K-State in the news

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Read some of today's top stories mentioning Kansas State University. Download an Excel file (xlsx) with all of the day's news stories.

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Monday, June 22, 2026

National/International

How Far Could New World Screwworm Spread This Summer?
6/19/2026 AG WEB
As social media fills with maps and predictions about how far New World screwworm might spread this summer, many livestock producers are asking the same question: When will it get to me. According to Cassandra Olds, Kansas State University Extension entomologist, that's the wrong place to start. "I think everybody's kind of bracing thinking when will it get to me, and that can be difficult to know for sure," she says. She argues producers should focus on understanding how the pest moves and what management steps can slow it down or keep it out of their herds in the first place.

Foraging solutions found in foreign fields
6/20/2026 WORLD-GRAIN
Even though Romulo Lollato had traveled more than 9,000 miles and 30 hours away, he ended up in a climate and wheat-producing region that looked almost exactly like the one he had just left in Kansas. But that was kind of the point of Lollato's sabbatical — a six-month jaunt to Adelaide, Australia — to learn from the country's agriculture industry, meeting with experts and colleagues and touring agricultural operations in the land down under.

State/Regional

Will costs drop in Kansas as U.S. and Iran enter peace agreement?
6/18/2026 KSNT
The average price for gas skyrocketed during the conflict. Before Trump struck Iran, gas in the Sunflower State averaged about $2.50 per gallon. That average got up as high as $4.10 per gallon in May. It now sits at about $3.70 per gallon. So, could this peace agreement drive costs down even more? "The good news is that, yeah we can probably expect gas prices to continue to go down," said Dr. Lance Bachmeier, a professor of Economics at Kansas State University. "That's certainly something to celebrate."

Study: Post-wheat cover crops offer grazing potential
6/21/2026 Hutch Post
Most High Plains wheat fields sit idle until the next planting season, but research from a multistate collaboration suggests those acres could offer valuable livestock grazing opportunities — if producers are willing to navigate the region’s volatile weather and limited moisture. "Disrupting good wheat stubble always deserves careful consideration, but when the moisture outlook is favorable, it can do more than sit idle; it can support livestock and protect the soil with the addition of cover crops," said Sandy Johnson, K-State Extension beef specialist and contributor to "Cover Crops Grown Post-Wheat for Forages Under Dryland Conditions in the High Plains."