Minnesota Crop News

In this week’s Minnesota CropCast, hosts Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve sit down with University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist, Dr. Jeff Coulter. Together, they review the 2025 Minnesota corn crop and discuss how this year’s unique challenges should inform producer decisions for 2026. The 2025 season was distinct: it began with a very short and early start with a long stretch of moderate weather, only to be interrupted by a cool August and significant late-season drought in West Central Minnesota. The group breaks down how these environmental swings impacted corn yields and analyzes the unusual disease pressure faced by growers—specifically the heavy hit of Southern Rust in addition to routine corn diseases. Looking ahead, Dr. Coulter explores the trait landscape for 2026, including insect and disease resistance packages and the rising interest in "short stature" corn hybrids. Join us today for a full breakdown on Minnesota CropCast. Listen to the podcast What is Minnes...

The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) have published the 2025 Minnesota Field Crop Variety Trials. Visit varietytrials.umn.edu to see variety trials for 7 different Minnesota crops. Crops included in this year’s trial include barley , canola , oat , soybean , spring wheat , winter rye , and winter wheat . Crops were trialed at several CFANS Research and Outreach Centers and in cooperating farmers’ fields across the state. About the Crop Variety Trials When farmers are ready to make seed choices, the University of Minnesota field crop trials offer unbiased and trustworthy information. The annual Field Crop Variety Trials bring valuable research into the hands of farmers to help improve farm profitability, the economy and overall quality of life in Minnesota.

Today on the Nutrient Management Podcast we're turning our attention to micronutrients. What does current research tell us about micronutrients - for corn specifically - that growers need to consider? Boron is another important micronutrient in Minnesota. What should farmers be aware of regarding boron? Is tissue sampling the answer to help predict where some of these micronutrients are needed? What are other important micronutrient takeaways? All this and much more on today's episode. Read the full transcript Guests & Contact Info: Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) - email: dekaiser@umn.edu Carl Rosen, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) - email: rosen006@umn.edu Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca) - email: jvetsch@umn.edu Additional Resources: Micro- and secondary macronutrients Understanding plant analysis for crops Zinc for crop production Are you overspending on fertilizer? Is boron deficiency a problem for crops in...

Liz Stahl, Extension educator-crops and Phyllis Bongard, Educational content development and communications specialist Photo: Liz Stahl Pull up a chair and join in or bring the conversation with you as you go about your day. Whatever works best for you, join us this winter to discuss some of the key issues and questions around commodity crop production facing Minnesota farmers today through the Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops  webinar series.  This live, online program will provide up-to-date, research-based information to help optimize your crop management strategies for 2026. Sessions will be held over Zoom, which can be accessed via your computer, phone, or other mobile device, and will run from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Wednesdays from January 7 through March 25, 2026. Sessions will be very informal and open to all interested. Each session will start with a brief presentation by the discussion leaders for the day, followed by discussion framed around farmer/participant questi...

By: MaryGrace Erickson, Postdoctoral associate (University of Minnesota); Melissa Wilson, Extension manure management specialist (University of Minnesota); Erin Cortus, Extension engineer (University of Minnesota); Amy Schmidt, Animal manure management extension specialist (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) Graphical summary Key points We surveyed farmers and advisors on their perceptions about manure use as fertilizer in cropping systems Respondents generally recognized manure benefits to crop nutrition, yields, and soil properties The most-frequently selected barriers included transportation costs, odors and air quality, and timeliness of manure application What we did  Manure is a critical link that enables nutrient recycling between crop and animal production. Despite its availability and benefits, using manure as fertilizer can pose practical challenges. Through a partnership between University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Iowa State University, and University of Minnesota, we investiga...

In this week's CropCast, hosts Seth and Dave sit down with University of Minnesota Agriculture Business Management Educator Nathan Hulinsky to discuss one of the largest input costs for crop farmers: land costs. Nathan provides current examples of typical cash rent and land costs in Minnesota and gives an overview of Extension Farmland Rental workshops scheduled for 2025 and 2026. These workshops cover local historic and projected farmland rental rate trends, current farmland values and sales, and include a worksheet Nathan utilizes to help participants create a fair rental agreement. Landlords, farmers, and agri-business professionals should plan to attend one of these informative meetings being held across Minnesota and online.  To see a list of workshop locations and times, Farmland Rental Workshops . Listen to the podcast What is Minnesota CropCast? Hosts David Nicolai and Seth Naeve discuss the progress and challenges of Minnesota's agronomic crops in this new podcast. The...