Recent rains, and the prospect for more precipitation in the coming days, is a godsend for crops. While some hard downpours were observed, much of the rain fell at a rate that allowed it to soak into soils that had received little moisture in weeks. This rain, coming after weeks of drought, arrived just as corn is starting to tassel, a critical point in the development of the crop, Smith said. The rain also helps the soybean crop. Young plants received critical moisture needed for growth,...

The board will reconsider its earlier decision affecting Joy of Soy, a business some neighbors worried would create a bad smell in their neighborhoods if it opened. Board members had voted, 3-2, to allow Joy of Soy to open if the owners limit soy processing to a 200-square-foot area and not use external venting. The Clive Board of Adjustment has scheduled a special meeting at 6:30 tonight to discuss the fate of a tofu-producing restaurant and grocery store. The council took the unusual...

Andrew s presented the church with a check for $5,500 on Sunday, which provided seed money for a crop that could triple their donation, if the crop does well. FRB is a coalition of 16 Christian denominations that works to solve world hunger by supplying those in need with sustainable agricultural solutions, according to its Web site, www.foodresourcebank.org. The soybean crop hasn t been planted yet. Farmers in the Hartsburg and Ashland region will plant about 65 acres with soybeans this...

Paul Another week of above normal temperatures last week helped the rapid maturation of small grain crops, according to the weekly crop report from the Minnesota field office of the U. Along other crops, spring wheat acreage was 93 percent jointed, with 46 percent headed, compared to the average of 72 percent jointed and 31 percent headed. The condition of most crops fell slightly from a week ago, although nearly all the areas of the state received some rain during the week. Like corn, 77...

Substituting a half-cup of soy nuts -- baked soybeans -- for other types of protein in a healthy diet may help lower a postmenopausal woman's blood pressure, a small study has found. Those with normal blood pressure also benefited from the soy diet, reducing systolic and diastolic readings by 5.2 percent and 2.9 percent respectively. For four weeks, 60 women, average age 53, followed a low-cholesterol diet that provided 30 percent energy from fat, 15 percent from protein and 55 percent...

The disease causes plants to defoliate prematurely, and it also affects the number of seeds in each soybean pod, leading to lower yield and early plant death. Some varieties of soybean have been developed to be partially resistant to the disease, and it can be managed somewhat with fungicides. Department of Agriculture recommends wearing disposable clothes for fungicide spraying if rust is detected in a field because rust spores can cling to clothing. Department of Agriculture also...