The National Weather Service (NWS) says that the Mississippi River, from Minneapolis-St. Paul to St. Louis, is at risk for moderate to major flooding this spring, according to this week’s USDA Grain Transportation Report....More

U.S. food, agriculture and forestry exports to Cuba reached $361 million in 2010, and while down 31% from the previous year, Cuba remains a viable market for growers in Texas and other states, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist. Parr Rosson says Texas businesses and others are well positioned to compete in Cuba because of the quality of products and proximity to the market. In some years, the U.S. supplies the majority of food imported by Cuba, he says, noting that wheat, corn, rice, meat, poultry, cotton and forest products have a potential market in Cuba....More

As several family owned custom wheat-harvesting crews prepare to roll out the combines this season, they’re inviting the rest of the country to hop aboard the 2011 All Aboard Wheat Harvest Tour. This is the third season online followers can hitch a virtual ride with the crew for a close-up view of the 2011 wheat harvest, sponsored in part by DuPont Crop Protection, and covered throughout the season in eWheat from Corn & Soybean Digest....More

World wheat prices look set to fall this year if forecasts for the second-highest crop on record materialize, but weather disruptions or political actions by importing governments could break this trend, says a UK grain analyst....More

Over the last few years we have observed several new trends in the timing of foliar fungicide applications in wheat. In 2010, we conducted several field trials at multiple locations to evaluate the efficacy and benefit, if any, of these new fungicide programs. Our current recommendations are to apply a foliar fungicide at flag leaf emergence or heading to control foliar diseases if a susceptible variety is planted and weather conditions are favorable for disease development....More

No matter how much you pay in dues or fees to your local wheat producers association – it’s probably not enough. Because of grower and other member contributions, state wheat groups were able to join the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and national grain commodity groups at Commodity Classic – one of the world’s most dynamic farmer-based extravaganzas....More

“Farmer members of the American Soybean Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Corn Growers Association and the National Sorghum Producers met at Commodity Classic to determine policies that reflect their priorities in 2011 and beyond. Among these priorities, we recognize that reducing federal deficits and the national debt is critical to putting the American economy, including U.S. agriculture, on a sound course for future growth and prosperity....More

Planting corn into sod comes with some general opportunities and challenges. Corn could generate a gross return of $500-700/acre, or more, depending on yield and marketing. That is a large enough opportunity to consider taking old pasture or hay fields and converting them to corn for 2011....More

Burcucumber can be one of the most difficult weeds to manage in corn. It can emerge well into the growing season and its vines can spread up to 25 ft. and twine around corn plants. "It can drag down the corn and make it difficult to harvest, impacting yields," says Mark Loux, weed scientist for the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center who is in the middle of a two-year study to determine the most effective way to manage burcucumber in corn....More