Washington State University Extension will hold High Residue Farming under Irrigation workshops in Yakima and Moses Lake on Feb. 4-5.

A team of researchers led by Carnegie Institution for Science's Anna Michalak and Yuntao Zhou has shown that the widespread drought in 2012 was associated with Lake Erie's largest dead zone since the mid-1980s.

Des Moines Water Works will file a federal suit against three rural counties in northwest Iowa, an action that could trigger far-reaching effects on how states approach water quality regulation.

Ways to keep phosphorus and nitrogen from impacting water resources, will be the focus of a day-long discussion by industry and university experts during the Conservation Tillage Conference, March 3-4.

Corn marketed at the standard moisture content of 15.5% and 56 pounds per bushel typically contains 47.3 pounds of dry matter and 8.7 pounds of water.

Gypsum, which has roots in the past as a farm soil treatment, also may have a bright future, and not just as a booster of crops but also a protector of water.

As federal and state government begins to take action to monitor and prevent fertilizer runoff into watersheds — especially in the Great Lakes region — some farmers see strip-till as preventative measure.

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.

Scientists working with data from NASA's Aquarius instrument have released worldwide maps of soil moisture, showing how the wetness of the land fluctuates with the seasons and weather phenomena.

Heavy rains, strong winds, hail and even tornadoes leave their mark on fields across the Midwest every year. If your farm is in the path of one of these storms, there is not much you can do, except seek shelter and assess the damage when the coast is clear.