“When you approach the rootworm as just a problem that has to be solved, you’re not taking into account the animal’s biology,” Ann Marie Journey says. “You’re hitting it just at certain points or with certain methods or controls, and you’re not allowing yourself in effect to have a conversation to gain insight back from the rootworms about what it is that makes them successful in any given place."

Daniel H. Smith, nutrient and pest management program manager for the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, checks in from the Lancaster Agricultural Research station with details from a 6-year study.

With research advances suggesting that early planting can maximize crop yield potential and therefore return on crop input investments, farmers are often dealing with planting into cold conditions.

Russell Hedrick noticed that late-season fertility uptake was being limited by inadequate moisture availability in his soil. He solved that problem in 2023 by attaching a deep-banding fertilizer bar with Yetter 2996 20-inch coulters to his planter.

Using pre-emergence herbicides is a great way to stay ahead of weeds in corn and soybean production, but there is more to it than simply picking the right herbicide or spraying at correct time. How well these herbicides perform is dependent on your soil and how you farm.

The 2025 average custom strip-till rate is $21.65 per acre, up slightly from $21 in 2024. The range given, based on 13 responses to the 2025 survey, is $14 to $30 per acre.