and Midsouth. A new survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis says that agricultural bankers in the regions reported farm incomes dropped during the fourth quarter of 2014 compared with the previous year. At the same time, the lenders reported a slight increase in quality farmland and a modest decline … Read More
Dow AgroSciences Expands Operations in Puerto Rico
Dow Agrosciences is expanding its operations in Puerto Rico. This news release from the company says its wholly owned subsidiary, Mycogen Seeds – Puerto Rico Corporation, opened a new seed research and development facility on the island. The new Salinas/Guayama site is a corn and soybean breeding and parent seed facility, and will meet additional agricultural research needs with increased … Read More
TeeJet Introduces New Guidance System and Receiver
Application technology company TeeJet Technologies has introduced a new GNSS guidance system and dual frequency receiver to its product lineup. The new Matrix 430 is an easy-to-use and low cost GNSS guidance system. The compact unit features a graphical, touchscreen user interface that allows for fast setup and intuitive operation. The system is ideal for a wide range of field … Read More
Syngenta Drive to Thrive Contest
A new contest announced by a leading plant science company is designed to reward individuals and farming communities. Syngenta says its Drive to Thrive contest is now open and asks growers and other industry professionals to describe how agriculture makes their communities thrive. The 10 best entries will each receive a mini touch-screen tablet and leather case, with one grand … Read More
USDA Scientists Develop Higher Yielding Sorghum
Researchers for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed a new variety of sorghum that produces more seeds than conventional varieties. This article from USDA says ARS molecular biologist Zhanguo Xin and plant geneticist Gloria Burow at the Plant Stress and Germplasm Research Unit, along with lab director and research leader John Burke, at the … Read More
Eco Agro Teams with Solvay, Ekompany to Expand Reach
Florida-based specialty chemicals developer Eco Agro Resources has announced a pair of important partnerships aimed at expanding the company’s reach and make more products available to consumers. In one deal, Eco Agro Resources is partnering with Solvay Novecare to develop market and product portfolio opportunities in North and South America. The partnership is part of larger discussions aimed at leveraging … Read More
Cotton Plantings Expected to Drop
A new survey says fewer acres of cotton will be planted this year. This news release from the National Cotton Council cites the group’s 32nd Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey that shows U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 9.4 million acres of cotton this spring, down 14.6 percent from 2014. Upland cotton intentions are 9.2 million acres, down 15.2 … Read More
Agricen to Host Soybean Starter Webinar
Plant health technology company Agricen will host an upcoming free webinar for soybean growers. This company news release says the “Soybean StartUp: Plant Health Benefits from Emergence through Yield” webinar, held on Wednesday, February 25th at 7 am and 11 am CT, will introduce benefits of industry’s first seedling-safe starter program for soybean plants. The webinar will focus on the … Read More
USDA: Honey Bee Diseases Not Just in Spring
New research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that diseases in honey bees aren’t just limited to the spring. This article from USDA says information from Ryan Schwarz and Jay Evans, entomologists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Maryland, shows that two pathogens causing mysterious honey bee ailments might pose a threat year-round. Schwarz and Evans, based … Read More