Committed to protecting Illinois’ resources and the environment through farmer-led, locally-developed programs, Illinois Farm Bureau is awarding a record 34 grants for nutrient stewardship and pollinator projects to county Farm Bureaus across the state.

Jim Henry uncovers a spooky sign that crown rot could haunt cornfields this fall.

The Practical Farm Research conducted by Beck’s is aimed to make a difference and help farmers succeed.

The Illinois Soybean Association announced Karen Corrigan as the recipient of the 2026 Master Adviser Award.

The Illinois Soybean Association announced Kris Reynolds as the recipient of the 2026 Dave Rahe Excellence in Soils Consulting Award.

Nick Seiter, University of Illinois Extension entomologist, said populations of both northern and western corn rootworms have developed resistance to all available Bt traits.

A common practice of adding an insecticide with a fungicide application at R3 is likely missing its mark with no return-on-investment, according to researchers.

Despite the dynamic nature of weed communities, the discovery of new species is uncommon and can spell trouble for growers, warns Jim Henry.

Using feedback from a farmer survey, the Illinois Soybean Association is investing checkoff funds toward research to address those concerns.

Draining excess water from farm fields in Illinois is vital to food and renewable fuel production. However, the lack of adequate farm drainage is a serious problem.

An investment in farm drainage tile can boost crop yields, reduce financial risk and ultimately increase the long-term profitability of your farm.

Farm drain tiles are vitally crucial to the success of Illinois crop production. These underground drainage systems help provide good soil-based crop growing conditions by removing excess water from the soil.

Managing an adaptive grazing management system is a thinking person’s game.

January is a natural time to reflect back, think forward and set the stage for a more resilient grazing season.

Corn and soybean farmers should be scouting for a new weed this upcoming growing season.

Sampling in the top U.S. corn-producing states found farmers harvested the highest quality in at least 15 years.

A documentary called “The Beck Family: A Home-Grown Legacy” has officially premiered and is available to watch for free online.

A program designed to encourage farmer-to-farmer networks to improve soil health and protect water quality within Illinois’ priority watersheds enters its second year.

A farmer and resource conservationist that are part of a Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health program team shared their experiences in a recent Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction podcast.

Former GROWMARK President John Reifsteck was named recipient of the 2025 Charles B. Shuman Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his lifetime of leadership and service to the agriculture industry.

Beck’s Hybrids published its 2025 Practical Farm Research findings, available for free online.

Todd Jeffries, vice president, announced the winners of Seed Genetics Direct’s 2025 corn and soybean yield contests.

With season-average corn and soybeans prices in the new year projected to remain at current levels, agronomists recommend prioritizing nutrient management to improve the bottom line.

Hopper Throttle MaxStax Soybean advanced planter box treatment copack on naked soybeans topped liquid seed treatment in the 2025 Soybean Systems Management Trial conducted by the University of Illinois.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a proposed rule revising the regulatory definition of “waters of the U.S.” intended to resolve the regulatory uncertainty regarding the scope of federal jurisdiction.

The Illinois Wheat Association invites farmers and researchers to learn best field practices and strategies from top double-crop farmers during the annual Winter Wheat Double Crop Forum.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program aimed at helping American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality and boost long-term productivity, all while strengthening America’s food and fiber supply.

Bill Harmon, professor of agronomy at Lincoln Land Community College, recently received the Bill Johnson Excellence in Education Award at the Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education ceremony.

The Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold its 81st annual meeting from 8 to 10 a.m. Jan. 15 at Pontiac Elks Club, 459 Elks Club Rd.

Although the New World screwworm has been eradicated from the United States for many years, the recent movement of the pest through Central America and Mexico is a concern for Americans.

A new initiative designed to bridge the gap between farmers and partner companies who need their input will be rolled out in early 2026.

When a Chicago native Andrea Padilla, a senior agriculture major, returned to higher education after a decade-long hiatus, she didn’t expect her path to lead through Western Illinois University’s agricultural research fields — or to a first-place national research award.

Members of the Western Illinois University Professional Agriculture Students earned seven awards at the Fall 2025 PAS Conference.

Starting clean and staying clean all season long can effectively control weeds and increase yield.

Functioning tile drains are essential to crop productivity and water quality.

WinField United recently added four new biological products that have earned the BioVerified designation.

SuperLock adjuvant is a novel, single formulation combining a high surfactant crop oil concentrate with proprietary drift reduction technology.

With harvest complete and cover crops planted, work at Riskedal Farms is focusing on repairing machinery and deciding what changes they will make for the 2026 growing season.

Cover crops can be planted between periods of cash crop production to improve soil health, as well as provide insect control, weed control and conserve moisture in the soil.

The 2025 corn and soybean growing season ended as it started — ideal conditions — along with the usual and unusual challenges sandwiched in between.

Good corn yields overall and variable soybean yields with minimal insect and disease pressure were the general theme across the University of Illinois Variety Testing fields.

The Midwestern Regional Climate Center, with support from the United Soybean Board, has launched the Ag Climate Dashboard — a centralized digital hub offering streamlined access to integrated climate and agricultural data and decision-support tools for producers, advisers and res

The Precision Conservation Management program is wrapping up its 10th year of providing free technical assistance to identify solutions for the environment and farmers’ bottom lines.

Powerful anti-vaccine advocates and people selling potentially harmful goods such as raw milk are profiting from the push to write anti-science policies into law across the United States.

La Niña, the cooler and at times costlier flip side of El Niño, has arrived to warp weather worldwide, meteorologists said.

The work done at this breeding site in east-central Illinois tests and refines Xitavo® soybean seed-exclusive varieties under real growing conditions, not just lab settings.

A favorable fall weather pattern provided the Henert family the ability to complete harvest and fall fieldwork in a timely manner.

We can’t complain about the fall harvest weather and we didn’t have too many issues. There wasn’t any break this year with harvest.

Employment opportunities are strong for college graduates with degrees in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and the environment, according to a report out Purdue University.

Syngenta announced Victrato seed treatment is now registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for soybeans and cotton.