In 2014, there were 270 million metric tons of sugar beets produced worldwide according to FAOSTAT. From sugar beet pulp used for livestock feed to table sugar used for human consumption, sugar beets are an extremely important crop.  

Over 65% of potato production is for human consumption according to the International Potato Center. Potatoes are also the world’s fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat, and rice.

Soybeans are the leading oilseed crop produced globally. Like other legumes, soybeans are valued for their high protein content, with about 35 to 40 percent of their calories from protein. Because of this high protein content, soybeans are extremely important in the animal feed industry.

If you grow soybeans, you know how important it is to know what the water requirements of the plant are. At each growth stage of a soybean plant, different water requirements will be needed for optimal growth and yields.

Corn is one of the most important crops grown around the world. Although you may not realize it, corn is used in the things you use every day. From the corn meal used in items such as bagels and breads, to the sorbitol used in some toothpastes, corn is a very common ingredient. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, there were 1.04 billion metric tons of corn produced worldwide in 2014.

If you grow corn, you know how important it is to know what the water requirements of the plant are. At each growth stage of a corn plant, different water requirements will be needed for optimal growth and yields.

A new competition is being played in fields across Nebraska where growers take on University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists and students to see who can out-farm the other. This competition is called Testing Ag Performance Solutions, or TAPS. 

If the agriculture industry could be described in one word, the most fitting word would be innovation. The ag industry is constantly discovering new ways to produce a safe and abundant food supply for an increasing population.