CHAMPAIGN — A University of Illinois professor says the ethanol boom is over, but farmers may soon enjoy the benefits of a boom in biodiesel.

Scott Irwin, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics, said the U.S. will likely need to boost production of biodiesel sharply in order to meet Environmental Protection Agency mandates.

CHAMPAIGN— The Andersons Inc. announced on Monday it has completed the purchase of most of the grain and agronomy assets of Green Plains Grain Co.

The Andersons, based in Maumee, Ohio, already has grain terminals in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Nebraska. Locally, it has grain handling and storage facilities in Champaign and Mansfield.

URBANA — Soybean prices have declined the last two months, and prices could go either way in coming months, University of Illinois agricultural economist Darrel Good said.

Soybean prices reached a peak on Sept. 4, when November futures traded for $17.89 a bushel, Good said in a UI press release. The price has since declined to the $15-a-bushel range.

URBANA — The cows here are eating the stuff that's used in beer-making. But don't expect your child to be growing a taste for Budweiser.

Byproducts from Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis just come a lot cheaper than corn at its high post-drought prices. The University of Illinois is also working with cotton byproducts in its dairy farms south of Urbana.