Agriculture Shorts

The latest numbers from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service estimate Nebraska's 2024 corn crop will be 1.89 billion bushels, up nine percent, with an average yield of 195 bushels per acre, up 13 bushels. Soybean production is estimated at 310 million bushels, up 16 percent with an average yield of 59 bushels per acre, up 7.5 bushels . . . USDA Economic Research Service reports agriculture's productivity increased 1.46 percent on average between 1948 and 2021 in the U.S. The primary factors behind the increase despite the use of fewer inputs are genetic improvement in livestock and crops and efficiencies through improved farm management and practices . . . DTN reported the U.S. Commerce Department issued a preliminary order recommending countervailing duties on imports of 2,4-D from China and India, which account for roughly three-quarters of 2,4-D herbicide sales in the U.S. . . . According to Magnetic, researchers at the University of Texas have created a soil material infused with hydrogel which can capture water from the air to keep plants hydrated and manage the release of fertilizer.