Did you miss some agricultural news this week? Don’t worry. Here’s a recap of the top headlines in agriculture from around the country.

Biden visits Illinois farm

On the backdrop of a northern Illinois farmstead, President Biden announced that he’s doubling USDA’s initial $250 million grant program to boost domestic fertilizer production to $500 million. The administration has also announced plans to offer more technical help for precision ag and other nutrient management tools. – Farm Progress

USDA lowers projected corn yield

The agency’s May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report released Thursday surprised markets by simply recycling the 2021 corn yield of 177.0 bushels per acre for the 2022 yield estimate. Data also showed a smaller than expected U.S. wheat crop for 2022 and higher than expected 2022/23 U.S. wheat usage. – Farm Futures

How to scout for common foliar diseases

Crops are starting to emerge across the country, and it’s not too early to start thinking ahead. Now is the time to brush up on your ID skills. Need a refresher on signs of gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, southern rust and tar spot? Here are some visuals and details to help guide your scouting efforts. – Prairie Farmer

Disaster payments coming in June

Vilsack says USDA plans to issue disaster payments to crop producers starting in June under the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program-Plus (WHIP+) for those who suffered losses from disasters in 2020 and 2021. The agency is working on simplifying the application to expedite the process for farmers. – Farm Progress

AGCO hit by ransomware attack

U.S. agricultural equipment maker AGCO said a ransomware attack was affecting operations at some of its production facilities, and dealers said tractor sales had been stalled. AGCO did not disclose the names of the facilities or if any data was stolen, but said it was working to repair the systems. – Reuters

Brace for more La Nina conditions

Forecasters see a growing chance that La Nina could return for its third winter, which would be only the third time that has happened since 1950. Three-peats occurred between 1973 and 1976 and from 1998 to 2001, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. – Bloomberg

Cargill expands regenerative agriculture program

Cargill RegenConnect, a market-based regenerative agriculture program, is expanding to 15 states across the greater Midwest region for the 2022-23 crop season. Cargill has expanded grower eligibility to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Enrollment opens this month. – Cargill