By Brian Wallheimer, for Purdue University
Higher food prices, a significant boost in greenhouse gas emissions due to land use change and major loss of forest and pasture land would be some results if genetically modified organisms in the United States were banned, according to a Purdue University study.
Wally Tyner, professor of agricultural economics; Farzad Taheripour, a research associate professor of agricultural economics; and Harry Mahaffey, an agricultural economics graduate student—all from Purdue University— wanted to know the significance of crop yield loss if genetically modified crops were banned from U.S. farm fields, as well as how that decision would trickle down to other parts of the economy. Read more
Aerial Agriculture LLC, a startup company launched by Purdue University students, aims to revolutionize the agricultural industry by building drones in-house to capture multispectral images of entire crop fields. This technology could allow farmers to reduce excess fertilizer and input costs while simultaneously increasing yields.
The biggest challenge small and start-up produce farmers often have is maintaining the quality of their products. Globally, postharvest losses in agriculture can cost farmers up to 50 percent of their crop due to quality degradation caused by lack of cold storage. 
Soil and nutrient loss and runoff from agricultural fields are major problems environmentally and economically in the U.S. and globally. After heavy spring rains, soil and water runoff containing fertilizer and pesticides is washed downstream, carrying the sediment and chemicals to the Gulf of Mexico. This process creates a large oxygen-starved area which is toxic to aquatic organisms and damages the commercial fishing and tourism industries. 
By Peter Thomison and Steve Culman, Ohio State University
By Bob Hartzler, Professor of Agronomy, Iowa State University
When corn prices increase farmers reap higher yields by making changes. According to a recent University of Illinois study, about one-third of the yield increase derives from more intensive management practices and two-thirds from cropping additional acreage. Agricultural economist Madhu Khanna says the findings dampen the ongoing debate about the food price and land use changes due to corn ethanol. 
An agricultural startup is commercializing a Purdue University innovation that could help farmers improve crop management and yields by better understanding how their soil functions.