Many Kansas soils require regular lime application for optimum crop production. Summer and fall are the ideal time to apply lime to your fields since it is generally dryer and so the lime piles don’t freeze come the winter season. Having the proper pH in your soil reduces the harmful or even potentially toxic conditions of acid soils which is primarily caused by the application of nitrogen fertilizers. Most of the crops grown in Kansas prefer slightly acidic soil, but once the pH falls below 6.0, nutrient availability becomes hindered and yield reduction starts taking place.

Supply chain disruption is a phrase we’ve all become familiar with over the past few years. While much of the energy and petroleum industry has been moving back toward stability, the lubricants market is once again feeling pressure, this time driven by tightening supply of base oils. Today, the challenge isn’t just price, it’s also availability, planning and navigating a market that is being shaped by supply rather than demand.

As we move into the heart of the growing season across eastern Kansas, corn is rapidly approaching one of the most critical decision points of the year: the fungicide application at tassel. This is an opportunity to protect the investment already in the field while capturing additional yield through a well-planned and executed pass. Research consistently shows that fungicide applications made at VT–R1 provide the greatest likelihood of return on investment, largely because this window aligns fungicide activity with peak disease pressure, maximum plant stress, and the most critical period for protecting grain fill. Applying too early can leave the crop unprotected later in the season, while applying too late often means yield has already been lost.

2026 is shaping up to be a year where every acre matters. Across Kansas, drought stress, inconsistent rainfall, severe storm damage, and a struggling wheat crop are putting pressure on farm profitability. One strategy that continues to prove valuable is double cropping soybeans or grain sorghum after wheat harvest.