U.S. farmers are using a new solution to treat soil compaction – a problem that affects over 68 million acres of farmland and significantly reduces crop yields. Unpac®, developed by Locus Agriculture, is an innovative biosurfactant soil amendment that successfully breaks up soil compaction through fermentation-derived technology. Three years of independent field trials have confirmed significant yield boosts of up to 34 percent in a multitude of crops, with an 86 percent win rate.
Farmers for Soil Health empowers farmers to lead the charge in sustainability—putting real money directly into their hands to drive change where it matters most: at the farm level. With enrollment now open, the program offers an opportunity for farmers to make a meaningful impact on soil health while benefiting financially. In its first year alone, 238 farmers enrolled, covering more than 78,000 acres, pushing the initiative closer to its goal of doubling cover crop adoption to 30 million acres across the U.S. by 2030. This innovative initiative, which is backed by corn, pork, and soy commodity groups, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, provides both financial incentives and technical support to corn and soybean farmers planting cover crops. The process is designed to be simple, featuring hassle-free enrollment and satellite-based remote monitoring and verification.
The American Soybean Association is expressing concern after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency imposed additional restrictions on farmers—a move that seems to have followed adverse comments from environmental groups. A new registration for glufosinate-P was announced October 18; however, EPA lagged in releasing the final label for that registration. The label is finally available, and with its public posting, additional, unwarranted restrictions are evident.
Longtime champion of agricultural conservation, Manatee County rancher Jim Strickland, has been announced as a 2025 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee. His unwavering dedication to sustainable ranching practices and advocacy for the conservation of Florida’s agricultural land have made a profound impact on the agriculture industry and statewide community. Since the 1980s, the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame has honored Floridians who have made lasting contributions to agriculture and the mentoring of our youth—the future of agriculture in Florida.
The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the launch of its application period for the 2025 Friends of NACD District Grants Program. Learn more about Friends of NACD and the District Grants Program and apply on NACD’s website.
Ag Leader Technology has announced the release of the next generation of the industry-leading InCommand displays. The introduction of the InCommand Go 16 and InCommand Go 10 will allow farmers to see more information and enhance the user experience in the cab, while making it simpler to stay connected across every field activity on the farm.
AgGateway is pleased to announce that ten college students have been selected to attend the organization’s Annual Conference in November through the Gateway to Ag Careers program.
The dual use of land for agriculture and solar energy production, known as agrivoltaics, presents a new opportunity for farmers, but whether it makes economic sense for growers is a complex question. A new set of analytical tools developed by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and published in the Journal of Extension helps farmers make an informed choice. The two spreadsheet-based tools can be used together or separately to assist farmers, extension educators and others who support the sector in determining whether or how to best incorporate utility-scale solar arrays into farming operations. The spreadsheets estimate costs, revenues and yields from agricultural production under different solar configurations. The tools are designed for lettuce and cranberry production but can be modified easily for other field and perennial crops.
ZeaKal announced that PhotoSeed™ has been validated as the first sustainability-embedded trait technology for agriculture. PhotoSeed enhances photosynthetic capacity, increasing soybean oil by 15 percent and protein by one point without compromising yield or requiring additional inputs. The technology is projected to expand the volume of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production by approximately one billion additional gallons on existing U.S. soybean acreage.
