Crops

Producers across the central U.S. are facing high input costs as the trade war puts crop markets in an uncertain position. Agriculture economists say they’re watching tariffs and the cattle industry — which has boosted income for some farmers.

KBIA’s The Next Harvest podcast tells the stories of farmers in the Midwest using regenerative agriculture practices and high-tech tools to make their farms sustainable -- including agrivoltaics, drones, precision agriculture, and cover crops.

Cottonseeds could help reduce hunger and add new revenue for farmers. One researcher has been working for decades to make edible seeds a reality.

Conservation methods can help rejuvenate farmland, but the startup cost and uncertain results mean a risk many farmers still aren't willing to take. The University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture is trying to research how to improve the practice.

Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.

Scientists in Kansas, Missouri and other states were poised to start research to cut U.S. reliance on fertilizer imports, keep biofuel farming cost-competitive and tackle a potent greenhouse gas.

Many unhoused students in Missouri and Kansas aren't getting the school support they need — in large part because the districts aren't counting them. Plus: Farmers expect less income this year, which is likely to send ripples through the larger economy.

Kernza is a perennial grain that can produce an annual crop, even as it stays in the ground for up to four years. Its deep root system make it a sustainable crop, but the grain doesn't have many markets.

Fall is typically a drier time of the year for the Great Plains and Midwest. But drought is once again rearing its head in much of the region, and experts are not seeing relief anytime soon.

Crop prices have returned to more normal levels this year — down from record highs. As farmers expect less income this year, that's likely to send ripples through the larger agricultural economy.

Missouri has a tropical fruit of its very own: the pawpaw. Although this Midwest native is getting more popular, you're unlikely to find them in a grocery store yet. Plus: While corn and soybeans dominate the Midwestern landscape today, some farmers are integrating strips of native prairie back into their fields.

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.