NEWS

Answer Plot
Late-season corn plants against blue sky.

Managing Southern Rust in Corn

Last season, southern rust was easy to find in cornfields across much of the Midwest. Unfortunately for farmers, all the elements of the disease triangle aligned in 2025. There were ple...

Aug 14, 2025
Answer Plot
Sprayer in field applying adjuvant

Plan Ahead with Proven Adjuvants in 2026

Weed competition can be one of the costliest threats to your crop’s performance. Based on what you’ve observed in your fields this season, you may be considering a different...

Aug 07, 2025
Answer Plot
A person holding a stalk of corn and examining its roots, highlighting healthy development

Field Observations: New Biologicals Show Promising Start

As growers look for new ways to enhance plant health and performance throughout the season, the biological crop input market has gained popularity, particularly with row crops. To meet ...

Jul 08, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Power Up Your Tech Now for Scouting

We all know diligent scouting is critical for the early detection of in-field problems such as insects, diseases, and weed pressure. If you’re not supplementing traditional scouti...

Jun 03, 2025
Answer Plot
Grower holding MasterLock adjuvant and climbing into sprayer.

Make the Most of Your Fungicide Application

If I had a crystal ball, I could tell you how heavy disease pressure will be in the future. But since I don’t, my best advice is to use data and your trusted advisors to determine...

Jun 03, 2025
Answer Plot
Empty rain gauge on a sunny day

Tips For Managing Drought-Stressed Fields

You can purchase the right equipment, seed and inputs to set your season up for success, but you can’t control the weather. Navigating the challenges of Mother Nature is one of tr...

May 23, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

From Nutrition to Delivery: United Cooperative Has You Covered

The feed industry is ever evolving. New technologies and processes enter the industry daily, changing manufacturing processes and feed products. The feed department at United Cooperativ...

May 22, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Grain Happenings

Planting is progressing well across the state as I am writing this. The markets are reflecting the planting pace and at the moment it appears that an increase in the carry out as well.&...

May 19, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

2025 Propane Outlook

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to plan your propane supply for next winter’s heating needs. The most recent winter brought below average temperatures and saw ...

May 19, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Budgeting with Lower Grain Prices

With the drop in corn and soybean prices from last year, it is very tempting and sometimes necessary to cut back on inputs in response to declining revenues. This, however, often become...

May 16, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

High Yield Management: Winter Wheat

With High Management Winter Wheat it’s important that we start with a solid base fertility and weed free field prior to planting. And much like our row crops we need to plant as e...

May 16, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Letter from the CEO

As we enter 2025, we reflect on a year of progress, resilience, and dedication to serving our member-owners. United Cooperative remains steadfast in its mission to provide superior prod...

May 15, 2025
Answer Plot
Agricultural sprayer

Help Inputs Work Harder

To maximize profitability potential, every dollar spent on crop protection products must deliver the best possible return on investment. That’s where adjuvants come in. They&rsquo...

Apr 28, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Timing is Everything for Side Dress Fertilizer Application

When side dressing, it is always better to start early. We recommend starting side dressing corn around V4, as the roots really start to grow, and significant nutrient uptake begins to ...

Apr 08, 2025
Answer Plot
Agronomist analyzing mid-season corn plant.

Maximize Plant Health at Key Growth Stages

Plant health is a lofty term that gets tossed around a lot in agronomic conversations; however, when you have a clear definition and actionable strategies, maximizing plant health becom...

Mar 31, 2025
Answer Plot
Sprayer testing spray quality in the WinField United Innovation Center

Adjuvant Research That Proves Itself in the Tank

Every spring, you probably make a significant investment in crop protection products. But are they performing as well as they could be? Adding a quality adjuvant to your tank mix can he...

Mar 25, 2025
Answer Plot
Close up of corn tassels.

5 Ways to Find Success With Fungicides

It’s time to bust the myth once and for all that fungicides aren’t worth investing in. Research has continually shown yield advantages when a fungicide application is made. ...

Feb 24, 2025
Answer Plot
Tar spot lesions on a corn leaf

Evaluating Tar Spot Management Strategies

In recent years, tar spot has expanded its footprint, becoming a persistent challenge for farmers across the U.S. The disease has long been a problem in South and Central America but ha...

Jan 29, 2025
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

2024: A Year in Review

As we close out 2024, I want to reflect on the tremendous momentum we have experienced this year. Our employees and facilities functioned at a very high level giving timely customer ser...

Dec 20, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Looking to 2025: Trends in Corn, Soybeans, and Global Trade

This month’s 2024/25 U.S. corn outlook is for greater corn used for ethanol, larger exports, and lower ending stocks. Corn used to produce ethanol has raised 50 million bushels to...

Dec 18, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Reliability at the Farmgate

The new year comes quickly in the feed industry.  Supplying animal nutrition over the holiday season requires preparedness, which involves continuously improving procedures and equ...

Dec 17, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

2024: The Year of Challenges

As the end of 2024 draws near, most of us can agree that it was a very trying year. The planting window was wide throughout the state, and we can all agree there were very few days when...

Dec 17, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

How To Boost Productivity And Cut Downtime With Diesel Fuel Storage

When it comes to fully optimizing your operation, finding opportunities to increase job site efficiency, avoid costly downtime and minimize equipment maintenance is no easy feat. 

Dec 16, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

From Y2K to Today: 25 Years of Technological Change

How fast can a quarter century go? Many of you remember 1999 as the lead-up to the infamous Y2K or the year 2000. This was the year that all computer systems would go berserk because th...

Dec 10, 2024
Answer Tech
Farmer holding a drone controller.

Understanding the Value of Tech Investments: Trendy or Worth It?

If you’re like most farmers, you’re probably inundated with information about new technology promising to boost yield and efficiency. With so many products and claims out th...

Oct 23, 2024
Answer Plot
Retailer carrying a box of StrikeLock® adjuvant.

3 Steps to a Successful Fall Burndown Application

If conditions in your area allow you to make a fall burndown application, it can make the spring a little easier from a weed management perspective. Applying in the fall allows you to t...

Sep 27, 2024
Answer Plot
Soybean seedling.

Your Guide To The Ascend Portfolio

The Ascend® plant growth regulator (PGR) portfolio has been growing in exciting ways over the past several seasons. Each of these high-performing products contains three PGRs &ndash...

Sep 23, 2024
Answer Plot
Farmer planting soybean seed treated with Warden® CX II seed treatment.

5 Reasons To Try New Soybean Seed Treatments

When it comes to getting the most out of your seed investment, every decision counts. Warden® CX II seed treatment and the new Ascend® ST3™ plant growth regulator offer po...

Sep 09, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Use Response-to-Fungicide Scores to Make Data-Based Decisions

One of the considerations you may approach differently this year is fungicide applications. When deciding which acres to spray and which products to use, response-to fungicide (RTF) sco...

Jul 10, 2024
Answer Tech
Drone spraying crop protection products on a corn field.

Using Drones For Crop Protection Applications

When the field isn’t fit for a ground rig and an airplane isn’t feasible, drones are a great option for in-season applications. I continue to see more and more retailers and...

Jul 09, 2024
Answer Plot
A grower and their WinField United advisor scout fields for soybean white mold.

7 Tips for Managing Soybean White Mold

If you grow soybeans, you’re likely no stranger to white mold. While it’s impossible to predict exactly how prevalent it will be this season, it pays to be proactive. Fields...

Jul 09, 2024
Answer Plot
Two growers scouting a soybean field.

3 Tips for Managing SDS in Soybeans

Dry conditions across much of the Corn Belt kept sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybeans at moderate levels during the 2023 growing season. When the disease did show up, it generally ca...

Jul 09, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

The Nitrogen to Sulfur Ratio and Its Importance in Crop Growth

Nitrogen is the most heavily managed nutrient in corn production systems, but like every other essential plant element, it does not act alone. For example, the chlorophyll molecule that...

Jun 11, 2024
Answer Plot
Airplane applying crop protection to a soybean field.

3 Factors to Consider for Aerial Applications

According to the National Agricultural Aviation Association, 127 million acres are treated aerially each year. That’s about 28% of cropland in current production.   Applyin...

May 21, 2024
Answer Plot

Why You Should Consider a Pre-Tassel Fungicide Application

Answer Plot® research shows that fungicide application timing can significantly impact return on investment and, in some situations, two applications can be more profitable tha...

May 17, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Investing for the Future

As the Waupun Mill project's construction phase continues to progress, we begin the startup phase. Our hope is to start the clean-out phase by the end of May. Bulk and bagged ingred...

May 08, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Increasing Returns on Fertilizer Investments

What if a product could pay for itself before filling the combine? Grower investment in fertilizer is a key element of fulfilling a crop’s yield potential. And getting the most ou...

May 06, 2024
Answer Plot
Growers evaluating early-season soybean stands.

Are Plant Growth Regulators Worth the Investment?

Plant growth regulators have been getting more attention from the agricultural community in recent years, but you may be wondering if they live up to the hype. The Answer Plot® prog...

Apr 09, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

High Wheat Management

As we warm up, the time to start evaluating our wheat stands is quickly approaching us.  Winter wheat will only tiller for a short time after it breaks dormancy in early spring so ...

Mar 12, 2024
Answer Plot
Close up of a spray nozzle distributing a burndown herbicide.

Take Care of Early Spring Weeds Before Planting

If you deal with winter or spring annual weeds in your fields, it's important to consider including a spring burndown herbicide application. Winter annuals, including marestail, res...

Jan 24, 2024
Answer Plot
Crop protection sprayer parked in front of grain bins.

3 Tips to Optimize Pre-emergence Weed Control

Drought conditions, expanding herbicide resistance and limited herbicide availability mean you may not have achieved the weed control you expected last season. That could create more ch...

Jan 03, 2024
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Making Investments to Improve Value on Your Farm

United Cooperative continues to make investments in our Feed Division to be able to add more value at your farm gate. Currently, we are about a month away from the completion of our Wil...

Dec 14, 2023
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Safeguarding Farms: Cybersecurity's Impact

Remember the Dr Suess Christmas special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”? The Grinch was a bad guy and pretended to be Santa Claus to steal all of the Who’s gifts. Tha...

Dec 14, 2023
United Cooperative-Beaver Dam

Harvesting Success Amidst Logistical Challenges: United Cooperative's Crop Insights and Expansion Plans

The grain crop was a pleasant surprise for most. United Cooperative is still working to finish receiving the crop from the field as I write this. We also are in the process of picking u...

Dec 14, 2023
Answer Tech
Three men around tablets reviewing field data

Organize Now to Get the Most From Next Year’s Data

There are many innovative technology tools to help farmers harness, dissect and apply data to improve their operations. However, there’s not one tool that does it all, so it can b...

Dec 29, 2021
Answer Tech
Combine in corn field at harvest.

Leverage Harvest Data to Drive Next Season’s Crop Decisions

With today’s ag technology tools and in-season imagery options, it should be easier than ever for farmers to collect data to inform their seed and crop protection product decision...

Oct 12, 2021
Answer Tech
WinField United farmer holding iPad.

When it Comes to Data, Demand Quality and Personalization

With both established and new companies offering many types of data sources, it can be difficult to decipher truth from hype. Not sure if you’re getting the most value out of your...

Aug 17, 2021
Answer Tech
Farm Silos

Watch: Tie Seed Selection to Local Agronomic Recommendations

How do genetics, traits, yield environment and management practices impact your corn and soybean seed choices? WinField United’s Dan Griffin, technical seed agronomist, and Joe Ri...

Dec 09, 2020
Answer Tech
Machine in front of grain bins at sunrise

Have Tech on Tap for Next Season

You probably have your seed and crop inputs ordered or maybe already in the barn. But how’s your ag technology planning going for next season? Work with your local trusted advisor...

Oct 01, 2020
Answer Tech
Seeds in a planter

Get Precise About Seed Decisions Using Ag Tech

Every farmer knows how important it is to start the season by planting the right seed — and they understand how difficult it can be to determine what hybrids and varieties will wo...

Sep 23, 2020
Answer Tech
Farmer walking in field

Broadening Connections to Deliver In-Season Insights

In today’s connected world, the ability to access your on-farm data quickly, easily and securely is essential. Accessing your data to make informed decisions in-season can drive p...

Jul 15, 2020
Answer Tech

Advanced Acre Trials to Show Value of Data-Backed Approach

In today’s challenging and changing marketplace, quality data, ag technology and agronomic expertise are critical tools that enable farmers to make informed decisions and manage f...

Jun 26, 2020
Answer Tech
In-season wheat field

Understand the Value of Tissue Testing

Knowing whether or not your plants are absorbing the nutrients you’re feeding them is important information in the heat of the season and when planning for next year.   Tis...

Apr 27, 2020
Answer Tech
Logo for The Deal With Yield podcast

Can You Trust Crop Models?: Episode 118

On this week’s episode of The Deal With Yield® podcast, host Joel Wipperfurth and guest host Corey Evans discuss crop modeling technology and the components of an effective cr...

Jan 31, 2020
Answer Tech
Logo for The Deal With Yield podcast

Don’t Just Collect Harvest Data; Use It: Episode 113

This week on The Deal With Yield® podcast, our hosts dive into the value of harvest data. The two discuss why you should gather your data and how it can be used to create a clear ro...

Dec 06, 2019
Answer Tech
Logo for The Deal With Yield podcast

Unpacking Data Transparency: Episode 111

This week on The Deal With Yield® podcast, Joel and Jon continue their conversation about data transparency. The two discuss how benchmarking data is a lot like receiving a report c...

Nov 15, 2019
Answer Tech
Using tech during financial conversations

Include Ag Tech in Your Financial Discussions

Let’s face it, it’s tough to be a farmer right now. There are new levels of financial uncertainty fueled by a tough economy, recent weather challenges, market volatility and...

Nov 11, 2019
Answer Tech
Logo for The Deal With Yield podcast

Let's Talk Data Privacy: Episode 110

Data transparency and privacy are issues that affect consumers and farmers alike. The conversation about them spans industries and their importance has been underscored in light of rece...

Nov 08, 2019
Answer Tech
Logo for The Deal With Yield podcast

Assessing and Managing New Acres: Episode 108

Joel and Jon dive into the steps you should take and tools you can use to manage new acres on this episode of The Deal With Yield® podcast. Hear how to asses fertility levels, deter...

Oct 25, 2019
Answer Tech
Combine rolling through cornfield

Tips for Capturing and Using Harvest Data

It’s important not only to successfully gather your yield data at the end of the season but also to leverage its full value. Here are five tips to get the most from it.   ...

Oct 21, 2019
Answer Tech
Logo for The Deal With Yield podcast

The Economics of Sustainable Ag: Part 2: Episode 106

Joel and Jason Weller, senior director of sustainability at Land O’Lakes, continue their conservation conversation on this episode of The Deal With Yield® podcast. Tune in to ...

Oct 11, 2019
Answer Tech
Logo for The Deal With Yield podcast

Tough Markets: Make a Plan and Plan to Change It: Episode 104

From commodity prices to trade discussions, farmers are at the center of the conversation. On this episode of The Deal With Yield, hosts Joel and Jon discuss the ways market conditions ...

Sep 27, 2019