EIS for GE chestnut: An environmental impact statement is necessary before the USDA can decide whether to deregulate an American chestnut tree variety that was genetically engineered to resist chestnut blight. (Federal Register)
Falling food prices: Although the Food Price Index, which tracks international prices for major food commodities, fell for the second month in a row, it remains 31 percent higher than a year ago. (Food and Agriculture Organization)
Spring wheat woes: The spring wheat crop in Canada and the U.S. northern Plains has been mauled by drought, forcing food makers to pay higher prices for the wheat used in baked goods and to draw down their stockpiles. (Reuters)
Running like a Deere: The old slogan “Nothing runs like a Deere” might need to be updated to “Nothing runs by itself like a Deere” after the farm equipment company’s purchase of Bear Flag Robotics, which develops autonomous driving technology compatible with existing machinery. (Deere)
Soybean cupping: Agronomists in several areas in Iowa have reported instances of fencerow-to-fencerow soybeans with cupped leaves, most likely the result of dicamba damage to varieties that were not genetically engineered to tolerate the herbicide. (Wallaces Farmer)