The National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Board announced that Fargo, N.D., will be the site of the National Agricultural Genotyping Center. The final decision follows careful deliberations by the site selection committee, who visited Illinois and North Dakota to assess the possibility of locating the center in either Decatur or Fargo, and NCGA’s Research and Business Development Action Team. “This … Read More
Ag Groups Urge EU to Approve Biotech Events
Nearly 20 agricultural organizations signed on to letters sent this week to the European Commission and the U.S. Trade Representative urging that the European Union (EU) take action in September on nine biotech events that have received positive safety reviews and are awaiting final import authorization. There are currently nine products, including four soybean products, which have already received positive … Read More
Second Year for NCGA-DuPont New Leaders Program
The National Corn Growers Association and DuPont have announced the second year of the NCGA DuPont New Leaders Program, designed for corn growers interested in building skills to better serve local, state and national stakeholders. “It’s important that farmers become strong leaders and spokespersons for American agriculture,” said NCGA President Martin Barbre, a corn grower from Illinois. “We’re grateful to … Read More
WSSA Updates Popular Herbicide Handbook
The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) announced the availability of the 10th edition of its popular Herbicide Handbook – a trusted resource used by educators, researchers, growers, extension agents, government officials, students and others interested in weed management. First published more than three decades ago, the handbook offers comprehensive information on the more than 230 herbicides currently available in … Read More
Soybean Groups Hold Biotech Roundtable
The American and Illinois Soybean Associations teamed up last week to gather more than 100 farmers, researchers, leaders of agricultural organizations and federal officials for a discussion on the worldwide benefits of agricultural biotechnology. “It is critical that agriculture let policymakers and regulators in Washington know how much farmers need biotechnology to sustainably produce food for the world’s population. Scientists … Read More
ASA and FarmLink Team Launch ‘Operation Benchmark’
The American Soybean Association (ASA) and FarmLink have joined forces to help farmers close the $11 billion gap between what they harvested in 2013 and what they could harvest annually. The partnership is called “Operation Benchmark” and it gives producers the opportunity to benefit from FarmLink’s benchmarking capability while at the same time supporting ASA and state association grower initiatives. … Read More
New USDA Conservation Program Receives Nearly 600 Proposals
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that USDA’s new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which brings together businesses, tribes, communities and other non-government partners to invest in conservation efforts, has drawn an overwhelming response from partners across the nation. Nearly 5,000 organizations partnered together to submit nearly 600 pre-proposals by the July deadline. “This program is an entirely new approach to … Read More
Precision Part of Michigan Ag Water Quality Strategy
Michigan agricultural leaders held a conference call Thursday morning to discuss algae bloom issues and proactive water quality efforts being undertaken by producers in the state. “Michigan agriculture is proactive and part of the solution when it comes to water quality issues in the Western Basin of Lake Erie and surrounding areas,” said Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business … Read More
More Profits for Strawberry Growers
A University of Florida-developed web tool can bring growers $1.7 million more in net profits over 10 years than a calendar-based fungicide system because it guides growers to spray their crop at optimal times, a new UF study shows. The Strawberry Advisory System, devised by an Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher, takes data such as temperature and leaf … Read More
Proceedings from 6th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture
Presentations and abstracts from the 6th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture are now available on the Conservation Technology Information Center’s (CTIC) website. The over 40 presentations and 140 abstracts include subjects such as: – European perspectives on conservation agriculture; – the biological potential of grain-producing soils in Australia; – using conservation agriculture to alleviate food insecurity in Malawi; – crop-livestock … Read More