As Floridians continue to dig out from the damage and debris caused by Hurricane Irma, the extent of damage to agriculture is starting to be assessed. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam took an aerial tour yesterday to survey areas impacted by Hurricane Irma, including citrus groves in Central and Southwest Florida. “It’s still too early to know the full …
Biostimulants World Congress Coming to Miami
The use of biostimulants in agriculture has grown dramatically over recent years and could reach $2 billion by next year, but there is still much that needs to be learned about the diverse formulations on the market and being developed that are applied to plants or soils to regulate and enhance the crop’s physiological processes. The 3rd Biostimulants World Congress …
No Hurricane Damage Included in New Crop Report
Two hurricanes in the past two weeks mean that the September Crop Production report is already a bit out of date. Rainfall from Hurricane Harvey caused flooding in parts of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, impacting data collection activities for the September report, so NASS will collect harvested acreage information in both states for a number of crops in preparation …
Democrat Senators Offer Farm Bill Energy Package
Senator Al Franken (D-MN), together with Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have introduced the Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2017, to reauthorize Title IX programs and funding through 2023. “Each and every day, our nation’s farmers have our backs,” said Sen. Franken, a member of the Senate Energy Committee. “I believe we need to have theirs as …
Arkansas Urged to Consider Impact of Dicamba Ban
The Arkansas State Plant Board is considering recommendations for dicamba use in the 2018 growing season that Monsanto calls “unwarranted” and BASF considers to be a “rush to judgement.” On August 24, the state’s Dicamba Task Force voted to recommend a cutoff date of April 15 next year for the use of all dicamba products, including Monsanto’s XtendiMax and BASF’s …
SMART Farmer Robb Fraley
Robb Fraley isn’t our typical SMART Farmer, but after growing up on a small Illinois farm, his work has helped farmers around the world produce food more sustainably with science and technology that has helped increase yields by decreasing threats to crops. That technology is genetic modification of plants, creating GMO crops that are resistance to insects and disease, able …
Bayer Showcases Cotton and Peanuts
The peanut and cotton crops are looking especially good right now in Georgia and with harvest still about two weeks away farmers are hopeful Hurricane Irma will spare them. “Harvest season is always critical and you can have a great year and it all be ruined by one hurricane,” said Keith Rucker, Bayer Southeast region technical service rep, during a …
GROWMARK Supports Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts
GROWMARK has donated $50,000 to support relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey through the Midwest Food Bank, a Salvation Army First Responder organization. The contribution was made through The GROWMARK Foundation, GROWMARK’s philanthropic arm which supports not-for-profit charitable organizations. “They have put together disaster relief boxes to help those residents who have been affected by Harvey,” said GROWMARK Foundation manager Amy …
Vietnam to Resume Imports of U.S. DDGS
The government of Vietnam has notified the U.S. that it will resume imports of American distillers dried grains (DDGS), which were suspended in December 2016 after reported detections of quarantine pests in U.S. shipments, according to USDA. Prior to the suspension, Vietnam was the third-largest market for U.S. DDGS, with exports valued at more than $230 million in 2016. The …
Mid-Missouri Energy Goes John Deere Green
Mid-Missouri Energy (MME) in Malta Bend, Missouri is home to a new piece of equipment that has helped make the grounds around the ethanol plant a little greener. MME General Manager Chris Wilson won the John Deere ZTrak Z925M Flex Fuel commercial mower during a raffle at the Renewable Fuels Association 2017 National Ethanol Conference. The E85 used in the …