New Reports Look at Ethanol Industry Progress and Outlook 

Source: National Corn Growers Association

The U.S. ethanol industry produced a record amount of fuel ethanol in 2007, according to year-end data released recently by the U.S. Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) – 32% more ethanol than in 2006...

Senate Votes To Extend Farm Bill Until April 18 

Source: Southwest Farm Press

The Senate passed an extension of the 2002 Farm Bill to give its and House Agriculture Committee leaders more time to try to reach an agreement with the White House on a new farm bill...

National Corn Growers Association Applauds Scientists For Completing Corn Genome Draft Sequence 

Source: National Corn Growers Association

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) applauds the research of the scientific community for its work in completing a draft sequence of the corn genome, the first mapping of the corn genome in the world...

To Spray Or Not To Spray 

Source: University of Wisconsin

Will foliar fungicide be routine in the new corn production economics? In 2007, many acres of corn in Wisconsin were sprayed mid-season with fungicides: strobilurin or a strobilurin/triazole combination (in Iowa and Illinois an estimated 6 million acres of corn were sprayed). Most acres applied had little or no disease at the time of application. Reasons for spraying vary ...

Why Such High Export Numbers? 

The bustling export business is due largely to the exchange rate, according to Purdue Economist Chris Hurt. The European euro has increased in value relative...

Check Out CSD Live 

A new feature has been added to www.cornandsoybeandigest.com. If you have high-speed access, check it out. It's called CSD Live and houses videos from...

Ag Economist: World Grain Demand Straining U.S. Supply  

Consumers usually reduce their purchases of goods and services if prices become too high. Buyers of U.S. corn, soybeans and wheat seem to be ignoring that economic principle, however, as the nation's grain stocks reach critically low levels, says Chris Hurt, a Purdue University agricultural economist...

Corn Trend Yields 

By Bob Sampson, University of Illinois

A new study by University of Illinois agricultural economists challenges the assumption that improved technology has recently caused corn trend yields to increase at a faster rate...

New Secretary of Agriculture 

Complied By Greg Lamp

Ed Schafer was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of USDA on Jan. 28. He served as North Dakota's governor from 1992 to 2000. As governor, Schafer managed...

No Early out for CRP 

Compiled by Greg Lamp

Don't expect any early-out for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres this year. USDA says it's too late to allow penalty-free early withdrawals in...

EPA Gives Thumbs Up 

Compiled by Greg Lamp

A new study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirms corn-ethanol additives in gasoline have helped clear the air, ground and water....

OSU Extension offers intensive crop production workshops 

Source: Ohio State University

Ohio State University Extension will offer a series of intensive crop producer workshops this winter covering topics related to crop production, weed management, plant pathology and entomology. The workshops, co-sponsored by the Ohio Soybean Council, will be held...

2007 corn crop a record breaker, USDA Reports 

Cotton, Rice Yields Hit All-Time Highs
The 2007 U.S. corn crop was one for the record books, with 13.1 billion bushels of production eclipsing the previous high, set in 2004, of 11.8 billion bushels, according to the Crop Production 2007 Summary released Jan. 11 by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The 2007 production level was up 24% from 2006...

New Lab Test Can Detect SDS In Soybean Seedlings 

By K.C. Jaehnig, Southern Illinois University

A simple, cheap lab test developed at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) can unerringly detect sudden death syndrome (SDS), a costly fungal disease in soybean seedlings. Once commercialized, its use will help breeders produce SDS-resistant soybean varieties much faster than they can no...

Researchers Tackle Waterhemp With Practical Solutions 

Source: University of Missouri, Iowa State Universiy, University of Illinois

Midwest farmers struggling with waterhemp issues have a new resource for information thanks to the efforts of university weed scientists Kevin Bradley with University of Missouri, Bob Hartzler with Iowa State University and Dawn Nordby with University of Illinois. The result of this collaboration is Biology and Management of Waterhemp...