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From 1997 to 2018,  soybean seeding rates decreased from over 200,000 seeds per acre to about 157,000 seeds per acre, according to data compiled by Bryn Swearingen and Kate Vaiknoras at USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). At the same time, soybean seeds and other production costs have skyrocketed. According to Swearingen and Vaiknoras, U.S. farmers …

US Soybean Production Costs Have Climbed More Than +150% Since 1997 Read More »

The process of breeding new plant varieties is a long and arduous process, even with newer gene-editing technology like CRISPR. As Ohalo CEO Dave Friedberg explains, the main problem is that when plants are crossbred, only around half of the genes from each parent are transferred to their offspring. Additionally, the genes that each plant …

Ohalo Unveils Game-Changing “Boosted Breeding” Technology Read More »

Earlier this year, the only sugar mill in Texas – and one of only three in the U.S. – was shuttered due to repeated water shortages that have left the surrounding sugarcane fields barren. The end of the plant marks the end of the sugar industry in South Texas, which will cost the region hundreds …

What You Need to Know About the Brewing US-Mexico Water War Read More »

Startup “ZoomAgri” may not be a well-known name but their customers include some of the biggest companies in the food and agriculture sector. Companies like commodity trading giants Cargill and ADM, and beverage conglomerate ABInBev are among those using ZoomAgri’s AI-powered technology that can recognize grain and seed varieties as well as their quality in …

AI-Powered System From “ZoomAgri” Provides Fast, Accurate Grain and Seed Inspection Read More »

I’m worried about farmland prices if real interest rates stay higher for longer and crop prices drift back down to pre-Covid levels (i.e. corn sub-$4.00, soybeans sub-$10, wheat sub-$6). I’m not saying this will happen for certain, but if it does I have to imagine it heavily weighs on farmland prices. The good news (perhaps …

Land Values and Cash Rents Hold Up Even as Farm Income Slides… For the Moment Read More »

Researchers have been trying to figure out how to reduce the amount of methane released by cows and other “ruminant” animals for decades. Strategies utilizing feed additives and tools such as cow masks have had mixed results, and also stand to add substantially to production costs. Boston-based startup “ArkeaBio” is taking a different approach by …

Startup “ArkeaBio” Wants to Combat Livestock Emissions with a Vaccine Read More »

Brazil’s farmers have a mess on their hands with massive flooding in the south and unseasonably hot, dry weather in south-central parts of the country. The weather extremes will impact both soybean and corn production this year, and the flooding is already creating major logistical headaches in the south. The flood waters have also swallowed …

Brazil Crop Update… Both Too Much and Too Little Rain Read More »

Israeli-based Greeneye Technology has been selling its precision-spray technology in the US for a few years now. However, the systems are hard to come by, with the company already sold out for 2024, after selling out in both 2022 and 2023 as well. According to Greeneye CEO Nadav Bocher, many of 2025’s machines are already …

“Greeneye Technology”  Scaling Precision-Spray Operations in US Read More »

A way to reliably identify and receive recommended controls for agricultural pests is at the top of nearly every farmer’s wishlist. While there are countless identification apps online, most of the digital bug and weed identifiers are limited in scope, difficult to use, and often unreliable. But with the increasing power of artificial intelligence (AI), …

Iowa State Researchers Developing AI-Powered Pest Identifier Win “Supercomputing” Time Read More »

It’s that time of year, and we’ve got lots of graduation parties happening. I always like hearing the kids talk about their dreams and goals for the future. Didn’t we all have so many big plans and aspirations standing in that gym in our caps and gowns?  This past weekend Michael Wilson Hardy, known in the …

HARDY’S Commencement Address and a Few Great Life Hacks Read More »