Crops

Events

2026 Youth Crop Scouting Competition

August 4, 2026

Blog Posts

A tile contractor uses a backhoe loader to aid installation of a large tile main, with dirt road on left and farm field on the right.

Farm Drainage Series Part 5: Challenges Installing Drainage Tile Mains — Railroads, Highways, and Others

March 27, 2026

This article is not to be construed as legal advice. Consult with your legal advisor before entering tile agreements.Installing the...

An excavator clears tree roots in a farm field with large shrub and blue sky in background.

Farm Drainage Series: Part 4 - Negotiating a Mutual Farm Tile Project: A Joint Tile Main Case Study

March 23, 2026

Note: This article is not to be construed as legal advice. Consult with your legal advisor before entering tile agreements. Improving...

A tractor pulling anhydrous tanks across a field.

Tips and resources for safe applications of anhydrous ammonia in central Illinois

March 13, 2026

Spring planting is right around the corner here in central Illinois. As the weather warms up, more producers are beginning to prepare their equipment...

A muddy dirt road runs between two farm fields leading to an old abandoned hog house.

Farm Finance Series: The current situation and a look at history

December 1, 2025

With lower grain prices, higher interest rates, and increased production costs, some farms are facing a challenging financial situation. According to...

More Blogs

News Releases

A person shows a lock and tag out bin safety system at an event table

April 1, 2026

Against the Grain: Dr. Salah Issa on Innovating Ag Safety
URBANA, Ill. — Dr. Salah Issa’s career in agricultural safety began in an unexpected way. Starting out at a graduate program in Ecological Sciences and Engineering at Purdue University as a self-described “city kid”, he was unaware that agricultural engineering was even a career option. It wasn’...

A team of youth analyzing a plant and using a book to research crop facts

March 23, 2026

Youth can strengthen crop scouting skills at statewide Illinois Extension competition
URBANA, Ill. — There is no better way to check in on a crop field than to take a walk down a row. Youth looking to strengthen their agronomy skills or share what they already know can do so while competing with a team at the...

A side-by-side recreation of people 150 years apart posing the same at the Morrow Plots

February 26, 2026

ACES marks 150 years of the Morrow Plots, our nation's oldest research field
URBANA, Ill. — A lot has changed on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus since its founding in 1867, but a storied plot of land near the south quad has been preserved nearly intact for a century and a half....

Overhead side view of bin set up at U of I Feed Technology Center in Urbana

March 2, 2026

See safety in action at Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week Kickoff event in Urbana
URBANA, Ill. — What began as an idea from agricultural industry groups to help ensure safety in the workplace has now become a nationwide movement. Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week takes place March 30 through April 6, and the 2026 Illinois kickoff...

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Videos

Farm Management: Pre-plant Spraying

Before the seed goes in the ground, farmers spray the ground. For this particular filed the farm is using 28% nitrogen and a preplant herbicide. Thanks to technology, the farmer can utilize GPS and other onboard technology to better control the amount of spray being used.