Minnesota Crop News

By Seth Naeve, Extension Soybean Agronomist, Jeff Coulter, Extension Corn Agronomist, Dean Malvick, Extension Plant Pathologist, and Liz Stahl, Extension Educator - Crops

Registration is now open for the 2027 Soil Management Summit! Registration gets you 1.5 days full of learning and networking with farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals across Minnesota and beyond. At the Soil Management Summit you can explore topics such as cover crops, tillage, nutrient management, livestock integration, economics, and more! We have a variety of sessions to fit anyone’s preferences whether it’s panel discussions, breakout sessions, table talks, or built-in networking time. Although we think it’s a great event, don’t just take it from us. Here’s what some past attendees have said about the Soil Management Summit: This event allows for a great mix of networking with industry, farmers, and other professionals and has a good balance of time for building relationships and connections as well as providing valuable education to be used on farms." "All the sessions were very interesting, and each of them had very good topics that were hard to choose ...

Dry edible beans are an important Minnesota crop, and we explore them further on today's Nutrient Management Podcast. We'll talk with four experts from around the Midwest about your dry bean questions; What are some similarities and differences managing for dry edible bean versus soybean, for example? What should farmers keep in mind about growing in the Red River Valley, or Southern Minnesota, or elsewhere in the Midwest? What does recent research indicate pertaining to dry bean? What major yield-limiting factors do farmers need to be aware of when growing dry edible bean? All this plus iron deficiency chlorosis, row spacing, macros, economics and more on today's episode of the  Nutrient Management Podcast . Read the full transcript Guests: Kristin Simons, research agronomist, North Dakota State University Ana Carcedo, broadleaf agronomist, North Dakota State University Bijesh Maharjan, Extension specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutri...

Beatriz Bizzuti, UMN Assistant Professor and Forage Extension Agronomist; Marta Kohmann, UW Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist; Brian Luck, UW Associate Professor and Extension Specialist This article originally appeared in the Midwest Forage Association’s Forage Focus newsletter, August 2025 edition. During harvest season, alfalfa fields experience frequent traffic from multiple pieces of equipment. Typically, four types of machinery (mowers, mergers, choppers, and trucks) enter the field, each contributing to soil disturbance and plant stress. Repeated passes of equipment across fields can significantly impact forage production, reducing both productivity and long-term stand health. Gaining a better understanding of how and why traffic affects alfalfa performance can lead to more effective management practices and improved productivity and persistence over time. More harvesting, more traffic Most alfalfa fields in the Midwest are harvested three to five times annually, dep...

By Gary Sands, University of Minnesota Extension For a quarter-century, the Tri-State Drainage Research Forum has served as an essential venue for connecting agricultural producers, drainage contractors, agency personnel, consultants, and researchers across Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. This year marks a major milestone as we host the 25th Annual Tri-State Drainage Research Forum on October 1, 2026. The event is brought to you by South Dakota State University, Iowa State University, and the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. 25 Years of Drainage Innovation Agricultural drainage has evolved from basic field water removal to sophisticated, precision water management designed to optimize crop yields while safeguarding soil health and downstream water quality. Gary Sands (University of Minnesota) will kick off the forum with a presentation reflecting on 25 years of research updates, policy shifts, and technology adoption that have sha...

  In Episode #72 of MN Cropcast, hosts Seth Naeve and David Nicolai sit down with Tony Licht from Premier Crop Systems to discuss how turning raw crop field data into actionable economic insights can support farm profitability and risk management. Founded in 1999 and based in West Des Moines, Iowa, Premier Crop Systems operates as an independent agronomy and software company. Unaffiliated with seed, chemical, or equipment sales, Premier Crop works behind the scenes with ag retailers, co-ops, and independent advisors across the Midwest to power precision ag programs including crop variety selection. Episode Highlights Tying Economics to Agronomics: Premier Crop integrates soil sampling, application records, weather data, and yield monitor layers to better visualize return on investment. Farmers can analyze cost per bushel and evaluate hybrid performance based on profit margin rather than yield alone. Targeted Input Strategies: Rather than applying flat-rate strategies across all acr...