The latest USDA crop progress report shows both corn and soybean planting progress remains ahead of last year's numbers. Almost all other reported crops are on track with or ahead of last year's numbers as well.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program unveiled by Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, is designed to provide $19 billion to support farmers and ranchers while maintaining the integrity of the food supply chain, according to the USDA.

For agronomist Joey Hanson, Elk Point, S.D., spring 2020 is business as usual — so far. Hanson, owner of Diversified Agronomy, a crop consulting and custom strip-till business, has been assisting his 30-plus customers in South Dakota and Nebraska get ready for planting season.

Strip-tillage has been a viable option in North American corn and soybean production for over 30 years, and its use accelerated when RTK guidance became more commonplace. But what are the keys to capturing the most value from targeted nutrient placement — understanding the proper depth, delivery and distance of placement from the row.

Starting this spring, global commodities trader Cargill will pay American farmers for capturing carbon in their field soils and cutting fertilizer runoff.

Mitchell Hora thrives on the collaborative aspects of agriculture. As a farmer, agronomist and owner of Continuum Ag, a precision farming-focused consulting business in Washintgon, Iowa, this time of year, Hora is accustomed to close contact customer interaction, setting up field trials and scouting at clinics across the country.

Our editors dig deep into the cover cropping habits of strip-tillers, evaluating seeding methods, termination practices, variety selection and much more in the first Cover Crop Strategies Benchmark Study. Nearly 1,500 respondents identifying themselves as farmers or ranchers participated in the study, including more than 200 strip-tillers. 

Craig Stehly is a no-tiller who farms 12,000 acres of corn, soybeans, winter wheat and a variety of cover crops around Mitchell, S.D., with his brother, Gene. I caught up with Craig the afternoon of Wednesday, April 8.