Minnesota Crop News

Nathan Drewitz, Local UMN Extension Educator - Crops, Stearns, Benton, and Morrison Counties Alfalfa harvest began last Monday for the cooperators in the southern portion of the program. At this point, most cooperators from Wright county and south have harvested and are no longer reporting in information. Reports from the remaining cooperators indicate that this weekend could be a very busy harvest week for Central and Western Minnesota. Alfalfa weevils continue to be an issue in Western Minnesota. A recent article on this can be found here . Again, continue to monitor stands for potential pest problems. Alfalfa Harvest Report for May 27th: Alfalfa Harvest Report May 27th The goal of this program is to encourage growers to be strategic with alfalfa hay crop harvest. Farmers should make decisions based on their specific feed and market needs and field observations. You can also compare the different counties and farms that have participated in the Alfalfa Harvest Alert Program since 201

 Anthony Hanson, Nathan Drewitz, Bruce Potter, and Jared Goplen Mid-May to June is the time to begin scouting for insect problems in alfalfa. With the first crop alfalfa harvest in 2021 approaching or already underway, remember to check for alfalfa weevil. Even if larvae are present, insecticide applications may not be needed if alfalfa fields will be harvested soon. Scouting through early June will determine if any action is needed. Potato leafhopper have started to migrate from the Gulf states, but economically threatening populations are most often encountered during 2nd cutting through mid – August. Alfalfa weevil development Alfalfa weevils overwinter as adults and only go through one generation per year. Larvae are the most damaging stage that can skeletonize leaves where only leaf veins or holes remain (Fig.1). 1st stage larvae are yellow to olive with 2nd through 4th stage larvae becoming green in color with a white stripe along their back. All stages have distinctive black hea

Image credit: NWS Twin Cities After freezing temperatures in areas of Minnesota the morning of May 28, our crops team responded quickly with a Field Notes webinar featuring several experts on what the freezing temperatures mean for Minnesota crops. A recording of the webinar is now available on the Field Notes Podcast. Listen to the recording The webinar featured University of Minnesota Extension specialists Dr. Jeff Coulter, Dr. Seth Naeve, Dr. Jochum Wiersma, North Dakota State University Extension Agronomist Dr. Hans Kandel, and several UMN Extension educators to discuss any management implications that may need to be considered. You can also read this blog post on the topic:  Spring freeze injury to corn in the northern half of Minnesota: What to expect What is Field Notes? An all-new weekly crops program from the University of Minnesota Extension Crops Team!  The Field Notes program is designed for farmers and agricultural professionals as a weekly webinar program addressing all y

Nathan Drewitz, Local UMN Extension Educator - Crops, Stearns, Benton, and Morrison Counties All cooperators are now reporting results. Alfalfa harvest has begun as far north as Buckman which means we are almost finished with the Scissor Cut program for this season. There have been some reports of alfalfa weevils in western Minnesota and there is some shot holing in leaves here in central Minnesota. However, pest problems have remained low and the damage present does not yet warrant control. With harvest on the horizon, I would expect these to not be major issues. Regardless, stands should still be monitored for potential pest problems. Alfalfa Harvest Report for May 24th: Alfalfa Harvest Report May 24th The goal of this program is to encourage growers to be strategic with alfalfa hay crop harvest. Farmers should make decisions based on their specific feed and market needs and field observations. You can also compare the different counties and farms that have participated in the Alfa

By Lizabeth Stahl, Extension educator – crops, and Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable cropping systems specialist When using an over-wintering cover crop, the traditional recommendation has been to terminate it two weeks prior to planting the primary crop, usually corn or soybean, to prevent a reduction in productivity. Such a strategy in Minnesota doesn’t allow for much cover crop biomass though, especially when planting early to optimize yield. Planting corn or soybean into a living cover crop, or planting green, might be a strategy for late cover crop termination, and therefore higher biomass and potential benefits. In fact, planting green has been gaining much interest, although little research has been done on this practice to date in the state. Potential Pros and Cons In general, the more biomass produced by a cover crop, the more likely you are to see benefits. In regions like Minnesota, where the cover crop growing season is very short, delaying termination until planting allows

An all-new weekly crops program from the University of Minnesota Extension Crops Team! Join us Wednesday, May 12th for Field Notes when we welcome Debalin Sarangi, University of Minnesota Extension Corn & Soybean Weed Specialist and Tom Peters, University of Minnesota Sugarbeet Weed Specialist to talk about weed control this year, and how the current spring weather and soil condition might influence our management decisions. While the weather this year allowed for early planting, many questions and concerns have surfaced around effective weed management strategies when we have faced cool and dry soil conditions. These include the effectiveness of preemergence herbicides and the biology of weed emergence and subsequent growth. We will discuss these environmental conditions along with other crop emergence considerations on the next Field Notes program on Wednesday, May 12th at 7:30am. What is Field Notes? The Field Notes program is designed for farmers and agricultural professionals