corn

Purple corn, commonly known as maiz morado, has more antioxidants than blueberries. Researchers at the University of Missouri are trying to grow a similar corn here in the United States.

While corn and soybeans dominate the Midwestern landscape today, some farmers are integrating strips of native prairie back into their fields. This conservation practice has expanded to more than a dozen states.

River barges are an efficient way to move crops — 15 barges can hold about as much grain as 1,000 semi-trucks. But low river levels are driving up transportation costs for Midwest farmers.

Corn sweat is a summertime phenomenon that happens when the crop releases water into the air. It can add to humidity, but local scientists say it likely wasn’t the main force behind the late August heat wave.

A small insect carrying pathogens that can lead to corn stunt was confirmed in Missouri and Oklahoma for the first time. Experts are learning more about the insect and how the disease left its mark on corn fields.

Iowa recently gave the greenlight for what could become the largest carbon capture and sequestration project in the world. But regulatory hurdles, lawsuits and questions remain there and in neighboring states.

The agriculture department’s annual projections show a slowing economy and lower crop prices for the upcoming year. The USDA also looks ahead to the next decade, showing rising crop yields but a competitive job market.

Recent heat and drought have fueled concerns about this year’s corn crop, as producers in the Midwest see a wide range of conditions.

Bills to legalize sports betting in Missouri are stalled in the legislature, even a year after Kansas lawmakers signed off on gambling. Plus: Why Mexico’s president is trying to ban the import of genetically modified corn from the U.S.

Touting its long history and cultural significance, Mexico’s president says genetically modified corn has no place in his country. That puts Mexico and the U.S. on a collision course over a major trade agreement.

Mexico’s plan to ban all genetically modified corn imports has upset U.S. corn farmers, trade groups and officials. The two nations are in talks and have until April 7 to resolve it before the U.S. can take action under the free trade agreement between North American countries.

Tar spot, a fungal disease, first appeared in the U.S. in 2015 with reports in Indiana and Illinois. Since then, it has been spreading across the Midwest.