Some farmers are taking advantage of warmer temperatures right now, and while mild weather can help jump-start the season, it also gives weeds a head start.
“Southern Illinois University in Carbondale did some research showing that in a bare dirt situation, waterhemp will emerge faster than if there are winter annual weeds or a cover crop. So, the people that have their ground prepped to plant or do have it planted, they’ll see waterhemp come up in those fields first because the soil will warm up a little faster, more sunlight to warm it up faster, etc. So, if you are planting early and have a clean seedbed, the risk of earlier germination is certainly there,” said Matt Geiger, an agronomic service representative with Syngenta.
Geiger says it is important to go back to the basics when managing weeds in early spring and to get an herbicide on the crop pre-emergence.
Bipartisan momentum builds, but final farm policy remains unsettled.
March 05, 2026 10:14 AM
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Valley Irrigation’s Darren Siekman explains the advantages of their new pivots for growers managing acreages of up to 60 acres.
March 04, 2026 04:40 PM
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Jeramy Stephens with National Land Realty explains how the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling and ongoing ‘America First’ trade policy raise new questions about U.S. farmland values and agricultural market stability.
March 04, 2026 12:04 PM
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Farm bill negotiations remain unsettled, leaving producers waiting for updated federal support programs.
March 04, 2026 10:24 AM
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Roger McEowen of Washburn University School of Law joined us to discuss key legal and tax issues ranchers should consider as they recover from recent prairie fires across the Southern Plains.
March 03, 2026 01:06 PM
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Texas lawmakers secure funding for sterile fly production as officials work to stop the New World screwworm from spreading into the U.S. cattle herd.
March 03, 2026 12:20 PM
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