The combined effects of falling ethanol prices, credit woes and volatile costs for the corn from which corn is made is threatening many ethanol producers.

To satisfy the world’s growing demand for food, scientists are trying to create varieties of corn, wheat and other crops that can thrive with little water.

The Agriculture Department reduced its forecast for corn production to 12.1 billion bushels, from its 12.3 billion estimate last month.

A surge in U.S. commodity exports is a relief in an otherwise bleak economy, but it is an unreliable prop for an industrial power.

Commodity exports are surging. That’s a welcome relief, but it won’t help reverse the loss of manufacturing jobs, and it’s an unreliable prop for an industrial power.

After an extremely worrisome start that fanned fears of famine and economic devastation, the nation’s most crucial crop is on track for a bountiful harvest, the government said Tuesday.

After an extremely worrisome start that fanned fears of famine and economic devastation, the nation’s most crucial crop is on track for a bountiful harvest, the government said Tuesday.

The Department of Agriculture raised its estimates of corn production and said that improved weather had helped Midwestern farmers recover from June’s devastating floods.

The agency denied a request to cut the quota for the use of ethanol in cars, concluding that the goal of reducing the nation’s reliance on oil trumps any effect on food prices.

The agency said it would not meet a July 24 deadline for ruling on a request to reduce a federal mandate on how much ethanol must be blended into gasoline this year.