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DTN Progressive Farmer •

Consistent Performance Gains Farmer Trust

Given the old philosophy of using a few hybrids across the entire farm, Harris realized that adding different hybrids matched to soil types -- seeded at different populations by field zones -- wasn't a significant technology leap but a good place to start.

Harris Farms began seeding a prescription corn population from 26,000 to 30,000 based on soil maps and 1.5-acre grids. "Their color-coded soil-type maps changed so drastically across a field that they looked like a bag of Skittles," Elmore ex
Agronomy Journal •

Growing Carinata in the Southeastern U.S.

Brassica carinata, or Ethiopian mustard, derived
from the interspecific cross between B. nigra (black
mustard) and B. oleracae (wild cabbage), is a non-food
oilseed crop that is currently being grown in the U.S.
Southeast as a low-input, sustainably certified winter crop.
Research is ongoing in the Northern Plains with plans to
develop carinata as a spring rotational crop, especially
adaptable for semi-arid regions.

Carinata offers benefits over other brassica species in
terms of seed size, frost and drought tolerance, disease resistance,
higher yields, and less seed shattering at maturity
and during harvest. It is high in oil content (>40%) with a
favorable fatty acid profile that converts easily into aviation
biofuel for jets and biodiesel. Once oil is removed,
the seed meal is high in protein (43–46%), currently
approved for beef cattle rations, with ongoing research to
certify the meal for use in poultry, swine, and aquaculture.

Carinata is currently being grown in a closed-loop,
sustainably-grown contract system between farmers and
Agrisoma, and it doesn’t disrupt normal summer cash
crops. To date, carinata has been commercially contracted...
SeedWorld •

Unlocking the Cannabis Genome

NRGene plans to improve cannabis science faster by helping create new strains that deliver specific beneficial compounds—for medicinal, therapeutic and psychoactive benefits—while being more adaptive to industrial agricultural production.

With the 2018 Farm Bill removing industrial hemp (< 0.3 percent THC) from the Controlled Substances Act, along with many state governments legalizing cannabis growth and sale, the race among researchers and seed companies is on to rapidly scale their ability t