Kansas agriculture

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday reported the first human case in the United States of travel-associated New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, from an outbreak-affected country.

Sure, it's hot. But things were a lot worse 151 years ago. Not only was there no air conditioning, but in 1874, Kansas was under attack - from giant swarms of grasshoppers. The swarms were so large they blocked out the sun.

Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap.

Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a plan to prevent the spread of the New World screwworm this week.

The FBI and Department of Justice hailed the arrests and charges as crucial in protecting national security and public safety. Researchers say the fungus is found in wheat and barley crops and is commonly studied.

Scientists in Kansas, Missouri and other states were poised to start research to cut U.S. reliance on fertilizer imports, keep biofuel farming cost-competitive and tackle a potent greenhouse gas.

The spring planting season is getting started for many Midwest farmers. Federal data suggests that fewer acres will be planted in soybeans than last year, in part because of the U.S. trade war with China.

Ninety years this week, Oklahomans were met with a large wall of rolling black dust and sand, a day now known as "Black Sunday."

Harvesters, the food bank that serves the Kansas City area and helps supply food to local pantries and shelters, says that thousands of cases of canned food, eggs, milk and more were called off by President Trump's U.S. Department of Agriculture.