Syngenta today announced that it has received the safety certificate for its Agrisure Viptera trait (event MIR162) from China's regulatory authorities, formally granting import approval. The approval covers corn grain and processing byproducts, such as dried distillers grains (DDGs), for food and feed use.

It's official. H.R. 5771: Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (aka Tax Extenders Act) retroactively expanding the Section 179 deduction limits though Dec. 31, 2014, has been enacted.

On a vote of 76-16, last night the Senate passed the Tax Extender Bill, which will extend tax breaks through Section 179 deduction limits for 2014.

The cost of soybean seed has increased more than 225% since the introduction of glyphosate resistant varieties in 1996. This increase in price has caused growers to reduce the rate of seeding in fields. However, the lower crop seeding rate can lead to a more open canopy for weeds and increased competition with the crop.

Poultry litter can provide a significant and important supply of nutrients for crop production in areas where a supply of litter is available.

The Purdue University-led Useful to Usable climate initiative is offering a new online tool to help farmers and farm advisers better manage the application of nitrogen fertilizer for maximum crop yields and minimum environmental damage.

The end of harvest marks a good time to implement good management practices for yield monitors including taking steps to winterize components. Yield monitors continue to increase and in most cases are standard options on today's combines with the yield-mapping data being important information for precision agriculture services offered across the agriculture industry.

Choosing the right corn hybrid to plant for silage can be tricky. We know what to look for when choosing corn hybrids for grain &mash; yield, standability, maturity and pest resistance — but what should we look for in silage?

The North Dakota State University Extension Service and University of Minnesota Extension will co-host a conservation tillage conference Dec. 16-17, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Fargo.

Indiana and Michigan NRCS announced Dec. 19 as their signup deadline for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), while Ohio NRCS announced its deadline of Jan. 16, 2015.