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Illinois ag advocates say ‘lawmakers showed up for farmers’

For the most part, Illinois agricultural leaders are pleased with the $50.5 billion Illinois budget with its 550 pieces of legislation that landed on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk after the end of the spring session on May 27.

Lawmakers left out some legislation livestock farmers wanted left out. They agreed on legislation local food advocates wanted. But with a last-minute amendment, they may see a bill on landowner property rights get vetoed by the governor.

The Illinois Farm Bureau advocated for landowners’ rights when it comes to renewable energy projects on farmland. The goal is for farmers to be fairly compensated for impacts to drainage and their operations caused by solar and wind energy projects, says Mark Gebhards, IFB’s director of government affairs and commodities.

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Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday



Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.