LARRY STECKEL JACKSON, TENNESSEE Questions continue on what to do with late season pigweed breaking through the crop canopy. Most questions have been in cotton where escaped pigweed are more visible. More questions recently have been in soybean as escapes are...

RYAN MCGEENEY LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS A bedrock principle of efficient farming is scouting your fields before applying pesticides — whether herbicides, insecticides or fungicides. This not only helps farmers save money but reduces the likelihood of pesticide resistance developing as well. Terry...

Parasitoid wasps were released statewide to help protect lilies and slow the spread of a destructive pest SHEILA BABBITT EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN  After years of planning, permit approvals and international collaboration, Michigan State University entomologist Marianna Szűcs has launched the state's first biological control program targeting...

MARY HIGHTOWER WEINER, ARKANSAS  With a drone, three pieces of software and about 60 minutes, Mike Hamilton and Walker Harris could be saving one farmer 28 hours of running a power unit and millions of gallons of irrigation water this season. Hamilton,...

ANDREW P. GRIFFITH KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE Fuel Tennessee fuel prices were mainly steady compared to last week with diesel being the only fuel reporting a higher price. Current average prices stand at $3.70 per gallon for regular gasoline, $4.16 for mid-grade, $4.57...

LINDA GEIST COLUMBIA, MISSOURI  Narrower row width is one key to reducing weeds in soybean, says University of Missouri Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley. In previous research, Bradley reported improved late-season weed control (density and/or biomass) in 64% of case studies (72...

JENNIFER ELWELL LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) a $1.7 million grant to strengthen local food systems and expand seed-based entrepreneurship across Eastern Kentucky. The three-year project, "Strengthening Local Food...

TODD MILLER  BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA Symbiotic relationships come in many harmless forms throughout nature: clownfish and anemones, whales and barnacles, and bees and flowers to name a few. Two LSU AgCenter scientists are studying how to use symbiosis to potentially control...

RYAN MCGEENEY LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS A bedrock principle of efficient farming is scouting your fields before applying pesticides — whether herbicides, insecticides or fungicides. This not only helps farmers save money but reduces the likelihood of pesticide resistance developing as well. Terry...

LAUREN QUINN URBANA, ILLINOIS A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Soybean Association finds that Illinois corn and soybean farmers could lose up to $609 million per year — representing a 3.6% revenue loss — if the state banned the...

Heather Marie Kelly, Extension Plant Pathologist on Jul 12, 2026 04:44 pm HEATHER MARIE KELLY JACKSON, TENNESSEE As we near the middle of July and soybean fields move into pod formation, it’s time to decide whether a fungicide application is needed. When...

LINDA GEIST COLUMBIA, MISSOURI  United Soybean Board and Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, in cooperation with the University of Missouri Extension, are partnering to increase awareness of and diagnostic capabilities for red crown rot (RCR) in soybean. The groups will provide “4-in-1” testing...

Mizzou researchers study plant resistance to the worms that cause $1 billion in annual losses to U.S. soybean industry. BRIAN CONSIGLIO COLUMBIA, MISSOURI Beneath the surface of soybean fields, an invisible threat is costing farmers billions. Now, researchers at the University of...

GIOVANI PREZA FONTES AND DR. JOHN JONES URBANA, ILLINOIS Despite June temperatures averaging near normal across Illinois, weather conditions shifted dramatically during the second half of the month. The first half of June was very warm, with temperatures ranging from 3...

RYAN MCGEENEY LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS Compared to the tumultuous planting season of 2025, this year’s soybean planting efforts have been relatively smooth sailing. But farmers are bracing for July and August, the months that can make or break a crop with...