New research results from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences report that weeds would have a tough time competing against crops such as corn, grains and soybeans if farmers were to alter their sowing patterns.

For growers who may have planted cover crops last fall, it will be very important to apply an effective burndown to these species in the coming weeks.

Cover crops can be excellent systems to capture excess nutrients and reduce the risk of erosion over the winter months.

Some producers are taking advantage of frozen ground conditions to apply nitrogen to wheat fields or manure to corn fields.

The unpredictable climate often provides enough moisture to maintain a healthy crop throughout the growing season, but also challenges the Nixons to plan accordingly with fertility and residue-management strategies so they can be ready to plant in a timely manner.

An agricultural dragnet has found no cases of unapproved genetically engineered wheat outside of a 123-acre field in Oregon after two months of an ongoing investigation, the USDA said recently. The discovery of the wheat, not approved for cultivation anywhere in the world, shook the global market when it was announced on May 29. Some U.S. customers in Asia and Europe halted purchases or said they would test incoming wheat shipments for biotech grain.

Raleigh Leesman, who farms in Hughes County, S.D., seeded strips of radishes as cover crop into winter-wheat stubble last summer to simulate what's called "natural" strip till.

A sixth-generation farmer who uses strip-till near his farm in Sutherland, Va., to grow high-yielding crops was named as the Virginia winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award for 2012.

Despite the fact that an unusually wet fall and planting delays kept many wheat farmers from applying starter nitrogen, an Ohio State University Extension educator says they shouldn't rush to apply spring nitrogen earlier than needed.

Using cereal rye and wheat as cover crops increased the yields of strip-tilled cotton vs. using the same cover crops with conventional tillage, according to recent research by the University of Georgia.