Lafayette Online

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Wet, cool conditions not only keep farmers out of the fields, but also favor moldy corn. One Purdue University specialist is getting calls from around the state about Diplodia and Gibberella ear rots in corn. There’s a lot of Diplodia ear rot throughout Indiana, especially in the northeast and southeast, said [...]

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Farmers should see some relief on input costs next year, but profit margins are still likely to be squeezed. Bruce Erickson, a Purdue University agricultural economist, said growers would likely see the most savings on fertilizer costs in the 2010 planting season. “Some farmers were spending as much as $200 per [...]

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More of the fertilizers and pesticides used to grow corn would find their way into nearby water sources if ethanol demands lead to planting more acres in corn, according to a Purdue University study. The study of Indiana water sources found that those near fields that practice continuous-corn rotations had higher [...]

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University students from all majors are invited to an informational meeting on Sept. 15 to learn more about participating in the Student Soybean and Corn Product Innovation Competitions. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry, Room 200. The two contests – which are separate, but run [...]

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — This year could be another record-setting year for U.S. corn production, said Purdue University’s Chris Hurt, who believes those numbers will be reflected in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sept. 12 Crop Production report. USDA’s August estimate for corn was 159.5 bushels per acre for the average yield — 3 bushels [...]

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A slow start to spring planting led to a mad dash by farmers to finish in June, followed by cool and wet weather that hampered crop development. Those wild fluctuations in the 2009 crop season will provide the backdrop for fall crop yield projections that will be presented Aug. 12 at [...]