The Van Trump Report

Agriculture

Brazil Crop Update… Both Too Much and Too Little Rain

Brazil’s farmers have a mess on their hands with massive flooding in the south and unseasonably hot, dry weather in south-central parts of the country. The weather extremes will impact both soybean and corn production this year, and the flooding is already creating major logistical headaches in the south. The flood waters have also swallowed …

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“Greeneye Technology”  Scaling Precision-Spray Operations in US

Israeli-based Greeneye Technology has been selling its precision-spray technology in the US for a few years now. However, the systems are hard to come by, with the company already sold out for 2024, after selling out in both 2022 and 2023 as well. According to Greeneye CEO Nadav Bocher, many of 2025’s machines are already …

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Iowa State Researchers Developing AI-Powered Pest Identifier Win “Supercomputing” Time

A way to reliably identify and receive recommended controls for agricultural pests is at the top of nearly every farmer’s wishlist. While there are countless identification apps online, most of the digital bug and weed identifiers are limited in scope, difficult to use, and often unreliable. But with the increasing power of artificial intelligence (AI), …

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What You Need to Know About the “Leafhopper” Plaguing Argentina’s Corn Fields

Argentina’s corn growers have been fighting a plague of “leafhopper” insects that have led to dramatic downgrades to production estimates. The country earlier this year was headed toward a record corn crop but the stunt disease spread by the insects has caused those forecasts to plunge. The question now is, how much more of the …

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US Agriculture Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions More Than Any Other Sector

Agriculture is a favorite target among those looking for somewhere to place blame for greenhouse gas emissions. However, recent research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that agriculture has made more progress in cutting emissions than any other industry in the US. According to the report, “Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: …

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“Parametric Insurance” Offers a Hedge Against Weather Extremes and More

A novel type of insurance product has been gaining traction amid increasingly extreme weather events that have roiled the industry. Known as “parametric insurance,” these contracts insure a policyholder against the occurrence of a specific event by paying a set amount triggered by a predetermined parameter. In other words, it pays out based on the …

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Canada and China are Big Winners in US Renewable Diesel Push

Renewable diesel capacity in the US has almost doubled in the last two years. However, it’s not US soybean growers benefitting from the expansion of renewable diesel as many had anticipated. Instead, renewable fuel facilities are importing record amounts of canola oil from Canada and used cooking oil (UCO) from China, resulting in domestic soybean …

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Solar Panels Covering More Prime US Farmland Raises Alarms

More agricultural land across the country is being covered by solar panels as farmers look for ways to lessen the blow dealt by sliding crop prices and high input costs. It’s a trend that’s forecast to continue, also. The American Farmland Trust estimates that 83% of expected future solar development will take place on agricultural …

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Farmers Need More Support to Meet Sustainability Goals

American farmers have led the way in adopting smart-farming tools and practices that have not only helped increase productivity but also sustainability. Still, adoption levels of so-called “sustainable farming practices” remain relatively low, according to a recent report from McKinsey. It found that although 90% of farmers are aware of sustainable farming practices, a lack …

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