Delta Farm Press

Atrazine-related lawsuit settled

Sat, 26 May 2012 19:27:00 +0000

The National Corn Growers Association

The settlement of a lawsuit against Syngenta related to the herbicide atrazine ensures that corn farmers who depend on the important product continue to farm efficiently and safely.

The American Soldier: 'We did good'

Sat, 26 May 2012 12:20:00 +0000

John Mayo

"The flag waved over the compound. You could hear it snap as the Stars and Stripes stretched out to all its glory. Goosebumps on my arms, the hair on the back of my neck rose up, a tear dropped down my cheek."

Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program overview

Sat, 26 May 2012 01:55:00 +0000

Proposed Senate program particulars provided

The following is an overview of the Senate-proposed Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program, which could become a major part of the 2012 farm bill.

ARC and the Mid-South

Sat, 26 May 2012 01:52:00 +0000

How would farms fare under proposed farm bill program?

How would Mid-South farms really do under the farm bill recently passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee? To answer that question, agriculture economists at the University of Arkansas are considering how programs in the proposed legislation would impact the state’s crops.

Rice field day set for May 31 in Mamou, Louisiana

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:41:00 +0000

Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter

Experts from the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station will tell farmers about their latest work Thursday (May 31) at the Evangeline Parish Rice Field Day.

‘Flash drought’ hurts young corn plants

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Brace roots fail to grow without moisture

Duane Dailey, University of Missouri

No rain and high temperatures cover most of Missouri and nearby regions. Abnormally dry weather covers much of the Midwestern Corn Belt.

USDA announces results for Conservation Reserve Program sign-up

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:36:00 +0000

The USDA

The USDA will accept 3.9 million acres offered under the forty-third Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up.

Farm bill officially introduced in Senate

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

The Senate Agriculture Committee

On May 24, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S.3240) was officially introduced in the U.S. Senate.

LSU AgCenter, University of Louisiana at Monroe sign agreement

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Laura J. Woodard and Rick Bogren

The LSU AgCenter and the University of Louisiana at Monroe signed a memorandum of understanding on May 18 that will establish cooperative research projects between the two institutions.

Specialty soybean varieties geared for niche markets

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:28:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Arkansas soybean producers looking to diversify with a specialty crop may not have to look very far. One of the state's main specialty crops is soybeans for niche markets.

Senate farm bill leaves protection gaps

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:26:00 +0000

If U.S. farmers believe commodity prices will stay strong for the next five years, the Senate’s farm bill proposal could be a good choice, say Texas AgriLife Extension economists.

Developing nations reaffirm sugar policy support, praise farm bill

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:24:00 +0000

The American Sugar Alliance

Sugar producers from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America sent the Senate Agriculture Committee a letter on May 16 praising lawmakers for continuing no-cost sugar policy in its farm bill.

Social Security trust funds and Grandma’s bed

Fri, 25 May 2012 14:30:00 +0000

I’m old enough to remember the time when families simply didn’t need much help from Uncle Sam. My father had an unwritten rule. If something looked like we couldn’t afford it, or afford to keep it up, we simply did not buy it or buy into it.

Farm Press Blog

Cattle producers should plan for drought -- again

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:56:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Arkansas cattlemen may need to prepare for another year of drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor map from May 15 shows nearly 25 percent of the state, all in the north and eastern part of the state, as being abnormally dry or having moderate drought.

What’s happened to bipartisanship in Congress? Part 2

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:41:00 +0000

Congressional redistricting and political polarization have created a situation in which members find it more difficult than ever to compromise.

From out of the past, updating a young farmer’s zeal to succeed

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:47:00 +0000

After nearly three decades, Mississippi farmer Jaby Denton's business principles still are sound.

Farm Press Blog

Monsanto to purchase Precision Planting, Inc.

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

In line with its vision of delivering yield to farmers sustainably, Monsanto Company has announced it reached an agreement to purchase planting technology developer Precision Planting, Inc., a proven leader in improving yields through on-farm planting performance.

The Precision Planting team will become part of Monsanto’s Integrated Farming Systems unit, which utilizes advanced agronomic practices, seed genetics and innovative on-farm technology to deliver optimal yield to farmers while using fewer resources.

Jaby Denton: Three decades later, his business principles still hold

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:38:00 +0000

“I’ve managed my operation with the determination that I would be successful — or I would get out," says Quitman County, Miss., farmer Jaby Denton. "My overriding goal is to survive economically. I’ve been very cautious; I hate debt."

Delta Farm Press Calendar of Events

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:17:00 +0000

Important meetings, trade shows, field days and conferences for those involved in Mid-South agriculture.

Syngenta unites vegetable seed under one brand

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Syngenta has announced that, during the 2012 calendar year, ROGERS, Synergene Seed & Technology and Pybas Vegetable Seed Company brand varieties are being transitioned to the Syngenta brand.

The strengthened brand approach matches well with the recent integration of its crop protection, seed care, seeds and traits businesses into one Syngenta.

The transition to one brand is intended to leverage the power of the Syngenta brand as an R&D innovator and leader in breeding, and eliminate market confusion from multiple brands.

What’s happened to bipartisanship in Congress?

Wed, 23 May 2012 22:12:00 +0000

The new realities of partisan politics are leading to more paralysis in Congress, a veteran Congressional observer says.

Cutting-edge research could improve deer populations, health

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Johnny Morgan, LSU AgCenter

White-tailed deer researchers at the LSU AgCenter Bob R. Jones Idlewild Research Station in Clinton are using sperm from dead bucks to keep their favorable genes alive.

Alabama's Dee River Ranch: state of the art irrigation technology

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:13:00 +0000

A new irrigation system on Dee River Ranch utilizes Internet "cloud" communications to control and monitor up to 15 center pivots, providing water tailored to crop needs and weather conditions.

Tracking weeds easier with apps and databases

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:03:00 +0000

Weed Science Society of America

Online databases and new smartphone applications are making it easier to track and map infestations of invasive weeds, says the Weed Science Society of America.

Monsanto poised to deliver dozen new soybean traits

Wed, 23 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Building on the successful launch of Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait technology, Monsanto Company is poised to deliver a dozen new soybean traits in the next decade, helping farmers boost yield to meet the growing global demands for soybeans.

Anaplasmosis may be more common, widespread this year

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:40:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

An abundance of insects borne by an early spring could mean an earlier-than-normal occurrence of a sometimes fatal cattle disease called anaplasmosis.

June 8 sign-up deadline for NRCS projects in Arkansas

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:14:00 +0000

The Arkansas NRCS office

Farmers and landowners in portions of Arkansas’ Ashley, Chicot, Cross and Poinsett counties have until June 8, 2012, to submit Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) applications to receive cost-share assistance to implement conservation practices through three Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) projects.

Advice for stocking crawfish ponds

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:39:00 +0000

Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter

Louisiana rice farmers who plan to harvest crawfish from their fields next year should consider restocking crawfish once their rice crops have been flooded.

Ethanol study points to major savings at the gas pump

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Study claims 29-cent-per-gallon savings

Several years ago, a study produced by Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development found that, between 2000 and 2010, the benefits of ethanol included reducing U.S. wholesale gasoline prices by nearly 28 cents per gallon nationwide.

LeadAR program seeks candidates for Class 16

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:56:00 +0000

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Learning to be a leader requires global thinking, a major part of the training provided by LeadAR, or Lead Arkansas, the Arkansas agricultural and rural leadership development program now seeking participants for its sixteenth class.