Metribuzin is reemerging as a potential tool against waterhemp as Illinois farmers face populations resistant to every postemergence herbicide site of action labeled for use in the state. University of Illinois researchers said the Group 5 herbicide remains effective against many waterhemp populations with metabolic resistance, a mechanism that allows weeds to rapidly break down certain chemicals before they become lethal. Although metabolically resistant plants can neutralize atrazine, metribuzin’s different chemical structure may allow it to retain activity, according to Caleb Wepprecht, field research herbicide manager at the university.

Metribuzin use declined after crop-injury problems in the 1980s and 1990s and the introduction of more flexible Group 15 residual herbicides. Improved application equipment and less-sensitive soybean varieties are now making the older chemistry more practical. University researchers recommend adjusting rates based on soil texture and organic matter, avoiding coarse soils with less than 2% organic matter and fields with a soil pH of 6.8 or higher. Metribuzin should also be combined with other herbicide groups because it controls waterhemp and Palmer amaranth but provides limited activity against grasses and large-seeded broadleaf weeds. Group 15 products can extend residual grass control, while Group 14 herbicides may be needed for species including velvetleaf, morningglory and cocklebur.

The renewed interest comes as Illinois researchers document weakening performance from other residual chemistries. Tests involving waterhemp collected across 84 counties found that nearly half of the sampled populations showed resistance or substantially reduced sensitivity to Group 15 herbicides. In University of Illinois corn plots, metribuzin provided about 95% waterhemp control 28 days after application, compared with roughly 30% for atrazine, although metribuzin caused 5% to 10% crop injury in the latest trials. Researchers said the findings support metribuzin’s inclusion in diversified weed-control programs rather than its use as a stand-alone treatment.

Sources: Prairie Farmer

Farmers in parts of eastern England have been ordered to stop drawing water from rivers as prolonged heat and dry weather place mounting pressure on crops and regional water supplies. “Hands-off flow” restrictions took effect around the South Level of the Ely Ouse catchment on July 11, affecting growers in parts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire after river flows dropped below thresholds specified in abstraction licenses.

The restrictions have left some farms dependent on dwindling reservoirs or water purchased from neighboring growers. Tim Young, who farms near Hockwold in Norfolk, said similar restrictions contributed to a 40% decline in his onion output in 2025, when production fell to about 700 metric tons from a target of 1,200 metric tons. He expects a smaller impact this year because irrigation remained available for longer, but said wheat and barley yields on the farm’s light soils are already down about 40%. Young is exploring investment in a winter storage reservoir, although the project would require substantial financing.

The Environment Agency recorded 1,327 hands-off flow restrictions across England during the week ended July 16, up from 729 a week earlier, as river levels continued to decline. By July 23, the number had risen to 1,353, while all East Anglia catchments had entered “prolonged dry weather” status, one stage before a formal drought declaration. The National Farmers’ Union is seeking greater support for on-farm reservoirs and more flexible management of available water. The agricultural restrictions coincide with an Anglian Water hosepipe ban that took effect on July 11 after an exceptionally dry spring and successive heatwaves increased household demand.

Source: Eastern Daily Press

AGCO lowered its full-year financial outlook after cautious farmers delayed machinery investments amid elevated input costs, uneven crop economics and uncertainty surrounding trade and commodity demand. The agricultural equipment maker reported second-quarter net sales of $2.61 billion, down 1% from a year earlier and 3.7% lower when favorable currency movements were excluded. Adjusted earnings rose to $1.43 per share from $1.35 a year earlier, although the company’s adjusted operating margin narrowed to 6.6% from 8.3%.

The company now expects 2026 sales of $10.1 billion to $10.2 billion, below its previous forecast of $10.5 billion to $10.7 billion. Adjusted earnings are projected at $5.50 to $5.75 per share, while the adjusted operating margin is expected to be about 7.5%. AGCO said it would continue reducing production, controlling expenses and aligning dealer inventories with retail demand as farmers remain under pressure from high fertilizer, energy and other operating costs.

Regional results were sharply divided. North American sales increased 19.8% on a constant-currency basis, supported by stronger shipments of high-horsepower tractors and hay equipment. Sales fell 25% in Latin America, where costly imported fertilizer, financing constraints and weaker farm profitability reduced demand, while Europe and the Middle East declined 4.7%. Industry tractor sales during the first half fell 9% in North America and 11% in Brazil, underscoring the broader slowdown in agricultural machinery investment.

Angolan fertilizer developer Amufert has appointed a nine-member board of directors as construction begins on its gas-based ammonia and urea complex in Soyo, Zaire province. The board includes seven executive directors and two non-executive directors and will oversee project delivery, procurement, financial controls, supply chain development and preparations for commissioning.

The complex is designed to produce about 1.3 million metric tons of urea annually using domestic natural gas as feedstock. Carbon dioxide generated during ammonia production will be captured and used in the urea synthesis process. Afreximbank has committed $1.4 billion in debt financing as the mandated lead arranger, while the Angolan conglomerate Opaia and the state-owned Sonangol P&P Natural Gas are sponsoring the project.

Amufert expects operations to begin in 2027, positioning the plant to supply Angola’s domestic fertilizer market and neighboring countries. The project could help reduce reliance on imported nitrogen fertilizers in a region where fertilizer application rates remain among the lowest globally and farmers face high logistics and distribution costs.

Source: CRU BC Insight

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a $5.7 million grant to developer ORNX for early engineering work on a Western Sahara green ammonia project, marking the first US government financing for a private-sector venture in the disputed Moroccan-controlled territory.

The grant funds a pre-front-end engineering and design study for the first phase of a facility at Laayoune, according to statements from USTDA and ORNX. The plant is designed to produce roughly 560,000 metric tons of ammonia annually using hydrogen generated from renewable electricity. Total project investment is put at about $4.5 billion.

ORNX groups US-based Ortus Climate Mitigation with the Spanish-German joint venture Acciona-Nordex Green Hydrogen. The consortium was among five selected in 2025 under Morocco’s state-led green hydrogen program, and signed a land reservation agreement in February 2026. As designed, the integrated platform combines more than 2 GW of wind and photovoltaic generation, battery storage, roughly 900 MW of electrolyzers and seawater desalination.

Chief executive Peter Gish called the grant a milestone in advancing the project, saying ORNX would work with USTDA, the US embassy in Rabat and industrial partners to complete development and secure construction financing. The consortium is also weighing projects at Boujdour and Dakhla. The award lands as other export-oriented schemes advance, including a $4.7 billion green ammonia plant under review in Chile.

Source: Middle East Online

Bunge raised its full-year earnings forecast after stronger soybean and softseed processing margins lifted second-quarter results, but warned that tight fertilizer supplies could affect the next South American crop. The company reported GAAP earnings of $3.47 per share for the quarter ended June 30, up from $2.61 a year earlier, while adjusted earnings rose to $2.00 per share from $1.31.

The global agribusiness group increased its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance to $9.25-$9.75 per share from $9.00-$9.50. Bunge said stronger expected results from soybean and softseed processing would partly offset a weaker outlook for grain merchandising and milling. The company maintained its annual capital expenditure forecast at $1.5 billion-$1.7 billion.

Chief Executive Greg Heckman said tight fertilizer availability resulting from geopolitical disruption could affect South American production next season, with phosphate supplies presenting a particular concern. Bunge is monitoring planting schedules in Brazil and the potential impact of constrained nutrient access on crop yields, while relying on its expanded global network following the Viterra acquisition to adjust to changing trade flows.

Source: Yahoo Finance

Turkish refiner Tupras awarded its August domestic sulfur tender at a record $849-$912 per metric ton FCA, an average increase of $153.50 per metric ton, or about 24%, from its June 23-24 tender. The sharp rise indicates that sulfur availability across Turkey and the wider Mediterranean market remains constrained.

Tupras sold 3,850 metric tons from its Izmir refinery at $909-$912 per metric ton, despite setting an initial floor price of $675. The Izmit refinery awarded 16,000 metric tons at $849-$852, while Kirikkale sold 2,600 metric tons at $876-$882. Individual lots ranged from 100 to 2,500 metric tons.

The increase follows Turkey’s sulfur export ban, approved in April for the second and third quarters of 2026, which redirected domestic refinery production away from overseas buyers. Mediterranean and North African consumers have also faced limited alternatives as Persian Gulf supplies remained disrupted by restrictions affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Kuwait Petroleum raised its July sulfur price to a record $950 per metric ton. Turkey exported about 226,500 metric tons of sulfur in 2025, primarily to Egypt, Tanzania, Greece and Lebanon, leaving regional phosphate producers exposed to elevated feedstock costs into the fourth quarter.

Source: Argus Media

The U.S. Department of Commerce has recommended that countervailing duties remain in place on Russian phosphate fertilizer imports, concluding in its first five-year sunset review that Russian producers would continue to receive countervailable subsidies if the order were revoked. The Russian phosphate duties were set at 24.11% for EuroChem, 14.64% for PhosAgro and 16.64% for all other producers in final results posted on June 30.

Commerce noted that the Russian review was expedited because interest from domestic parties Mosaic and Simplot was adequate, while Russia did not respond or participate in the proceedings. The revised rates depart from the original 2021 determination, which had assigned 9.19% to PhosAgro and 47.05% to EuroChem.

The agency separately recommended retaining countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate imports, despite the eight-month suspension of that measure implemented in June. That duty-free window reopened the US market to OCP tonnes, but leaves the producer facing a longer-term duty framework once the pause expires.

The 2021 orders followed a Mosaic petition alleging that Moroccan and Russian phosphate imports materially injured the domestic industry. Many traders were unsurprised by Russia’s absence from the sunset process, but remain uncertain how OCP will proceed now that both rulings have landed.

Source: Argus Media

BASF reported second-quarter EBITDA before special items of €2.4 billion, up 54% year on year, and lifted its full-year 2026 guidance to €6.9-7.7 billion from a prior €6.5-7.3 billion. The BASF Q2 earnings beat was driven by volume growth, improved pricing and lower fixed costs, with sales rising 16% to €17.2 billion.

Net income reached €4.1 billion, well above the €2.4 billion analyst consensus, boosted by a €3.5 billion after-tax disposal gain from the Coatings sale to Carlyle. That transaction delivered roughly €5.8 billion in cash and helped cut net debt by €4.2 billion to €17 billion.

Agricultural Solutions generated €5,315 million in first-half sales at a 29% EBITDA margin, down slightly from 30% a year earlier. Total segment sales fell 1.6% while volumes grew 3.2%, indicating share gains offset by pricing pressure and currency headwinds. The portfolio splits across herbicides at 32%, fungicides at 30%, seeds and traits at 23%, insecticides at 10% and seed treatment at 5%.

Management confirmed the unit remains on track for IPO readiness by mid-2027, a timeline that would place it alongside rivals pushing deeper into biologicals. BASF has reached a €2 billion annual run rate against a €2.3 billion cost-savings target and cut around 7,000 positions since January 2024. First-half free cash flow was negative €1.6 billion on working capital and restructuring outflows.

Source: BASF

Egypt has replaced its fixed $90 per metric ton export levy on nitrogen fertilizers with a 10% ad valorem duty calculated on free-on-board invoice value. The Egypt nitrogen export duty was introduced under Decree No. 258 of 2026, issued by Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid and published in the Official Gazette on June 25.

The shift ties the charge directly to prevailing export prices. The flat $90/t duty was set in May when urea traded above $800/t, but the subsequent slide to the low $400s/t by late June sharply raised its relative burden and eroded Egyptian competitiveness. Unlike the May measure, which ran for three months, the new decree carries no expiry date and stays in force until amended or cancelled.

Pure ammonium nitrate with nitrogen concentration above 34.2% is exempt, as are shipments destined for productive enterprises in Egypt’s free zones. Exporters claiming the exemption must submit samples for analysis by a joint committee drawn from the Egyptian Customs Authority and the General Organization for Export and Import Control.

Export invoices also require certification by the Chamber of Chemical Industries, part of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, adding an administrative step. Egypt allocates roughly 350,000 to 400,000 metric tons of urea a month to export, and separately restarted phosphate rock shipments in June while weighing further curbs for 2027.

Source: Arab Finance

India has suspended sulfur exports to protect domestic fertilizer production, further tightening a seaborne market already constrained by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The India sulfur export ban has not been formalized in any published decree, but market participants widely understand that Indian refiners cannot ship the material abroad until further notice, according to Argus Media.

The practical effect on global availability should be modest. Indian export activity had already slowed sharply from April, when the outbreak of the US-Iran war disrupted Gulf shipping. India is a net importer of the nutrient rather than a significant exporter, drawing 2.25 million metric tons in 2025 with roughly 84% sourced from the Middle East. Those imports fell 26% year on year to 698,200 metric tons over January to May.

Pressure for restrictions built through the spring. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry pressed the chemicals and fertilizers ministry in April for a minimum six-month ban on elemental sulfur exports, and a meeting with major industry players followed.

Sulfur is the critical feedstock for phosphoric acid and therefore for DAP and single superphosphate output. Tampa contract prices hit a record $705 per metric ton in July as the shortage bit. Exporters of sulfuric acid are now watching for any extension of the restrictions, though no official notice or proposal has surfaced.

Source: World Fertilizer

China has extended restrictions on exports of key phosphate fertilizers at least through August 2026, while Russia continues to enforce quantitative limits on outbound fertilizer shipments, creating overlapping supply constraints for import-dependent buyers worldwide.

The China phosphate export restrictions cover DAP, MAP and certain NPK formulations, with ammonium sulfate remaining relatively less restricted. Beijing first imposed export curbs in mid-March 2026 to protect domestic supply after the Strait of Hormuz crisis disrupted global trade. Between 50% and 80% of China’s fertilizer export volumes are now restricted, according to Reuters analysis of Chinese customs data. Russia’s quota system, operating through the Eurasian Economic Union framework, similarly limits available spot volumes of nitrogen and phosphate products.

The combined effect is reshaping global fertilizer trade flows. Import-dependent regions including India, Brazil, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are being forced to source more product from alternative suppliers such as Morocco’s OCP, North American producers and Middle Eastern exporters — often at higher freight and product costs. China supplied roughly one-fifth of fertilizer imports for Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand last year, rising to one-third for Malaysia and New Zealand, according to International Trade Centre data.

Source: Commodity Board

U.S. farmers are likely to reduce phosphate fertilizer applications this fall as persistently high DAP and MAP prices force budget trade-offs, according to CHS agronomist Corey Klaphake, who covers southern Minnesota.

Klaphake told Brownfield Ag News on July 21 that phosphate cutbacks are the “big conversation” among growers planning their fall fertility programs. DAP currently averages roughly $910 per ton and MAP around $955 per ton — both well above year-ago levels. By contrast, potash and potassium prices have remained more stable at about $494 per ton, leading Klaphake to predict farmers will shift spending toward potash while seeking greater efficiency from their phosphate applications.

The expected phosphate cutbacks come as the Strait of Hormuz disruption continues to weigh on global sulfur and ammonia supply — both critical feedstocks for phosphate fertilizer production. Some agronomists recommend nutrient-enhancement products that improve the uptake of applied phosphorus, helping growers maintain yields with reduced application rates. The trend could pressure phosphate demand through the U.S. fall application season.

Source: Brownfield Ag News

U.S. retail fertilizer prices fell for the sixth consecutive week in the second full week of July 2026, with anhydrous ammonia dropping below $1,000 per ton for the first time since the third week of March, according to DTN data.

Anhydrous ammonia averaged $967 per ton, down 11% from a month ago. UAN32 led the decline at $465 per ton, a 15% drop, while urea and UAN28 also posted notable decreases. Six of eight tracked nutrients were lower compared with the prior month; only DAP and potash were slightly higher. On a per-pound-of-nitrogen basis, urea averaged $0.74, anhydrous $0.59, UAN28 $0.86 and UAN32 $0.73.

Despite the correction, all eight U.S. fertilizer prices remain above year-ago levels. Anhydrous is still 26% higher than July 2025, UAN28 is up 15%, MAP 13%, and DAP 12%. The extended decline reflects the unwinding of the Strait of Hormuz supply shock and the seasonal post-application lull, but elevated year-over-year levels suggest structural cost pressures persist for U.S. growers heading into fall application planning.

Source: DTN Progressive Farmer

China has proposed revised environmental registration rules for new chemical substances, potentially affecting companies that supply active ingredients, intermediates, adjuvants, coatings and other chemicals used in fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural products. The draft would require manufacturers and importers to obtain approval before producing or bringing into China a chemical that is not included in the country’s existing substances inventory, or before using a listed chemical for a newly regulated purpose.

Finished fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary drugs, feed additives and several other agricultural products have historically been exempt from the new-chemical registration system because they are governed by separate sector-specific regulations. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture report indicates that agricultural companies should assess whether novel components used in these products — rather than the finished products themselves — could fall within the revised framework. The translated draft does not explicitly restate the broad list of product exemptions contained in the existing rules, creating potential uncertainty for developers and importers of new crop-protection and plant-nutrition technologies.

Under the proposal, chemicals manufactured or imported at volumes of at least one metric ton annually would require regular registration, including toxicological, ecotoxicological and physicochemical data. Volumes below one metric ton would qualify for simplified registration, while authorities could request additional risk information once nationwide production and imports reach 10 metric tons. Companies would also have to pass registration information and pollution-control requirements to downstream users, maintain annual activity records and report newly discovered environmental or health risks. Violations could bring fines of RMB 10,000 to RMB 100,000, equivalent to approximately $1,500 to $14,800 at current exchange rates, as well as a three-year suspension from submitting new applications.

China notified the proposal to the World Trade Organization on July 1. The draft lists August 15, 2026, as its planned effective date, although international stakeholders may submit comments through August 30, creating an unusually compressed consultation and implementation timetable. Companies selling new fertilizer additives, pesticide ingredients, biological-product components or other specialty agricultural chemicals into China may need to review substance inventories, import volumes and data requirements before the rules take effect.

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Knowing when to harvest can determine whether homegrown produce reaches the kitchen at peak sweetness, tenderness and nutritional quality. While expected maturity dates provide a useful guide, gardeners should also watch for crop-specific signals such as color changes, firmness, aroma, dried stems and hardened rinds to identify harvest dates for their produce. The table below summarizes the typical harvesting season and the most reliable ripeness indicators for 17 popular fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

*Timing varies substantially by region. Warm climates may produce earlier, later or nearly year-round harvests, while northern gardens generally have shorter windows.

Harvest by condition, not by calendar alone

A calendar can indicate when a crop is likely to mature, but it cannot determine ripeness on its own. Planting dates, weather, soil conditions and variety all affect harvest timing. Gardeners should begin with the “days to maturity” listed on the seed packet and then examine the crop itself for changes in color, texture, aroma and attachment to the plant.

This distinction is important because many vegetables and fruits do not continue improving after harvest. Cucumbers, eggplant, summer squash, okra and beans can become coarse, bitter or fibrous when left on the plant too long. Watermelon must also reach maturity on the vine because it will not become sweeter after picking. Tomatoes and cantaloupes offer more flexibility: tomatoes can finish ripening indoors after reaching the breaker stage, while many cantaloupes can be picked shortly before full slip and softened on the counter.

For the best quality, inspect the garden each morning as crops approach maturity. Harvesting after the dew has dried but before the day becomes hot can reduce wilting and help produce and retain freshness. Frequent picking also encourages continued production in beans, cucumbers, okra, peppers, squash and eggplant.

Artichokes, basil and beans

Artichokes should be harvested while their buds remain tight and heavy. A mature globe is generally 3–5 inches in diameter, although size varies by cultivar. The central or upper bud normally develops first, followed by smaller buds farther down the stem. Once the scales spread and the flower begins opening, the bud becomes tougher and loses its eating quality. Cut the bud with 1–3 inches of stem attached.

Basil benefits from repeated cutting throughout the growing season. Leaves are usually most fragrant and flavorful before flower buds open. Small quantities may be taken from young plants, while mature plants can generally tolerate the removal of up to one-third of their growth at a time. Regular trimming delays flowering and encourages branching. The remaining leaves should be collected before frost damages the plant.

Bush and pole beans are best when the pods are young, smooth and approximately pencil-thick. Pick before the seeds create large bulges inside the pod. A fresh bean should break cleanly when bent. Because mature pods signal the plant to slow production, harvesting every few days can extend the crop. Hold the vine with one hand and remove the pod with the other to avoid breaking stems.

How to judge melons

Melons can be among the most difficult garden crops to evaluate because size alone provides little assurance of sweetness. A ripe cantaloupe usually develops a cream or yellow background beneath its raised netting. It should feel heavy, smell fragrant at the blossom end and separate from the vine with little resistance. Even netting and easy “slip” from the stem are established indicators of cantaloupe maturity.

Honeydew behaves differently. It normally does not detach from the vine when ripe, so gardeners should look for a creamy rind, a sweet aroma, substantial weight and slight softness at the blossom end. Some varieties also develop a somewhat tacky or waxy surface as they mature. Cut honeydew with pruning shears rather than waiting for it to fall.

Watermelon requires several clues considered together. The curled tendril nearest the fruit typically turns brown and dries, while the section resting on the soil changes from pale green or white to creamy yellow. The rind becomes less glossy, and a ripe melon may produce a hollow sound when tapped. No single test is completely reliable, but the combination of a dry tendril, a yellow ground spot, and a mature rind is a strong signal. Cut the stem rather than pulling the fruit because watermelon will not ripen further once removed.

Corn, cucumbers and okra need close attention

Sweet corn deteriorates rapidly after harvest because its sugars begin converting to starch. Ears are generally ready when the silks have dried and turned brown but the husks remain green. The ear should feel full when gently squeezed. To confirm maturity, peel back a small section of husk and pierce a kernel with a thumbnail. Clear liquid indicates an immature ear, while thick or doughy material suggests an overripe ear. A pale, milky juice marks the preferred harvest stage. Cool the ears immediately after picking.

Cucumbers can change from crisp to oversized in only a few days. Pickling varieties are commonly collected at 2–4 inches, standard slicing cucumbers at about 6–8 inches and long English types at roughly 10–12 inches, depending on the cultivar. Harvest while the skin is firm and evenly colored, before the fruit becomes swollen or yellow. Lemon cucumbers are an exception and are usually picked as they begin turning yellow. Cut the stem about an inch above the fruit to avoid damaging the vine.

Okra demands even more frequent inspection. Pods are generally most tender at 2–3 inches and may become woody soon afterward. Harvest every two or three days during warm weather. Gloves and long sleeves can protect against the fine hairs on leaves and pods, and pruning shears make it easier to remove pods without injuring the plant.

Eggplant and peppers offer several harvest stages

Eggplant is ready when the skin is glossy and the fruit feels firm but not hard. Press it gently with a finger: the indentation should disappear quickly. Fruit that is dull, soft or slow to rebound may be overmature, with hardened seeds and bitter flesh. Because some varieties have thorns, gardeners should wear gloves and cut the stem with pruners rather than twisting the fruit from the plant.

Peppers may be harvested at multiple stages. Bell peppers can be picked when full-sized, firm and green, although leaving them to develop their final red, orange, yellow or purple color generally increases sweetness. Hot peppers may also intensify in flavor as they mature, depending on the variety. Fine lines or “corking” on jalapeños and some other peppers can indicate rapid growth and advanced maturity. Use shears and leave a short stem attached; pulling may break brittle branches. Penn State Extension notes that full-sized green bell peppers are mature enough to eat, while peppers left to color on the plant become sweeter.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes require careful digging

Gardeners can harvest small “new” potatoes two to three weeks after plants flower. These tubers have thin skins and should be handled gently and used relatively quickly. For a larger storage crop, wait until the foliage turns brown and dies. Loosen the soil with a garden fork, keeping it several inches from the stem to reduce the risk of puncturing the potatoes, then gather the tubers by hand.

Storage potatoes benefit from curing in a dark, ventilated place so minor wounds can heal and the skins can toughen. Do not wash them before storage; brush off dry soil after curing instead. Any tubers damaged during digging should be used first.

Sweet potatoes are normally harvested when the vines yellow or begin dying back. They are sensitive to cold injury, so dig them before frost. Start well outside the crown because the tubers may spread broadly through the soil. Freshly dug sweet potatoes are easily bruised and are less sweet than cured roots. A warm, humid curing period helps convert starches into sugars and prepares the crop for storage.

Summer and winter squash follow different rules

Summer squash should be picked immature. Zucchini and yellow squash are usually most tender at 6–8 inches, although smaller fruit can also be harvested. Large squash may develop thick skins, hard seeds, and spongy flesh. During peak production, check under leaves daily or every other day, as fruits can increase in size rapidly.

Winter squash must remain on the vine much longer. It is generally ready when it reaches its mature color and the rind becomes hard enough to resist puncture by a fingernail. Cut the fruit with several inches of stem attached, since broken stems can create an entry point for decay. Harvest before frost and cure varieties intended for long storage according to their specific requirements.

Tomatillos and tomatoes can be picked before full softness

Tomatillos are ready when the fruit fills the papery husk and often begins splitting it open. For the characteristic tart flavor, pick while the fruit is still firm and bright green or shows the mature purple coloring of its variety. Fruit left to become yellow and soft tends to lose acidity. University of Minnesota Extension similarly recommends choosing tomatillos when they are fully ripe but still green and firm.

Tomatoes may be left to develop their full color on the vine, but that is not always necessary. At the breaker stage, the fruit changes from mature green to a lighter shade and begins showing pink, yellow or another mature color. Once tomatoes reach this stage, they can continue ripening indoors while developing normal color and flavor. Early picking can protect them from cracking after rain, extreme heat, frost and damage from wildlife. Fully ripe tomatoes should be firm, richly colored for their variety, and easy to detach or cut from the plant.

A daily garden walk can prevent missed harvests

The practical lesson for gardeners is to begin checking before the produce appears completely ripe. Many crops have a narrow quality window, and the largest fruit is rarely the best fruit. Young beans, okra, cucumbers, and summer squash are usually more tender than oversized specimens, while fully mature winter squash, sweet potatoes, and storage potatoes need additional time before digging.

Use the seed packet’s expected size and maturity period as a starting point, then rely on several physical indicators rather than one. Color should be considered together with firmness, aroma, stem condition, husk development, or rind hardness. A brief morning inspection during peak season can prevent overripe produce, encourage plants to keep flowering, and deliver the texture and flavor that make home gardening worthwhile.

About the Author: This article was prepared by the National Garden Bureau, a nonprofit organization that serves as the marketing and educational arm of the gardening industry. It works to inspire and inform consumers about gardening by promoting the use of seeds, plants, and related products in homes, gardens, and workplaces. NGB draws on expertise from its member companies and horticultural professionals to provide reliable, industry-backed information.

Syngenta and Israeli bioagriculture company Groundwork BioAg announced a strategic partnership on July 14 to commercialize Groundwork’s Rootella mycorrhizal inoculant technology under Syngenta’s label, pairing biological crop performance with a soil carbon credit program for farmers.

Under the agreement, Syngenta will distribute mycorrhizal biologicals across corn, soybean, cereal and sunflower markets in Latin America and Europe, with plans to expand into additional regions. Groundwork BioAg will handle manufacturing, supply, digital tools and the full carbon program development. Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with crop root systems, improving nutrient and water uptake while supporting long-term soil health. The Rootella Carbon program has already been deployed across more than 280,000 hectares globally.

The partnership gives farmers a dual value proposition: enhanced crop yields through better nutrient absorption and a new income stream from carbon credits generated by increased soil carbon storage. Petra Laux, Syngenta’s chief sustainability officer, said the model builds farm resilience while accumulating carbon stocks. Groundwork BioAg CEO Alon Werber said the deal provides commercial validation and positions mycorrhizal fungi as both an agronomic input and a pathway for agricultural climate mitigation.

Source: Syngenta

Indian agtech company Cropin launched OrbitAI on July 15, describing it as the first agentic AI agriculture platform built for autonomous decision-making across the food value chain. The platform was developed on Google Cloud’s infrastructure using Gemini models, the Agent Development Kit, BigQuery and WeatherNext.

OrbitAI is trained on Cropin’s proprietary agricultural datasets collected over 15 years, covering operations in 103 countries, more than 400 crops and over 10,000 varieties across more than one billion acres of farmland. The platform deploys a network of specialized AI agents that deliver region-specific, natural-language recommendations to users ranging from sourcing managers and commodity traders to smallholder farmers and sustainability officers.

The company is also offering OrbitAI as an open Model Context Protocol server, allowing integration with other AI systems including GPT, Claude, Llama and Mistral. That interoperability could make Cropin’s agricultural intelligence accessible as a native tool call within enterprise AI workflows. Cropin founder Krishna Kumar said OrbitAI pairs Google Cloud’s infrastructure with proprietary predictive models to forecast outcomes before they happen, keeping the complexity behind the scenes.

India has approved a new investment policy intended to add 10 million metric tons of annual urea production capacity through eight to nine gas-based plants, as the country moves to reduce its dependence on imported nitrogen fertilizer. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026, known as NIPU-2026, on July 15. Each proposed facility is expected to have a capacity of about 1.27 million metric tons per year.

The policy establishes a return-on-equity range of 12% to 16% and separates fixed and variable costs to improve transparency. It also seeks to limit foreign-exchange risk by converting fixed costs into rupees at prevailing exchange rates after 4 years. The government estimates that these changes could save more than 2.5 billion rupees, or about $29 million, for each plant compared with the previous 2012 investment framework. Public-sector companies, private investors and cooperatives are expected to be eligible to develop projects under the policy.

India has 33 operating urea plants with a combined installed or reassessed capacity of about 26.94 million metric tons. Domestic production is close to 30 million metric tons, while annual consumption is approaching 40 million metric tons, leaving the balance to be covered by imports. The planned capacity expansion is intended to close that gap and strengthen fertilizer supply security following geopolitical and energy-market disruptions that raised import costs and exposed the country’s reliance on overseas urea and liquefied natural gas.

Source: Business Standard

Pampa Energía has approved construction of a $2.7 billion urea fertilizer complex at its Bahía Blanca industrial site in Buenos Aires Province, making it the largest urea plant in Latin America with a combined capacity of 6,000 metric tons per day, or 2.1 million metric tons per year.

MAIRE subsidiary Tecnimont will handle engineering, procurement, commissioning and start-up under a contract valued at approximately €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion). Nextchem, also part of the MAIRE group, will provide Stamicarbon’s urea melt and granulation technology, while KBR will supply its Purifier ammonia process for a single-train ammonia unit rated at 3,430 metric tons per day — the largest single-train ammonia plant in the region. The Argentine contractor SACDE will manage construction, with completion expected in 41 months.

The Argentina urea plant will sit adjacent to Pampa’s existing power generation assets, with direct access to gas pipelines feeding Vaca Muerta shale output, high-voltage transmission, water intake and a deep-water export port. Argentina currently imports most of its urea, and the facility is designed to eliminate that dependence while positioning the country as a regional fertilizer exporter. At peak construction, the project is expected to create more than 3,500 direct jobs.

The investment comes as Latin American countries seek to reduce reliance on Middle Eastern fertilizer shipments disrupted by the Strait of Hormuz crisis earlier this year. Argentina’s shale gas reserves give the project a feedstock cost advantage over imported LNG-based production.

Source: Bloomberg

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U.S. honey bee losses eased in the latest reporting year, but the improvement has done little to resolve concerns about the reliability and cost of pollination for American agriculture.

Beekeepers lost an estimated 39.9% of their managed colonies between April 1, 2025, and April 1, 2026, according to the U.S. Beekeeping Survey. That was down from a record 55.6% the previous year, when losses reached the highest level since national annual tracking began in 2010. The latest rate was also slightly below the 15-year average of 42.3%, although losses varied widely between states, ranging from 12.3% to 82.3%.

The record season caused particularly severe damage to commercial operators. Industry surveys estimated that about 1.6 million colonies were lost between June 2024 and March 2025, with commercial beekeepers reporting average losses of about 62%. The Honey Bee Health Coalition estimated the associated damage at more than USD 600 million, including lost honey and pollination revenue and the cost of rebuilding colonies.

Those figures matter beyond the beekeeping industry. Managed honey bees increase the value of U.S. agricultural production by at least USD 18 billion annually, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Almonds, berries, tree fruits, vegetables, melons, and seed crops are among the agricultural products that depend heavily on commercial pollination services.

Colony numbers can conceal weaker hives

Annual loss rates do not mean the U.S. permanently loses the same share of its total honey bee population. Commercial beekeepers routinely replace dead colonies by dividing surviving hives, installing new queens and purchasing packages or nucleus colonies.

USDA data showed that hundreds of thousands of colonies were added during 2025, helping prevent total colony numbers from falling as sharply as the loss rate might suggest. But newly created colonies may initially be smaller and less productive than the mature hives they replace.

“The public should not look only at the number of hives,” said Bob Gilbert, a board-certified entomologist and staff entomologist at Blue Sky Pest Control. “The better question is whether those hives are strong enough to do the work agriculture needs.”

A replacement colony may lack the adult bee population, brood strength, queen quality and food reserves of a mature hive, Gilbert said. Rebuilding also requires additional labor, feed, queens, disease treatment and time, increasing costs for beekeepers that may ultimately be reflected in pollination fees charged to growers.

“If beekeepers lose colonies and must rebuild at high cost, growers may face fewer strong colonies, higher pollination fees and more uncertainty,” he said.

The distinction is important because crop pollination depends not merely on the presence of a hive but on the number and condition of foraging bees available during a relatively short flowering window. A weak colony delivered to an orchard may carry the same numerical weight in national statistics as a vigorous colony, while providing substantially less pollination capacity.

Varroa mites and viruses lead a stack of pressures

Gilbert described the losses as a “stacked-stress problem,” in which parasites, viruses, insufficient nutrition, pesticide exposure, transportation and extreme weather interact rather than operate independently.

Varroa destructor mites remain one of the most serious threats. The parasites feed on honey bees and transmit viruses that can spread rapidly within colonies.

USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists examining the 2025 collapses found unusually high levels of deformed wing virus and acute bee paralysis virus. Researchers also detected signs of resistance to amitraz, a widely used mite-control chemical, in virtually all of the Varroa samples collected from affected colonies.

The finding raised concern that one of the beekeeping industry’s primary tools for controlling mites was becoming less reliable.

Poor forage can further reduce colonies’ capacity to withstand parasites and disease. Honey bees require varied sources of pollen and nectar to raise brood and maintain immune function. Colonies placed in landscapes with limited flowering plants, long gaps between bloom periods or prolonged drought may become nutritionally weakened.

“Healthy landscapes produce healthy bees, and ultimately a more resilient food supply,” said Jennifer Lytle, co-owner of Oregon-based Bee-Licious Honey, which produces honey and works with domestic and international suppliers.

Pesticide exposure can add to the pressure, particularly when applications coincide with flowering periods. Gilbert said pesticides should not be viewed as the sole cause of colony collapse, but exposure can become more damaging when colonies are already weakened by mites, viruses or limited nutrition.

Application timing, drift control, compliance with product labels and communication between growers and beekeepers can therefore affect colony survival. The combined nature of the problem means that no single treatment or farm-management change is likely to reverse the losses.

Managed bees fill a growing pollination gap

The mobility of honey bee colonies has made them indispensable to modern agriculture. Commercial operators can transport thousands of hives into a production region when a crop begins flowering, providing pollination at a scale that cannot always be supplied by local insects.

That model has helped growers maintain yields as populations of wild bees and other pollinators have declined. But relying more heavily on managed honey bees also concentrates agricultural risk in a single species that is itself facing high mortality.

“Managed honeybee hives have become essential to modern agriculture, but that reality comes with tradeoffs,” said Kara Brown, a Maryland beekeeper and founder of Bee Inspired. “They help farmers maintain crop yields and provide reliable pollination. At the same time, they’re often filling a gap left by the decline of hundreds of native pollinator species that once performed these roles naturally.”

Brown said she has observed a visible decline in the diversity of bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects around flowering areas during her more than a decade of beekeeping on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

“When fewer species are doing the work, the entire system becomes more vulnerable,” she said.

Honey bees are effective generalist pollinators, meaning they can collect pollen and nectar from a wide range of plants. Some native species, however, are better suited to particular crops.

Bumblebees and certain solitary bees, for example, can perform buzz pollination, in which vibrations release pollen held tightly inside a flower. The behavior can improve pollination in crops, including tomatoes and blueberries, and is not performed in the same way by honey bees.

“Honey bees are livestock. Native bees are wildlife,” Lytle said. “Farmers can bring managed hives into an orchard, but they can’t replace the thousands of native pollinator species that help keep ecosystems healthy.”

Pollination costs could rise before food supplies fall

The immediate agricultural effect of high colony mortality is more likely to appear through higher operating costs and uneven pollination quality than through an abrupt national food shortage.

Commercial beekeepers can rebuild operations, move colonies between regions and adjust stocking rates. Growers can also rent more hives where available. Those responses make the pollination system flexible, but they require money and labor.

Repeated losses raise expenses for mite treatments, supplemental feed, replacement queens, equipment and transportation. They may also reduce honey production because beekeepers must devote colony resources to rebuilding rather than harvesting surplus honey.

For farmers, the consequences could include higher hive-rental rates, tighter availability during peak bloom periods and greater competition for strong colonies. Crops that require concentrated pollination over a short period would be particularly exposed.

Over time, less effective pollination can affect fruit set, size, uniformity and marketable quality, even when total production does not collapse. That creates the potential for higher costs throughout the supply chain and greater price volatility for consumers.

Honey imports mask pressure on domestic production

The ecological strains facing bees are also visible in the U.S. honey market.

U.S. honey production totaled 134 million pounds in 2024, down 4% from the previous year, despite a 3% increase in the number of colonies producing honey. Average yield fell 6% to 51.7 pounds per colony.

Longer-term data show a widening gap between domestic production and consumption. U.S. honey output has fallen by roughly half since 1987, while domestic utilization has continued to rise, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service.

Imports supplied 78% of the U.S. honey market in 2025, with India, Argentina, Brazil and Vietnam among the leading origins. Another USDA measure, based on total use supply, put the import share at 82%. The difference reflects the agencies’ use of different supply calculations, but both measures show that the U.S. market depends heavily on foreign honey.

Brown said growing attention to tariffs and supply chains had encouraged consumers to ask more questions about honey origin, production practices and sourcing transparency.

Lytle said weather, forage availability and environmental conditions affect both the amount of honey available and the financial position of beekeepers. Because Bee-Licious Honey works with U.S. and international suppliers, it sees how production problems in one region can influence sourcing decisions elsewhere.

Imports can keep retail shelves supplied when domestic output falls, but they do not replace the pollination services provided by colonies operating within the U.S. agricultural system. Honey availability and agricultural pollination are connected economically, yet they are not interchangeable.

Farms need diversity as well as more hives

Experts said strengthening the pollination system will require actions beyond simply replacing lost honeybee colonies.

For managed hives, priorities include monitoring Varroa populations, rotating or combining control methods, improving disease surveillance, supporting queen health and providing adequate nutrition before and after major pollination events.

At the farm and landscape level, habitat measures can provide food and nesting areas for both managed and wild pollinators. These can include flowering field margins, hedgerows, cover crops, reduced mowing, preservation of natural areas and planting species that bloom at different points in the season.

Pesticide risk can be reduced by avoiding applications when bees are actively foraging, limiting drift and notifying beekeepers before treatments. Growers may also benefit from integrating pollinator considerations into pest-management decisions rather than treating bee protection as a separate conservation measure.

“For long-term food security, we need to think beyond simply increasing hive numbers,” Brown said. “Managed honeybees play an important role, but I see them as part of the solution rather than the entire solution.”

The latest decline in annual losses offers some relief after the record 2024-2025 season. However, a loss rate of nearly 40% still requires beekeepers to replace a large portion of their operations each year.

The ability to rebuild has so far kept commercial pollination functioning. The growing concern is whether that recovery process can remain economically viable as mites become harder to control, forage becomes less reliable and agriculture depends increasingly on managed hives to replace ecological functions once supplied by a broader range of pollinators.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to seek artificial intelligence solutions that could help plant scientists analyze the agency’s extensive germplasm data and shorten the development cycle for more productive and resilient crop varieties.

USDA expects to launch an Agricultural National Science and Technology Challenge later in 2026 through the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority and the federal Genesis Mission. Participating teams will be asked to build tools capable of integrating multiple data types, including crop images, field observations and laboratory results, to identify important plant and seed characteristics more quickly. The department has not yet disclosed funding, eligibility requirements or an application schedule.

The challenge will give selected teams access to the American Science and Security Platform, a Department of Energy-led infrastructure network connecting high-performance computing systems, scientific facilities, datasets and AI tools. The platform is a central component of the Genesis Mission, launched by executive order in November 2025 to accelerate scientific research through collaboration among federal laboratories, universities and private companies.

Topsoe has signed an agreement with Nebraska-based J Westling to deploy its SynCOR Ammonia autothermal reforming technology at a planned blue ammonia fertilizer plant in Gothenburg, Nebraska — the first time the technology has been used specifically for low-carbon fertilizer production.

The blue ammonia Nebraska facility is designed to produce approximately 500 short tons per day using natural gas as feedstock, with operations expected to begin by 2029. The plant will serve Midwest farmers, eliminating $100–120 per ton in transportation costs currently incurred to ship ammonia from the Gulf Coast. J Westling founder Joshua Westling said the project will deliver reliable, high-quality fertilizer closer to the farmers who depend on it while creating jobs in rural Nebraska.

The announcement reflects growing investor interest in localized, low-carbon fertilizer production as a hedge against the supply chain disruptions exposed by the Strait of Hormuz crisis. According to BloombergNEF, clean ammonia — including both blue and green varieties — could account for roughly 13% of global ammonia supply by 2030. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act production tax credits further improve the economics for blue ammonia projects that capture and sequester CO₂ from the production process.

Source: Topsoe

A new analysis from the World Trade Organization shows that the Strait of Hormuz fertilizer trade disruption triggered by the February 2026 Persian Gulf conflict is easing, with urea prices nearly returning to pre-war levels even as phosphate markets remain elevated.

According to the WTO data blog published July 10, urea prices surged from about $400 per metric ton before the conflict to over $850 per metric ton in April 2026 before falling back to roughly $453 per metric ton in June — close to the pre-conflict baseline. DAP prices also rose sharply, climbing from approximately $580 to about $770 per metric ton, and have been slower to retreat. The recovery reflects the partial resumption of shipping through the strait and the entry of alternative supply from China, which reopened urea exports in June with a $660 per metric ton price floor.

The WTO analysis confirmed that outbound fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz effectively halted once the conflict began, cutting off a corridor that normally handles roughly one-third of global seaborne fertilizer trade, including 34% of urea, 23% of ammonia and nearly 20% of phosphate exports. Several African and Asian economies remain particularly vulnerable to resulting shortages and price increases, the organization said.

Source: World Trade Organization

What to know about the Strait of Hormuz fertilizer trade disruption

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will guarantee $80 million in loans for two timber-processing projects in Oregon and Nevada as part of a broader effort to increase domestic lumber production and strengthen forest management. The financing will be provided through the USDA’s Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program and Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program.

Tahoe Forest Products will receive $50 million in guaranteed financing to expand its Nevada operations, including the installation of kilns, a planer mill and a new saw line. The project will allow the company to process timber sourced from Nevada and California into finished products for retailers and large construction customers, while adding 60 million board feet of premium lumber production capacity. Clatskanie Scion will receive $30 million to build a new sawmill and install equipment for Myers Woodline in Oregon. The project is expected to create at least 35 jobs and expand production of industrial lumber products.

The timber loan program is jointly administered by USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Forest Service and supports the establishment, reopening and expansion of sawmills and other wood-processing facilities. USDA said the investments can also support forest thinning and the removal of combustible material that increases wildfire risks. The department has invested $165.2 million through the program across 10 states since its launch. Additional information about USDA investments is available through the Rural Data Gateway.