Southwest Research and Outreach Center's Winter Crops & Soils Day to be Held at Three Locations

The Southwest Research & Outreach Center (SWROC) will host Winter Crops and Soils Day Tuesday, February 3 in Luverne and Wednesday, February 4 in both Lamberton and Granite Falls. Winter Crops and Soils Day is a public event highlighting current University of Minnesota research that is specific to southwestern Minnesota.  Leading experts from the University will be on hand to present information and answer questions.

Register for the March 6 Nitrogen Conference

Fabián Fernandez, Extension Nutrient Management Specialist

Registration is open for Nitrogen: Minnesota's Grand Challenge and Compelling Opportunity. The conference will be Friday, March 6, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Kelly Inn of St. Cloud, MN.

The event is free of charge, but registration is required by February 27, 2015. For more information and to register, visit http://z.umn.edu/Nconference.

The conference is focused on nitrogen management for crop producers and ag professionals. Nitrogen is essential for crop production, but many factors influence the efficient use of this nutrient in agricultural systems. Managing this nutrient effectively in Minnesota is important for financial and environmental benefits.

Topics range from nitrogen markets and climate trends to accounting for nitrogen credits and in-season nitrogen management. Seven continuing education credits (CEUs) will be available. The full agenda is available at http://z.umn.edu/Nconference.

This event is collaboration between University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

From Data to Decisions: University of Minnesota Production Agriculture Symposium

Jared Goplen and Bryan Runck, Research Assistants, University of Minnesota

Agricultural producers, crop consultants, and other ag professionals are invited to the University of Minnesota where precision agriculture thought leaders will discuss the most up-to-date technologies and management strategies. The 2nd Annual University of Minnesota Production Agriculture Symposium will be held at the Northstar Ballroom at the St. Paul Student Center on February 10th, 2015 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Registration is free and open to everyone; a lunch will be provided.

2015 Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative Production Seminar

The 2015 Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative Production Seminar is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, 2015 from 8:30 to 2:30 at the Willmar Holiday Inn Conference Center. Certified Crop Advisor CEUs have been applied for. List of presenters and topics follows:

Time	Presenter	Topic
8:30 – 9:00	Registration	Coffee and rolls
9:00 – 9:15	Todd Gesilus	Welcome
9:15 – 10:00	John Lamb, Univ of Minnesota	Soil Fertility in Sugarbeets; a 30 Year Adventure
10:00 – 10:30	Larry Gunderson, MN Department of Agriculture	MN Department of Agriculture Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan
10:30 – 10:45	Break
10:45 – 11:15	Mark Bloomquist, SMBSC	Mark Bloomquist:  Beet Detective
11:15 – 12:00	Tom Peters, North Dakota State Univ and Univ of Minnesota	Weed Control in Sugarbeet; Cover Crops and Rotational Crops
12:00 – 12:45	Lunch
12:45 – 1:15	Jim Radermacher, SMBSC	CLS /Herbicide Update
1:15 – 2:00	Jason Brantner and Ashock Chanda, Univ of Minnesota, UM Crookston	Moderating Soil Environment to Manage Soil Borne Diseases in Sugarbeet and other Crops
2:00 – 2:30	David Kee, SMBSC	SMBSC Nitrogen Management Program and Research Update
2:30 – 2:35	Todd Geselius	Adjourn

High resolution elevation data now available through DNR

Les Everett, Agronomist, Water Resources Center

Agricultural professionals and producers, with or without GIS software, now have access at no cost to the Minnesota high resolution elevation data collected with LiDAR laser scanning. The Minnesota DNR released MnTOPO in 2014, a web application for viewing, printing and downloading the data. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/mntopo/index.html

From a computer or mobile device you can view contour lines at two, ten, or fifty foot elevation intervals projected over one of four basemaps. They include roads, aerial images, colored terrain, and black and white terrain images. The user can also obtain an elevation profile for a line drawn on the map. MnTOPO navigation is similar to that of Google Earth, allowing zooming and panning to locate a desired area or point, and has a location search capability. The contour lines appear at increasingly higher resolution (decreasing intervals) when zooming in on an area, and each contour resolution can be turned on or off by the user. Maps can be created, saved and printed.

Soybean aphid management webcasts to help prepare you for 2015

by Robert Koch, Extension Entomologist

While soybean aphids are waiting out the winter as eggs on buckthorn, you can prepare yourself to manage these pests in 2015 by watching a series of webcasts. This series of three educational webcasts focused on soybean aphid management are available on the Plant Management Network's “Focus on Soybean” webpage. The webcasts are the result of a multi-state, multi-year research and outreach effort. They provide updates on the latest research related to aphid-resistant soybean, neonicotinoid seed treatments on soybean, and biological control of soybean aphid.

2015 Forages for “U” Workshops: Forage Production Topics for Today’s Producers

The University of Minnesota Forage Team will host three winter workshops during the month of February. They will take place in Hutchinson, MN (10 – 2:30 PM) and Fergus Falls, MN (5 – 9 PM) on Tuesday, Feb. 10^th, and in Rushford, MN (10 – 2:30 PM) on Friday, Feb. 20^th. The winter workshops were selected in areas that represent significant forage production and grazing acres. The UMN Forage Team Regional Experts have worked diligently to produce programs that deliver high-quality research-based education to forage producers, grazers, crop consultants, industry representatives, and the general public on the importance of forage production systems, both from an economic and environmental perspective.

The Forage for “U” Workshops are open to all interested in learning about forage production systems. Our goal is to ensure that your questions are answered. With the lineup of regional, local and statewide experts, there will be educational opportunities for all. For more information please visit our registration website. z.umn.edu/foragesforu