Author: staff

Key Takeaways Weather split the state — Northern Illinois had late-August rains supporting crop fill, while the southern two-thirds had one of the driest Augusts on record.Corn is ahead of average growth stages — More Illinois corn has reached dough, dent, and mature growth stages compared to respective five-year averages, though disease pressure like southern rust and tar spot may slightly impact yields.Soybean conditions lag behind the national average — Most fields are setting pods and dropping leaves earlier than average, but overall crop ratings show more stress in Illinois compared to the national average. USDA published the latest Crop…

Key Takeaways Some states are thriving — certain regions report over 80% of their corn and soybean crops in top condition.Others are struggling — a few states are seeing just about half their crops rated good/excellent. The USDA reported the most recent condition ratings for corn and soybeans earlier this week. There are clear “winners” — states with the highest rated crops — and “losers” — states with the lowest rated crops.  Read more about which states came out on top, and which are trending the wrong way just before harvest. Corn Winners: Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin As of Aug. 31,…

By Tom Polansek CHICAGO, Sept. 4 (Reuters) – Tyson Foods TSN.N sought to reassure investors that it has succession plans in place on Thursday, after announcing this week that an executive seen by some analysts as a possible future CEO left the company over conduct violations. The meatpacker said late on Tuesday that Chief Supply Chain Officer Brady Stewart, who has also overseen its beef, pork and prepared foods businesses, ran afoul of its code of conduct. Tyson representatives have not responded to questions about the violations. The company appointed Devin Cole, who led its poultry and international businesses, as chief operating officer and said he will oversee those…

By Jacob Orledge The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality is advising the public to avoid a 2-mile stretch of the Cannonball River in Hettinger County after a chemical spill Wednesday.  The spill, which included 200 gallons of diluted herbicides and approximately 15 gallons of diesel, occurred Wednesday morning when a tractor and sprayer fell into the Cannonball River roughly a mile west of New England in southwest North Dakota.  “From the sound of everything I was getting, I think he just got too close to the bank and the bank gave way,” said Bill Suess, manager of the Department…

Researchers led by Ken Shirasu at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan have identified an ancient protein that has the potential to help defend plants against tens of thousands of different bacteria and other pathogens. Dubbed “SCORE,” this receptor detects cold-shock protein — variations of which are found in more than 85 percent of known bacteria, as well as fungi and insects. Experiments published Sept. 4 in the journal Science revealed that simply swapping out key sections of SCORE with substitutes can predictably change the type of cold-shock protein, and thus pathogen, it recognizes. This strategy could…

Proper dairy barn ventilation throughout the year helps ensure cow comfort, which can have a direct impact on production. But good ventilation in a barn, summer or winter, is much more than simply turning on a fan or opening a curtain. Good ventilation means airflow reaches the cows at their level.  In its most basic definition, ventilation is important to remove stale, noxious air and bring in fresh air. “Ventilation is just generally important for the health of the animal,” said Jennifer Van Os, assistant professor and Extension specialist for animal welfare at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We are well…

December corn ended the day down 1¾¢ at $4.18 per bushel. Despite a strong start to the short week and the fact that today’s high was above last week’s close, the contract ultimately closed down 2¼¢ week-over-week, after two consecutive weeks of higher week-over-week closes. November soybeans closed down 6¢ at $10.27 per bushel. Week-over-week, the contract closed down 27½¢. This was the second week in a row the contract closed lower. December CBOT wheat ended the day down less than a penny at $5.19¼ per bushel. December KC wheat closed down a penny at $5.05¼ per bushel. December Minneapolis wheat…

After 13 days on display at the New York State Fair, the 57th Annual Butter Sculpture is off to be recycled at a Western New York dairy farm. American Dairy Association North East, in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and Noblehurst Farms, dismantled the 800-pound sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds. The butter, supplied by O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia, New York, and unsuitable for sale or consumption for a variety of reasons, will return to Western New York — less than 15 miles from its origin –for recycling. Noblehurst Farms in Livingston County will combine the…

By Andrea Shalal, David Shepardson, and Tamiyuki Kihara WASHINGTON/TOKYO, Sept. 4 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order on Thursday to implement lower tariffs on Japanese automobile imports and other products that were announced in July, providing some relief to Japan’s export-heavy economy. Formalizing the deal between the U.S. and a key Asian ally comes after months of negotiations, reduces uncertainty plaguing the massive Japanese auto sector since the July announcement and confirms an agreement for $550 billion of Japanese investment in U.S. projects. The lower 15% tariffs on Japanese autos, down from the current 27.5%, are set to take effect seven days after official publication of the order. The executive…

Texas has become the latest battleground in the national fight over lab-grown meat. This week, California-based cultivated meat companies UPSIDE Foods and Wildtype filed a federal lawsuit against state officials, arguing that a new law banning the sale of their products represents unconstitutional government overreach. The lawsuit, backed by the Institute for Justice, challenges Senate Bill 261, which went into effect September 1. The measure prohibits the “manufacture, processing, possession, distribution, offer for sale, and sale of cell-cultured protein” in Texas for two years. “This law has nothing to do with protecting public health and safety and everything to do…