Agriculture

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 »

Argentina’s corn growers have been fighting a plague of “leafhopper” insects that have led to dramatic downgrades to production estimates. The country earlier this year was headed toward a record corn crop but the stunt disease spread by the insects has caused those forecasts to plunge. The question now is, how much more of the …

What You Need to Know About the “Leafhopper” Plaguing Argentina’s Corn Fields Read More »

Agriculture is a favorite target among those looking for somewhere to place blame for greenhouse gas emissions. However, recent research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that agriculture has made more progress in cutting emissions than any other industry in the US. According to the report, “Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: …

US Agriculture Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions More Than Any Other Sector Read More »

A novel type of insurance product has been gaining traction amid increasingly extreme weather events that have roiled the industry. Known as “parametric insurance,” these contracts insure a policyholder against the occurrence of a specific event by paying a set amount triggered by a predetermined parameter. In other words, it pays out based on the …

“Parametric Insurance” Offers a Hedge Against Weather Extremes and More Read More »

Renewable diesel capacity in the US has almost doubled in the last two years. However, it’s not US soybean growers benefitting from the expansion of renewable diesel as many had anticipated. Instead, renewable fuel facilities are importing record amounts of canola oil from Canada and used cooking oil (UCO) from China, resulting in domestic soybean …

Canada and China are Big Winners in US Renewable Diesel Push Read More »

More agricultural land across the country is being covered by solar panels as farmers look for ways to lessen the blow dealt by sliding crop prices and high input costs. It’s a trend that’s forecast to continue, also. The American Farmland Trust estimates that 83% of expected future solar development will take place on agricultural …

Solar Panels Covering More Prime US Farmland Raises Alarms Read More »

American farmers have led the way in adopting smart-farming tools and practices that have not only helped increase productivity but also sustainability. Still, adoption levels of so-called “sustainable farming practices” remain relatively low, according to a recent report from McKinsey. It found that although 90% of farmers are aware of sustainable farming practices, a lack …

Farmers Need More Support to Meet Sustainability Goals Read More »

The Lower Sioux Indian Community, near Morton, Minnesota, has made a big bet on hemp to offer a better future for its residents. Construction is nearly complete on a 20,000-sq-ft manufacturing campus that will process hemp into a construction material known as “hempcrete.” The short-term goal is to use the natural building material to construct …

Lower Sioux Turn to “Hempcrete” to Create Better Homes and Secure Community Future Read More »

Plant-based meat alternatives hit the US market with a bang a few years ago to what seemed like enormous popularity. So much so that some US state have even moved to ban labeling these products as “meat.” The concerns about meat alternatives killing the livestock industry appear to be greatly overblown, however, as most Americans …

Most Consumers Just Don’t Like “Fake Meat” Read More »