Author: staff

After the market close, May corn was up 4¢ at $4.57¼ per bushel.May soybeans fell 8¼¢ at $10.14¾ per bushel.Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting said: “The early portion of [Monday’s] trade was spent getting final positions in place ahead of the USDA [Prospective Plantings report and quarterly Grain Stocks report], as well as month and quarter end. This favored soybeans and wheat, as those two markets have seen the most selling pressure recently. Soybeans were also supported by a push for uncommitted acres and strength in the energy complex.” Setzer added: “Wheat was also stronger [Monday], taking support…

Cow size has been on the rise for decades. Cows today weigh 1.4 times as much as their predecessors in 1980. In fact, cow weight is rising 100 pounds every 10 years. Why has this occurred? “Producers get paid for pounds, so ‘growth-bulls’ are selected, and the biggest heifers are retained,” said Ron Scott, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. This has achieved positive outcomes as producers aim to maximize profit by increasing pounds of production and selling heavier calves each year. While this breeding and management strategy has shown its merits, on the output side of the equation,…

Carbon Robotics has introduced Carbon AutoTractor, a tractor autonomy system designed to improve efficiency and reduce labor needs. Powered by Carbon AI, the system can be installed on existing tractors and is remotely monitored by Carbon Robotics operators, who provide real-time oversight to ensure smooth operation. Developed with input from farmers, Carbon AutoTractor aims to address key barriers to autonomous tractor adoption, such as frequent stoppages, complex supervision, and systems that struggle with continuous operation. “Too often, autonomy in agriculture has been overpromised and underdelivered,” said Paul Mikesell, CEO and founder of Carbon Robotics. “We built Carbon AutoTractor to change…

According to data compiled by the Successful Farming team, more than 2,900 acres of Iowa farmland are set to be auctioned in April 2025. Listings range from a sale featuring 107 acres to an eight tract estate auction spanning more than 500 acres. Greene County Peoples Co. The largest Iowa farmland auction of the month is set to take place in Greene County where eight tracts of land totaling 534 acres will be available for sale in-person or online on April 3. The public auction will be held at the Churdan Community Room. Tracts 1-7 will be offered on a…

Growing cover crops to control soil erosion on cropland has long been a goal at Bartholomay Kattle Kompany in Sheldon, North Dakota. Operating on sandy land, father-and-son team Keith and Karl Bartholomay manage 4,000 acres of cropland and grassland along with 280 cow-calf pairs. The Bartholomays grow corn for cattle feed, soybeans for cash, and cover crops for cattle feed and soil health. The pair received the 2023 North Dakota Leopold Conservation Award in recognition of the management systems they’ve built for accomplishing their conservation goals for cropland and grassland. Successful Farming met with Keith to learn more about how…

Top Third Ag Marketing helps farmers become better agricultural marketers with the goal of marketing crops and livestock in the top third of prices. Mark Gold and his team provide AGDAILY.com with the latest information and a look ahead in their audio commentary. Listen here! https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/top-third-agdaily-03-31-2025.mp3 The post Markets in Minutes: Top Third looks ahead for week of March 31, 2025 appeared first on AGDAILY.

Reducing the amount of agricultural sprays used by farmers — including fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides — could cut down the amount of runoff that ends up in the environment while at the same time reducing farmers’ costs and perhaps even enhancing their productivity. A classic win-win-win. A team of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a spinoff company they launched has developed a system to do just that. Their technology adds a thin coating around droplets as they are being sprayed onto a field, greatly reducing their tendency to bounce off leaves and end up wasted on the ground.…

Today USDA released the 2025 Prospective Plantings report. In the report, USDA said U.S. farmers will plant nearly 5 million more corn acres in 2025 compared to last year. The report methodology says the acreage estimates are based primarily on surveys conducted earlier this month. Altogether, USDA is estimating a total of 224.2 million corn, soybean, and wheat acres for 2025/2026, up from 223.8 million for 2024/2025. Corn In the report, USDA pegged corn acres for the 2025/2026 crop year at 95.3 million. This was up 5% from last year and above the average trade expectation. Soybeans Soybean acres for…

With state conventions well underway across the nation, there’s one officer team whose social media presence has shone this past year. The Washington FFA State Officer Team isn’t just leading in person — they’re making waves online. With a dynamic social media presence, this year’s officers have taken to short-form video (like Reels) to share the FFA experience in fresh and engaging ways. Whether through behind-the-scenes videos, leadership insights, or interactive Q&A sessions, they’re bringing agricultural education and FFA culture to a broader audience than ever before. The officer team has embraced storytelling to connect with members across Washington state.…

By Ryan Hanrahan Reuters’ Andrea Shalal reported that “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that reciprocal tariffs he is set to announce this week will include all nations, not just a smaller group of 10 to 15 countries with the biggest trade imbalances.” “Trump has promised to unveil a massive tariff plan on Wednesday, which he has dubbed ‘Liberation Day.’ He has already imposed tariffs on aluminum, steel and autos, along with increased tariffs on all goods from China,” Shalal reported. “‘You’d start with all countries,’ he told reporters aboard Air Force One. ‘Essentially all of the countries that…