You may get a whole lot more than you bargained for when you buy a used combine out of state.

To till or not to till? Mini-Cassia farmers are answering that question as more lean toward alternative methods to grow crops. Always looking for a way to boost crop yields and reduce water usage, many farmers are shaking up the established method of preparing fields and planting seeds. Greater yields, less water use and richer soil are some primary benefits they see from new methods.

All spring we've been discussing deficiencies on corn plants and trying to determine if they are to blame on the weather or something else.

Soybean is a crop that can remove significant amounts of nutrients per bushel of grain harvested. Because of this, soybeans can respond to starter fertilizer applications on low-testing soils, particularly phosphorus.

Pop-up fertilizers are commonly used in some corn growing areas in the country.

Adopting controlled traffic and bringing fertilizer application in house has given Iowa strip-tiller Ron Neuberger the flexibility needed to trim input costs and improve efficiency.

A new online tool called COMET-FARM enables agricultural producers to calculate how much carbon their conservation actions can remove from the atmosphere. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the free tool in a June 5 address to the National Press Club in Washington, where he outlined a vision for modern solutions to environmental challenges.

Including starter fertilizer with any fertility program can play a big role in getting corn off to a vigorous start, but a key component to maximizing starter fertilizer applications involves managing the interplay between phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn).

Although there have been some headaches and learning experiences along the way, Josh and Philip Backstrom are happy with the investment they've made in strip-tilling.

After reading recent questions from readers of Strip-Till Strategies about soil-sampling procedures and nitrogen credits -- as well as nitrogen rates in strip-tilled corn following soybeans - Orthman Mfg. Co. lead agronomist Mike Petersen offered some recommendations.