July 24, 2026: New USDA Investments, Crop Health and Market Challenges

Today on Agnews Daily, my research from last year showed that we got a return on investment if we were spraying susceptible hybrids or those race-orce type hybrids that tend to be more susceptible to disease but on the more defense of hybrids that have more resistance to disease you didn't necessarily get a return on investment for that fun just site. Welcome back to the Agnews Daily Shell. Michelle Stingler here joined my our summer intern Josie Kelly. It's certainly been a fun and busy summer. A lot of things we're watching here on Agnews Daily but it's in the midst of kind of fair season for sure Michelle. I am actually going to hit up another county fair later tonight get to go see a concert so always fun. Sounds like an exciting adventure and hopefully the weather will continue to be nice. A little breeze here these past few days but looking ahead to the weekend warmer temperatures are expected to return across much of the corn belts after a brief break from the heat. Most areas are expected to stay dry all those scattered showers are possible in parts of the region I know that there are many parts of the Midwest that are looking forward that rain. Early next week another cold front is expected to move through the Midwest bringing another chance for scattered showers in a return to slightly cooler temperatures. As corn moves through in pollination and soybeans continue setting pods, weather conditions will remain a key factor for crop development and green markets but Josie what's happening in crop progress this week. The latest USDA's crop progress report shows the nation's corn and soybean crops continue to hold study despite pockets of excessive moisture across the Midwest. Nationally 67 percent of the corn crop is rated good to excellent unchanged from last week and ahead of last year's 57 percent. Swaping conditions also remain stable with 66 percent rated good to excellent while development continues near the five-year average. Corn silking reached 54 percent nationwide matching the five-year average while 11 percent of the crop has reached the doe stage. Soybeans are 60 percent blooming and 24 percent setting pods both close to normal for this point in the season. Winter wheat harvest advanced to 71 percent complete just behind the five-year average of 72 percent while recent rainfall has supported crop conditions in many areas. Producers continue to monitor fields for disease pressure as crops move through key reproductive stages. We'll be back with more news after this week's tip with Corteva Agro Science. White mole can easily take off 20 to 30 bushels in yield by essentially entering the bloom. It will move up and down that stem, ultimately shutting off water nutrient transport to feed the pods and the beans in those pods. And so the yield losses can be pretty significant as well as add to a little bit more challenges simply at harvest time of getting that harvested in the combine easily. When we think about timing of the applications, I always use the tagline spray twice in July that covers the bulk of the period that we have flowering going on. And essentially we're trying to apply the fungicides to protect those blooms because that is the entry point for this specific disease. We really have to be proactive in controlling white mold. We can't wait till we see that white cottony growth outside the stem for the pods to begin making applications. If one's going to spray once and once only, do it at that r2 stage which is full flower. That's the point in time where we have the most blooms present at any one time in the life cycle of a soybean plant. Visit corteva.us/rocropfungicides as an excellent spot to learn more. On today's scenario, we're talking all about crop diseases. So that will be coming up in later part of today's show. But a new analysis here from the American Farm Bureau Federation published late last week projects another difficult year for US rocrop producers. Farm Bureau economists estimates corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton farmers could face $32 billion in losses in 2027, filling an estimated $31 billion loss in 2026 as inflation weak commodity prices and high production costs continue to squeeze margins. The report also projects more than $7 billion in losses for specialty crop growers, including producers of almonds, apples, potatoes, lettuce, and strawberries. Farm Bureau says the outlook underscores the need for a new farm bill, stronger risk management tools, and policies that expand market opportunities, including year-round E-15 as lawmakers continue debating long-term support or agriculture. Certainly, something we continue to mention here on the podcast, but we do try to have some kind of positivity in some of our stories. Looking at the tariff outlook, tariffs continue to dominate trade discussions as President Trump's administration prepares for another round of potential trade actions. Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad worldwide tariffs. While that decision reshaped some of the administration's trade strategy, temporary tariffs remain in place as officials determine the next steps. New tariffs, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, are expected to be announced later this month or in early August. Those tariffs are designed to address what the US considers unfair trade taxes by other countries. Ben Malin, Vice President of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, says that the upcoming announcement will determine whether overall tariffs increase, decrease, or remain near current levels. Producers will be watching closely as changes to trade policy can affect export markets and put costs in the broader agricultural economy. Certainly trade is a topic with the US&C trade agreements continuing with those discussions. But as we look at some crop news here on the corn front, global corn consumption is expected to outpace production during the 2026 through 2027 marketing year, continuing to trend that is tightening world grain supplies. USDA projections, analyzed by routers, show global corn use expect exceeding production by about 1.8 percent, a large supply deficit in 16 years. Wheat consumption is also forecast to suppress production, as fiends demand continues to grow, particularly in livestock producing countries. While USDA still projects adequate global grain stocks, inventories are trending lower than in recent years. Analysis say the shrinking supply cushion could leave markets more vulnerable to weather problems, trade disruptions, or geopolitical events. That doesn't necessarily mean grain shortages are on the horizon, and it does increase the potential for price volatility. If production issues arise in major exporting countries, all connected back to trade and those market opportunities. Looking at some livestock-focused news and decision made in the late June, the USDA has decided to invest $500 million to strengthen meat processing capacity through its new spur program, short for strengthening processing for US ranchers. The funding will go to small and mid-sized meat processors that handle 2,000 head of cattle or fewer per day with the goal of building a more resilient beef supply chain. The Farm Service Agency will administer the program from its Washington headquarters using processing data from USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Richard Fordes says USDA is still calculating payment amounts and notifying eligible processors. He says the investment is designed to help preserve processing infrastructure while the U.S. rebuilds its cattle herd, ensuring producers continue to have reliable market access in the years ahead. USDA says that the program will support producers who market beef directly to consumers or through branded retail and restaurant channels. Continuing here on USDA, the Rural Development Agency has certified the Farmers Innovation Fund as a Rural Business Investment Company, opening the door for more private investment and agricultural technology possible. The fund will connect early-stage egg technology companies with farmers to test new products under real-world conditions before they reach the broader market place. USDA says the goal is to speed up innovation while reducing the risk of adopting new tools on the farm. Backed from early-by from credit institutions, the Farmers Innovation Fund will focus on technologies that improve productivity, profitability, and resilience while strengthening U.S. agriculture supply chains. USDA says the certification is part of its Rural Business Investment Program and producers can expect to see more opportunities to evaluate and test emerging technologies as the fund begins investing and new innovation. new ag innovations. Certainly, a lot of talk about what do innovations look like and what is that rate of investment look like in specific. Looking at some farm relief news, Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins is asking Congress to prove $11.1 billion in emergency farm assistance as part of the Trump administration's supplemental funding request. During testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Secretary Rollins said that the proposal includes $10 billion in temporary economic assistance for row crop and specialty crop producers along with $1.1 billion to help producers recover from catastrophic freeze losses in 2026. Lawmakers also used the hearing to highlight the need for year-round E-15. South Dakota Senator Mike Brown says that expanding access to the higher ethanol blend would create additional demand for corn, strengthen domestic fuel production, and provide consumers with more affordable fuel options. The funding request now moves to Congress for consideration, so Michelle, a lot of talk about E-15 year on Capitol Hill. Yeah, it's continuing over the last few months, and I'll probably continue in these next few months. And another conversation, new world screw warm, and some of those parasites on our animals and flies to be aware about, but also takes with producers here spending more time in fields and pastures. This time of the year, Oklahoma State University entomologists, Dr. Jonathan Kamak, says tick awareness should remain a priority. He says producers should take steps to protect themselves from tick bites as they work outdoors throughout the growing season. Kamak says one of the biggest concerns is that loan star tick, which has been linked to AlphaGal syndrome, an allergic reaction that can develop months after a bite and cause reactions to red meat and other mammal-derived foods. As some of our field work continues, he encourages producers to say, "Vilgin, check for tics after spending time outdoors and seek medical advice if they experience symptoms falling at tick bites." For us as humans working with animals are working outside. For sure, always important to hear, continuing on the discussion of working outside working in the fields, as corn and soybean crops move through some of the most critical stages of the growing season, disease pressure is becoming top of mind for many producers. From tar spot to the potential of southern rust, knowing what to scout for can have a big impact on the field. To learn more about what growers should be watching in the weeks ahead, Michelle spoke with Dr. Allison Robertson, Professor of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and Extension Field crop pathologist at Iowa State University will hear more in that interview now. Crop diseases are continuing here throughout the Midwest and nationwide. In our crops, talk about it more. We have someone from Iowa State University, Allison Robertson. She's a professor and Extension field crop pathologist. So, Allison, why don't we get started? Tell me a little bit about what you're seeing in the fields. Hi, Michelle. Thanks for having me this morning. We're out in the fields. We are at just starting pollination here in Iowa, so a lot of the crops are between tassel and maybe beginning towards the end of pollination. In terms of diseases, we're seeing a lot of some gossips wilt and some bacterial leaf blight. But we also have gray leaf spot developing in the lower canopy. I've had reports of tar spot, Northern Corn leaf blight. And then within the last couple of days, we had some reports of southern rust here in Iowa. So, I would say for this time of the year, pretty normal, what's going on out there? We always get a few reports of what diseases are there. It's, yeah. So, let's talk about how we can defend some of these crop diseases. What are some ways that you're recommending to growers? Well, that's a great question. So, the thing is that we see a little bit of disease right now, right? This is the time when we should be spraying fungicides to manage that disease or those diseases. The tricky point is knowing what those diseases are going to be like in six weeks time, because disease development depends on where that. And that's the tricky point, and it's really, really hard to do that. And so, one of the things that I've been advising growers based on my research from last year was that fungicides need to go on during this period from tassel through till end of pollination, as late as milk stage is a good time to put on fungicides. Most of the research over the last 10, 15, 20 years has seen, has said that the best time to put on that fungicide to protect your yield is that around about silking. My research from last year showed that we got a return on investment if we were spraying susceptible hybrids, so those racehorse type hybrids that tend to be more susceptible to disease. But on the more defensive hybrids that have more resistance to disease, you didn't necessarily get a return on investment for that fungicide. And so, I've been encouraging farmers to think about, one of the things to think about in their decisions is what is the resistance of that hybrid in that field? What type of hybrid are you growing? If it's a racehorse type hybrid, then yes, you should probably put on a fungicide. If it's a more defensive type hybrid, you might want to think twice about whether you want to spray that field or not. Even with low commodity prices, are you hearing some farmer sentiments on just the costs and the investments? Is that a key topic of discussion? Yes, so, and that's one of the reasons why I'm recommending this, right, is to make a decision on whether to spray or not based on the hybrid on your field. Because yes, commodity prices are not great, fungicides are expensive. And I always say that for every input, you want to return, right? And so, if you're going to invest in this fungicide input, then you're hoping to get a return on that investment in terms of yield protection and enough of a yield bump, even though I don't like to say yield bump, but enough yield that it's going to pay for that application. Specific to some of these diseases, what are some of those symptoms that growers should be watching for when they're scouting their fields? Oh, so these diseases that we're talking about are spots on the leaf, right? And so, tar spot is recognised as looks like spots of tar splattered across the leaf surface, right? And so, they can be very small black spots. You would be able to see the black spot on the top surface of the leaf. If you turn the leaf over, you should be able to see not necessarily a mirror image, but at least that spot on the bottom side of the leaf as well, that black. So that would be tar spot. Gray leaf spot is more rectangular lesions that range from, I don't know, maybe a half inch to two inches long, northern corn leaf blight is very big cigar shaped lesions that can be up to six or eight inches long. And southern rest is recognised because it looks like rest on the leaf, right? And so, it's kind of a bright orange rest as opposed to common rest, which is brick red. And the thing about southern rest is usually we only see the rest on the top surface of the leaf with common rest, we would see the rest on the top and the lower surface of the leaf. How about soybeans? Soybeans, not a whole lot going on in soybeans. There's been a couple of reports of perhaps some frogai leaf spot out there. I'm not sure that that's been confirmed yet. We've seen Phytophthra, we've seen Fuserium wilt, but yeah, in terms of folio diseases, what you would use a fungicide for, not a lot of those. We would use a fungicide for white mold, right, on soybeans. And so, the crop protection network has a website, and on that website they have a model for white mold, and so I would encourage farmers to go to the crop protection network and check out the white mold model for their area, for their farm and see what their risk is for white mold at the moment, and then if their risk is high, go in and spray a fungicide. Beyond yields, are there any concerns about stock quality or sustainability to consider at this time of the season? Well, I know that the beginning of the season here in Iowa started off pretty wet and cool, and so, there are concerns, as we go into the season, that we may have some problems with crown rot, and that can lead to standability issues. [BLANK_AUDIO] to be seen right it's it's kind of we'll have to wait a little bit longer to see if crown rot is going to be a problem might start to see symptoms of that kind of the middle of August so around about do stage and then with like standability just from store crops and stuff if we run it into pretty severe foliar disease with it be gray leaf spot, tar spot, southern rust, whatever that kind of impact that or that can lead to more store crops and that can impact standability so it's a little early in the growing season to be able to predict where the standability is going to be an issue but yes it's something to to keep an eye on to keep in the back of your mind and we know that if you've sprayed a fungicide that that often helps with fungicide just by keeping that plant, I mean helps with tar oh my goodness helps with store crop just by keeping that plant healthier. How can this late season disease pressure really affect grain yields as you think about and these are some of the final weeks as we're you know getting into that tassel stage. The way that foliar diseases affect yield is they kill areas on the leaf and that leaf is photosynthesized and producing the sugars that are then used to fill the grain right and so when we have severe disease what'll happen is that plant cannot produce enough carbohydrates or sugars to fill the grain and therefore we'll get reduced yields so the kernels won't be filled as much as they should be the plant may abort some kernels from the top of the ear because it can't fill all those kernels and all of these little little things just lead to lower yields in the in the field. I know tar spot is something we're continuing to learn more about what haven't we learned quite yet about tar spot that we're still trying to figure out. A lot I would say. I think we know that tar spot prefers cooler conditions so cooler conditions favor that infection and so that's why we tend to see stars tar spot starting up earlier on in the growing season but now once we get into July and August it really gets too hot and that disease should slow down right but I don't think we really understand very well how that disease may continue to develop during these conditions it should slow down but what are the conditions that allow it to then just increase again. The other thing that I was thinking about tar spot oh I don't think we have a good understanding of how moisture affects tar spot so we know that we need moisture there for those spores to get produced we need moisture for the for the spores to infect the leaf but we also know that if we have too much moisture that'll reduce the severity of tar spot so there seems to be kind of the sweet spot. We also know that it seems like the leaves need to be wet dry wet dry you seem to need these wet dry cycles to to favor tar spot but I don't think we have a good understanding of that yet so just a couple of questions that I may be have I'm sure that the folks who are researching tar spot have dozens of others right. Now it's a hot topic as we grow malachorn and often you know how can we combat it is often the topic there so with that do we know a lot about tar spots today that we can mitigate it and stop it from coming into our fields. I think the thing with tar spot is we know that it'll survive in the residue over the winter right and particularly in Iowa but across the Midwest as you mentioned we have a lot of corn acres right and even if we're rotating rotating to soybean we still have corn residue on those soybean fields that is producing spores so as far as I'm concerned tar spot is here to stay we're never going to escape the pathogen right it's here. The best way to manage tar spot is going to be by planting resistant hybrids and so of course the seed companies are working on developing hybrids that have more resistance or are more tolerant to tar spot right meaning that they'll get less tar spot they'll produce that those tar spot lesions will produce less spores and then just the presence of tar spot on the plant won't have as much impact on yield as it might do on a susceptible plant right so those plants are better handled able to handle that infection so we need better hybrids with better resistance and then of course we have fungicides right and and I think you know ten years of fungicide trials has shown us that the best time to manage tar spot is to apply that fungicide around about I'm silking plus or minus you know a few days a week or so and yes occasionally we might need to go in there with another application very early but I think those years are probably few and far between so yep fungicide and resistance and I always like to tell farmers to start with resistance that should be the cornerstone of the disease management program. I'll be appreciate your time here today if there's one specific message about late season disease management this year what would it be to wrap up our conversation here today? I would just encourage farmers to keep an eye on the crop protection network website and on information coming out from their their universities and then also from their co-ops about you know what diseases are out there, what are the risks of disease, the information is all available on crop protection network and just just be aware get out in your fields, scout your fields, see what you can see out there and yeah and then keep good records for next year right so that you can learn from this year and hopefully apply it in the following year. Well thank you so much for your time here this afternoon. Thank you very much for having me thanks Michelle. In fuel in fertilizer news DTN reports retail fertilizer prices continue to trend lower heading into the fall application season. UAN posted the largest month over month decline while six of the eight major fertilizer products were down from a month ago. Meanwhile at the mall markets were mixed to start the week with renewable identification numbers or RIN values moving lower as September corn futures settled nearly five cents higher on Monday. I'll look it into some market news. GM political tensions was a huge one that impacted markets this week it remained that key market driver with Russia halting vessels loading at some Black Sea terminals and shippers suspending service to the region raising some concerns about global grain movement. Meanwhile escalating US Iran tensions boosted energy prices and disrupted shipping in the Middle East. New forecasts here are suggestions Brazil's 2026 through 2027 soybean crop may be smaller than previously expected some analysis are saying including rabble bank they were projecting production at 178 million metric tons about four million fewer than last year's crop. Green markets throughout the week have been trading with some of this news before finding some support from buyers. Some of those things they are watching include some weather concerns some geopolitical risk, Black Sea shipping disruptions like we mentioned and some ongoing questions. But some of our world supply crop including Argentina's soybean crop which helped underpin some prices throughout that we have seen. So certainly something we're going to continue to want here on Agnews daily but it is the end of July some field days. Next week our team will be at a field day learning more about stem in the fields from Forteva agro science. So anything you're looking forward to in specific there Josie. I'm excited to interview a bunch of different people I know they have some great speakers lined up so it'll be interesting to see what Delini and I can capture at that field day for sure. And it's coming to the end of your internship here in the next few weeks. I know I mentioned I think the other week we're just halfway through so great to have you on team. What's what have you learned so far in these past few weeks? Agnews daily has definitely pushed me in my technical skills so obviously every week I'm working on writing the script or editing all of our video and really gathering news that research muscle is really being flexed every single week but being able to see the diverse set of news across the entire Agricultural Industry has been really cool. Really been making me really open my eyes and expand what there is in the Agricultural Industry. So that's probably been one of my most favorite parts of this internship so far, this summer Michelle. - I know I've seen a lot of internship programs here wrapping up some picture highlights. So there's just a lot of cool things that come out of internships, whether it's in the crop sector or communications like yourself. And so if you guys listeners, if you have any story ideas or what you've learned, wanna share us pictures? We're happy to share them here on the podcast. But Josie, what do you say? Should we let the listeners go for the week? - Yeah, let's let 'em go. (upbeat music)