Agriculture

Four Purdue University students have created the first biodegradable, compostable, vegan, and non-toxic, soy-based foam. StyroSoy, an alternative to polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, earned $20,000 in the 2023 Student Soybean Innovation Competition.  Team member Louis Edwards Caceres-Martinez from Colombia says they got the idea for the product when moving instruments from one lab to another.    “Basically the only option at that moment was packing peanuts. So, we were […]

Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture suggests many farmers in the state took advantage of a stretch of warm weather last week. Mike Naig says sandwiched between severe storms and chilly snow flurries, some unseasonably warm and dry conditions allowed farmers to get planters rolling. USDA’s latest weekly crop report shows seven percent of Iowa’s expected corn acreage has been planted, two weeks ahead of last year and nearly a week ahead […]

Near-ideal planting conditions helped Kentucky farmers get a solid start in the field.  Corn planting is 14% complete, compared to the previous week at 5% and the 5-year average of 12%.  Soybeans are 7% planted compared to 4% the previous week and the 5-year average of 2%. Adam Hendricks farms near Bowling Green and tells Brownfield last week was about perfect.  “The ground is in really good shape,” he says.  […]

Widespread flooding from snowmelt kept many Minnesota farmers out of the field. USDA’s latest weekly crop report says standing water limited activities to oat planting and spreading manure, and several counties picked up several inches of new snow over the weekend. Topsoil moisture is 90 percent adequate to surplus statewide and subsoil moisture is rated 80 percent adequate to surplus. ...

Unseasonably warm temperatures last week kicked off fieldwork and planting in some drier areas of Michigan. Executive director of the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board Jamie Clover Adams tells Brownfield shoots started to form in the south but the current cooldown put a stop to any chances for an early harvest. “On Monday—it is snowing on the west side of the state so I think most of them are saying traditional […]

Corn and soybean planting in Tennessee is well ahead of the 5-year average.  Twenty-nine percent of the corn crop has been planted, compared to 5% last week and the 5-year average of 16%.  Soybeans are 7% planted, above last year and the 5-year average of 1%.  Cotton is 1% planted.  Apples are also ahead of the average with 70% in full bloom compared to last year at 52% and the […]

Nearly a full week suitable for fieldwork allowed Arkansas farmers to get ahead on spring planting. The USDA reports as of Sunday, 46% of corn is planted, more than double the amount planted at this time last week and 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. 18% of the crop has emerged. Soybean planting reached 19%, compared to 8% on average ,with 5% emerged. Rice planting jumped from 12% […]

The unusually warm start of last week allowed farmers to accomplish some field work before the weekend winter-like conditions returned.  The warm temperatures and breezy conditions melted much of the snow before the weekend storm system brought more snow to many areas. USDA statistician Greg Bussler says Wisconsin had just under four days suitable for fieldwork last week, and spring tillage is 8% finished.  That’s 8 days ahead of last […]

Unseasonably warm temperatures allowed farmers to complete fieldwork in Ohio last week, according to the latest USDA Crop Progress and Condition report. Oats are 41 percent planted and 5 percent emerged.   Sixty-three percent of the state’s winter wheat crop is rated good to excellent. ...