Jason Jenkins

DTN Crops Editor

DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins began his journalism career full time in 2000. While his repertoire of communications tools has evolved and expanded through the years, one passion has remained constant: telling stories that connect with an audience.

Jenkins grew up on a small family farm in northwest Illinois. He attended the University of Missouri where he earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural journalism. Prior to joining the DTN team, Jenkins and his wife, Allison, founded Mill Creek Communications Services, a custom multimedia content business, in 2016. Jenkins also previously served as managing editor of Rural Missouri magazine as well as an information specialist for University of Missouri Extension. Jenkins and his family reside on a farm in Missouri's Callaway County.

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  • In north-central Missouri, Kyle Samp began harvesting corn during the third week of September, a task that continued the last Friday of the month. (Photo courtesy of Kyle Samp)

    DTN Harvest Roundup

    While combines remain idle for some members of the DTN Farmer Advisory Group, the 2023 harvest season is underway for others. Many in the group have already begun to plan for 2024 while they...

  • Nika Linn, a seed analyst at the National Library for Genetic Resources Preservation, analyzes a sorghum sprout while testing a batch of stored seeds for viability. (DTN/Progressive Farmer photo by Joel Reichenberger)

    Seed Solutions - 1

    The USDA safeguards arguably the largest and most diverse collection of agriculturally relevant plant germplasm in the world in Fort Collins, Colorado, to ensure genetic diversity is maintained to combat future threats.

  • Unlocking secrets hidden within crop genomes has advanced abilities to produce crops with greater tolerance to environmental stresses and stronger resistance to pests and diseases. (Photo provided by the University of Georgia)

    Editors' Notebook

    'Magic beans' such as those of fairy tales might not exist, but modern seeds certainly do possess their own superpowers.

  • The EPA's Draft Herbicide Strategy Framework outlines how the agency intends to provide protection for threatened and endangered species while ensuring herbicide access to users. (DTN photo illustration by Nick Scalise)

    EPA Proposes New Ag Herbicide Rules

    After years of lawsuits and uncertainty, the EPA has proposed a path forward for herbicides and endangered species. But can U.S. farmers afford it?

  • A Benson Hill plant scientist analyzes high-throughput soybean cell culture imagery. (Courtesy of Benson Hill)

    Technological Advancements Deliver Improved Crops to Farmers

    New technologies speed delivery of crop improvement.

  • Millions of seeds are kept at minus 18 degrees C in a freezer the size of a basketball court at the USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Joel Reichenberger)

    A Bank-Like Vault for Plant Materials

    National system safeguards crop genetic diversity.

  • (darul ulum, Getty Images)

    We'd Like To Mention

    "Magic beans" such as those of fairy tales might not exist, but modern seeds certainly do possess their own superpowers.

  • Preventing the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds will require farmers to change their mindset, according to the results of a recent survey of certified crop advisers. (DTN photo by Pamela Smith)

    Resistant Weeds Concern Crop Advisers

    A recent survey of certified crop advisers has found that many barriers prevent the effective management of herbicide resistance in weeds. Chief among them is farmers knowing who to trust on the issue.

  • Lucas Olavio with Olam Agri in Sao Paulo, Brazil, examines a wheat field south of Grand Forks, North Dakota, during the final day of the Wheat Quality Council's Spring Wheat and Durum Tour. (DTN photo by Jason Jenkins)

    Spring Wheat Tour Final Results

    Wheat Quality Council's Spring Wheat and Durum Tour total weighted average yield for spring wheat was estimated at 47.4 bushels per acre (bpa), while durum finished at an estimated 43.9 bpa.

  • Mark Olson, a wheat grower who farms near Enderlin, North Dakota, visits with Anne Osborne of the National Wheat Foundation as she begins taking a yield estimate during Day 1 of the Wheat Quality Council's Spring Wheat and Durum Tour. (DTN photo by Jason Jenkins)

    Spring Wheat Shows Yield Variability

    Scouts participating in the 2023 Spring Wheat and Durum Tour rolled through southeast and south-central North Dakota on Tuesday, July 25, estimating an average yield of 48.1 bushels per acre from 130 observed fields.

  • Beginning in September, discolored soybeans like these will no longer be a factor in determining a U.S. No. 1 yellow soybean. (Photo by Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota)

    Color Out as Soybean Grading Factor

    Beginning in September, only damaged kernels, foreign material and splits will be used to grade U.S. yellow soybeans, as USDA has removed soybeans of other colors (SBOC) as a grade-determining factor.