Tag: Farming
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Record Diesel Prices Squeeze Farmers at Harvest
U.S. farmers are heading into harvest with another major input cost moving sharply against them. The national average price for diesel climbed to a record $5.94 per gallon Wednesday, adding significant expense just as combines, tractors and grain trucks begin running long hours across the Corn Belt. Diesel prices are now about 61% higher than…
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Tiny Wasps Provide Natural Pest Control in Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some of Missouri’s smallest wasps may also be among the most useful insects working in gardens and landscapes. Parasitoid wasps provide a natural form of pest control by targeting insects including aphids, caterpillars and beetles. Unlike the wasps homeowners typically notice around yards and buildings, these tiny beneficial insects generally do…
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Missouri Soil Health Conference Set for September
Missouri farmers and agricultural producers will have an opportunity to learn more about soil health and regenerative farming practices during a free conference in Kansas City. The 2026 West Central Farmers and Producers Conference is scheduled for Sept. 17 at the KC Urban Impact Center. The event is part of a statewide series that brings…
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New Soybean Pest Confirmed in Macon County
Missouri soybean growers are being urged to watch their fields following the state’s second confirmed discovery of the soybean tentiform leafminer. University of Missouri Extension crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida confirmed the pest in Macon County on Aug. 19. Missouri’s first known case was discovered in a Cooper County soybean field in August 2025. The soybean…
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Missouri Soybean Group Warns on RFS Exemptions
Proposed refinery exemptions could cut biodiesel demand and cost soybean farmers nearly $1 billion JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri soybean leaders are asking President Donald Trump to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard as the Environmental Protection Agency considers additional exemptions for small oil refineries. The Missouri Soybean Association says expanded small refinery exemptions could weaken…
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Fall Soil Testing Can Uncover Soybean Nematode Threats
New management resources focus on identifying hidden pests that can reduce soybean yields ST. LOUIS — Soybean growers are being encouraged to use the weeks immediately following harvest to check fields for nematodes that may be quietly cutting yields. Soybean cyst nematode remains one of the most damaging soybean pathogens in North America, but it…