2015 US Corn Belt Crop Tour: Kansas

Jul 06, 2015

Fifth state in a 12-state tour

Farms.com’s Risk Management team, led by Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino, are on a 12-state tour along the US Corn Belt. So far they’ve visited Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. The fifth state to be visited was Kansas.

Throughout the previous four states, excessive moisture seemed to be a significant contributor to crops being behind schedule and not performing as well as anticipated.

In Kansas, it appears to be the opposite where the farmers in the state need some moisture to keep their yields up.

“In the month of June, this state hasn’t gotten as much rain as some of those other states,” said Agostino in front of a corn field near Melvern, Kansas. “If they can get the rain in the next couple months, I think they have a really good crop in the making but it’s a hit and miss. If they don’t get the rain, you’re going to shave some of the top end on yield.”

“As long as we get the rain here in the next week or two to help fill it, we’ll be alright,” said a farmer from Kansas as he held an ear of corn. “It depends on July and August moisture for us. We have to get the rain”

The soybean fields in Kansas appear to be struggling with the inconsistent weather.

“The beans are short, they should be knee-high,” Agostino said. “They were planted late and they’re just barely out of the ground. In Kansas there’s 530,000 acres of beans left to be planted.”

Be sure to follow the 2015 US Crop Tour on Twitter using the hashtag #CornBelt15. The tour’s next state stop will be Nebraska.

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.