Dicamba revisited: Will corn face the same damage as soybeans?
Dicamba-tolerant corn seeds aren’t available yet. But if the seeds reach the market, and tens of millions more acres are sprayed with the herbicide, some scientists expect a repeat of the soybean disaster, in which the highly volatile weedkiller drifted off-target and damaged 5 million acres of conventional soybeans.
How climate change is altering the food America grows
From invasive pests and drought to longer growing seasons and floods, climate change is reshuffling our system of agriculture, reports The New York Times in a piece that summarizes how these new realities are affecting 11 crops.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Indoor farming surges in response to climate change (E&E News): With the USDA offering incentives, 84 percent of indoor operations say they plan to expand, adding an estimated 22 million square feet of growing space in the next five years.
Meat prices rise, and restaurant chains scramble (Bloomberg): China’s swine fever is partly to blame, as McDonald’s warned investors its commodity prices could rise as much as 3 percent this year.
May 4 is World Naked Gardening Day (AgDaily): Launched 15 years ago, it’s described as a “fun way to promote wholesome and unashamed acceptance of the human body.”
USDA makes case for rural broadband (USDA): A new report says deployment of both broadband and precision-ag technology on U.S. farms could generate $47 billion “national economic benefits” annually.
