Minnesota Crop News

The University of Minnesota Manure Team is reminding Commercial Animal Waste Technicians (CAWTs) that recertification for licensure in 2026 is now accessible starting September 1, 2026 through an online course. This digital offering allows CAWT professionals to meet their mandatory training requirements from the convenience of their homes. The course, covering a variety of critical topics, will remain available until October 31st, 2026 . Key focus areas include: Program updates from MDA Manure application timing and nitrification inhibitors Rule and permit regulatory updates from MPCA Water quality considerations for manure management Public perception and promoting the industry The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) emphasizes that anyone who fails to complete the course, whether in person or online, by the late October deadline, will need to retake the certification exam to renew their licensure. With a growing focus on environmental sustainability and safe manure management ...

In this episode of MN CropCast, hosts Dave Nicolai and Dr. Seth Naeve sit down with Dr. Shaun Casteel, Soybean Agronomist at Purdue University. While our agronomic discussion covered a lot of ground, we didn't quite get around to asking whether Boilermakers actually use the term "Hoosier State" when talking about Indiana. We’ll have to tackle that pressing issue in a future episode! Key Episode Highlights The Road to Purdue: While he misses his summers walking beans on his childhood farm in Illinois, Shaun has been helping Indiana producers maximize their yields since 2009. We discuss how his graduate research at NC State laid the foundation for his current work in soil fertility An Interest in Sulfur (S): Dr. Casteel wasn't always strictly focused on sulfur, but diagnosing stubborn yield limitations in soybeans led him directly to this important and elusive nutrient Identifying S Deficiencies: Discover the unique challenges of pinpointing sulfur-responsive fields a...

By: Vasudha Sharma, Extension Irrigation Specialist For many Minnesota farmers, this growing season has been hot and dry with limited rainfall. While rainfall has varied considerably across the state, some areas remain dry or very dry as we approach the end of August. As corn and soybean crops move toward maturity, one question I am hearing is: Do I need to irrigate again? The answer depends on three things: How much water remains in the root zone, Where the crop is in its growth stage, and How much water the crop is likely to use before maturity. For irrigated fields, these factors can help determine whether another irrigation is needed and when to make the final irrigation. Don't stop thinking about water just because harvest is approaching Corn and soybean water use declines as crops approach maturity, but crops can still require significant amounts of water during the later reproductive stages. For corn, water stress during grain filling can reduce kernel weight and ultimately ...

By Liz Stahl, Extension Educator–Crops, Anthony Hanson, Extension Educator-Integrated Pest Management, and Dean Malvick, Extension Plant Pathologist Soybean aphids, unconventional treatments, and crop diseases were the topic of conversation on the August 12th Strategic Farming: Field Notes program. Drs. Anthony Hanson, Extension Educator – Integrated Pest Management, and Dean Malvick , Extension Plant Pathologist, joined Ryan Miller, Extension Educator-Crops to discuss these issues and more.

Photo credit: University of Minnesota Extension August is in full swing, which means it's time for the Fall Fertilizer Outlook on the Nutrient Management Podcast . Our panelists recently returned from Minnesota's annual Farm Fest where they heard directly from farmers. How did crops do during the 2026 field season? What are current fertilizer prices, and are there alternative options that farmers might want to consider? What kind of planning tools might be useful for MN growers as we head into fall? Which fertilizer decisions might be postponed until spring? All of this plus more on the Nutrient Management Podcast. Read the full transcript Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Jeff Vetsch, Lead researcher, Southern Research and Outreach Center (Waseca) Additional Resources: Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator U of M Corn Fertilizer Guidelines Why understanding the “price ratio” is key to picking a pr...

Eric Yu, Extension Educator – IPM Crops, Dave Nicolai, Extension Educator – Crops As harvest approaches, now is a good time to scout fields and field edges for weeds that escaped earlier control. Mowing fence lines, field edges and other non-crop areas can help prevent weeds from producing seed and reduce the potential for weed seeds to move into fields during harvest. Despite the drier conditions across much of Minnesota this year, weeds continue to emerge and develop in fields and along field edges. Take time now to identify and manage these weeds before they produce additional seed and replenish the soil seedbank. Scout for escaped weeds Many weeds in corn and soybean fields are flowering or developing seed. Pay particular attention to waterhemp and other pigweed species, giant and common ragweed, kochia, common lambsquarters and annual grasses. Waterhemp is especially important to manage because it can produce viable seed within 10 days of pollination and is capable of producing hu...