Hear the latest tips in financial management, grain marketing, field crop production and more at University of Illinois Extension’s Farmland Owners Conference. “In addition to those who currently own farmland, the program will be very helpful to those who will inherit farmland in the future,” stated Kevin Brooks, extension educator.     Read more

In a multi-generation experiment, researchers from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences found microbes helped plants cope with drought, but not in response to plants’ cries for help. Instead, the environment itself selected for drought-tolerant microbes. Read about the you-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours scenario researchers found.     Read more

For several years, Clinton County Farm Bureau has supported a multi-component cover crop and manure management project, evaluating soil health, nutrient use efficiency and return on investment. This year’s Nutrient Stewardship Field Day brought producers into the field to learn past years’ findings and takeaways.     Read more

December corn has lost about 90 cents from its high point on July 25. Even though crop estimates were diminished by more than 6 bushels an acre from early projections, there are still plenty of supply concerns. RFD’s DeLoss Jahnke digs deeper into the corn market in this week’s Profit Watch.     Read more

Illinois Farm Bureau welcomed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviewing 11 microcosm and mesocosm studies on atrazine exposure and mitigation measures, but also raised concerns about the methodology and data used in those studies. Read comments the organization filed with the EPA.     Read more

He’s not an adrenaline junky, just a weather enthusiast who loves his discipline. Jeff Frame, teaching associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois, has witnessed and documented 89 tornadoes during his 20 years as a storm chaser. “I’m in it really to educate students in my field course, submit spotter reports to the weather service and also for photography,” he said.     Read more