More in Seed Traits

Approximately two out of every three acres is planted with a Bt corn variety in the United States. That is part of the overwhelming adoption of genetically enhanced seed, which also includes herbicide and drought tolerance. While all of them are designed to reduce various risks, farmers have an ulterior motive for their substantial endorsement of Bt corn....More

Many eastern Corn Belt cornfields planted in mid-April when farmers got off to an early start have started to show symptoms of seedling blights, says Kiersten Wise, a Purdue Extension plant pathologist. Symptoms include uneven stands, stunted seedlings or reduced plant vigor. They can be caused by a number of scenarios, such as damage from cold temperatures, nutrient deficiencies, herbicide or anhydrous ammonia injury, wireworms or "wet feet," but also could be caused by seedling blights from fungi or fungal-like organisms....More

A new innovation can completely reshape an industry – inspiring both optimism and debate. The development of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the 1980s ignited a buzz in the agricultural community with the potential for higher crop yields and better nutritional content, along with the reduction of herbicide and pesticide use. GE crops grew to play a significant role in the U.S., with more than 160 million acres of farmland used to produce GE crops in 2011. However, the development of new GE crops has recently slowed to a trickle due to litigation over field testing and deregulation. University of Minnesota researchers Esther McGinnis, Alan Smith and Mary Meyer set out to determine the cause of these litigation lulls responsible for slowing GE progress in the U.S....More

Pesticides derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis – widely known as Bt – have been important to farmers since the 1920s. Sixteen years ago, transgenic seed that produces insecticidal Bt proteins became available. Use of these transgenic Bt crops in the U.S. has reached 75% of cotton and 65% of corn acreage, while Bt pesticides are the most important insect control method available to organic farmers....More

Successfully controlling yield-limiting crop diseases comes down to analyzing field history and making the right management decisions for individual fields, says Kiersten Wise, a Purdue Extension plant pathologist. Once soil-borne crop diseases are present in a field, they rarely disappear. When the right weather conditions present themselves, diseases such as sudden death syndrome, root rot, white mold and seedling blight can substantially decrease crop yields....More

High corn prices are leading many growers to plant corn every year and to overuse pesticides and other bug-killing technology to maximize yields, researchers report. In many instances, pesticides are applied without scouting fields to see if they are needed, violating a bedrock principle of integrated pest management. The result is a biological diversity desert in many corn and soybean fields in the agricultural Midwest, and signs that the surviving insects are becoming resistant to several key bug-fighting tools now available to farmers....More

As spring planting season approaches, soybean growers should be aware that one of the best ways to manage soybean disease is to make sure they plant the right varieties, says Anne Dorance, an Ohio State University Extension soybean expert. In fact, seed selection is one of the most important decisions Ohio soybean farmers can make to ensure the best yield outcomes, says Dorrance, a plant pathologist with joint appointments with OSU Extension and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center....More

There was considerable flooding along the Missouri River in summer 2011, leaving many fields scarred and bare, without a crop. Producers should make field repairs as needed and seed a cover crop to help protect the soil and start rebuilding soil life before the 2012 cropping season. Cover crops benefit flood-damage soils in several ways....More

Minnesota farmer Gene Stengel and his sons Kevin and Rob will plant a 20% insect refuge this spring, as usual. Although “refuge-in-the-bag” blends of Bt and non-Bt seeds are proving popular with farmers – and could predominate in coming years – many growers will still plant structured non-Bt refuges in 2012....More

A Purdue University researcher has taken corn off steroids and found that the results might lead to improvements in that and other crops....More