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Weed management updates for the 2026 growing season

Eric Yu, UMN Extension Crops Educator, David Nicolai, UMN Extension Crops Educator, Ryan Miller, UMN Extension Crops Educator, Debalin Sarangi, UMN Extension Weed Scientist As the growing season approaches, staying informed about the latest herbicide innovations is essential for effective crop management and maximizing yield. The agricultural landscape continues to evolve, with new products introduced regularly to improve weed control, protect crops, and address herbicide resistance. This article builds on last year’s Minnesota Crop News overview of new herbicides and includes a new section highlighting key updates, such as regulatory changes and label modifications that may impact herbicide use this season. It is important to note that many “new” herbicides are reformulations of existing active ingredients or new premixes. Below are several herbicides to watch in the coming season, including products from AMVAC, BASF, Bayer, Corteva, FMC, and Syngenta. We also recommend referring to ...
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Headland Highlights: Southeast Minnesota Update with Ryan MIller

  Welcome to the inaugural episode of our periodic summer series, "Headland Highlights." These special brief and timely episodes will reside right within our normal MN CropCast feed. For these segments, Dave and Seth will be calling on folks from around the state to get real-time check-ins on the status of local field activities and crops. Today, Seth and Dave are joined by Ryan Miller, who is an Extension Educator based in Rochester and works throughout Southeast Minnesota. We discuss the severe weather that visited the area on the evening of April 13th and get a firsthand update on planting progress in his region. Episode Highlights: Severe Weather Impacts: Ryan confirms news reports of tennis-ball-sized hail and corresponding localized heavy rainfall events. Planting Progress: The region is off to a relatively slow start for row crop production. While most spring cereals were successfully planted during the very late March window, cooler temperatures, rain, and spring win...
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Variable rate irrigation: What to consider before you invest

By: Vasudha Sharma, Extension irrigation specialist With new irrigation cost-share opportunities available in Minnesota, more growers may be considering variable rate irrigation (VRI) this season. Recent funding announced through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is intended to support improved irrigation efficiency, groundwater protection, and better nitrogen management on irrigated farmland across key Minnesota counties. This makes it a good time for growers to think carefully about how VRI can be used effectively in their fields. Variable rate irrigation is not for every field VRI can be a useful tool, but it is not something every irrigated field needs. The biggest advantage comes in fields with clear and repeatable variability, such as differences in soil texture, organic matter, elevation, or drainage. In those situations, applying one uniform irrigation depth across the whole field often means some areas get too much water while others do not get enough. VRI ...
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Tillage economics spring 2026

Anna Cates, Minnesota Soil Health Specialist, Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator, and Mary Nesberg, Extension educator Tandem disk tillage. Photo: Kuhn High input costs and tight margins are forcing Minnesota farmers to take a hard look at every pass across the field, and tillage is one of the first places real savings can be found. In 2025, Minnesota farmers made more money on no-till soybeans than tilled soybeans , and over the past decade, minimal tillage has been the most profitable system for corn . As I write this, diesel is $5.10 in Sleepy Eye and Litchfield, and $5.20 in Wadena. Now is a good time to take a hard look at tillage costs and consider practical ways to reduce expenses this spring. Operation 2025 Machinery cost estimates per acre University of Illinois * Fuel use (gal/ac) Current fuel cost/ac ($/gal diesel) Vertical till (43'6") $16.30 0.5 $2.50 Field cultivator (48...
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2026 UMN Cooperative Black Cutworm and True Armyworm Trapping Network

Dr. Fei Yang – Extension Corn Entomologist, University of Minnesota Department of Entomology, and Bruce Potter – Potter Brothers, LLC and University of Minnesota Extension retired Early (2nd) instar black cutworm and its leaf feeding on 1-leaf corn. Photo: Bruce Potter Again in 2026, the University of Minnesota Black Cutworm and Ture Armyworm Cooperative Trapping Program will track the migration of black cutworm and armyworm moths into Minnesota. This project is funded by Minnesota farm families and their checkoff dollars. University and industry cooperators check their pheromone traps each day. Their trap captures help us determine the timing and relative size of moth arrivals into Minnesota. These data are helpful in identifying the timing and location of moth migrations that might threaten corn and other crops. Trap data and degree-days for larval development are analyzed each week, and updated on https://z.umn.edu/bcw-reporting . What conditions are needed for crop-threatening bl...
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MN CropCast: Navigating Tight Margins through Grain Marketing with Ed Usset

In this timely episode of Minnesota CropCast, hosts Dave and Seth Naeve are joined in the studio by Ed Usset, Grain Marketing Economist with University of Minnesota and Extension. Ed brings his decades of expertise to break down current market dynamics, domestic crush capacity, and the psychological hurdles of selling grain in a tight-margin year. Key Episode Highlights The "11th Commandment" of Grain Marketing: Ed explains why holding unpriced old crop in the bin past July 1st is a major risk, and how farmers can capitalize on recent soybean rallies. Making Sense of a Weak Basis: Despite ethanol and crush plants running at near-full capacity, local basis levels for corn, soybeans, and wheat are historically poor. Ed breaks down the local supply factors driving this trend. The Soybean Crush Boom: They take a dive into the massive nationwide expansion of soybean crush capacity driven by renewable diesel. Learn why soybean oil has officially overtaken meal as the primary value...
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Field Day Recertification Options for CNC and Private Pesticide Applicators

By Sally Raymond, Extension Educator, UMN Extension Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education, and Tana Haugen-Brown, Extension Educator, UMN Extension Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education Photo: Tana Haugen-Brown Do you need to recertify as a Commercial/Noncommercial applicator (CNC) in categories C and H in 2026 or as a Private Applicator in 2027? Skip the classroom and step into the field! The Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education (PSEE) program has an opportunity for you that doesn’t involve sitting in a classroom all day. Experience hands-on learning at this outdoor field day featuring infield demonstration plots on drift and crop injury, nozzle selection and application methods, integrated pest management, pest identification and control tools, as well as safe mixing, loading, and container cleaning. An optional Category H seed treatment session is also available (you must attend the full day to satisfy recertification requirements). Dates and locations July 16,...
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