Minnesota Crop News

In this episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart series, our two experts discuss nitrogen pools. What are nitrogen pools, and where do we find them? How is N actually consumed by the plant, and what forms of N will plants take up more readily? What are some potential signs of N deficiency in the plant? How do nitrogen pools relate back to the 4R's, like timing? TRANSCRIPT Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: Will soil microbes deliver nitrogen to my crop? Yes, but not in a predictable way Nitrogen Understanding nitrogen in soils --- Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes. For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast . And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook , foll...

Claire LaCanne, Extension educator, Dr. Jeff Coulter, Extension corn agronomist, and Dr. Seth Neave, Extension soybean agronomist The excessive rain and recent moderate temperatures in many parts of the state this growing season have resulted in extremely variable plant development. In the August 21 session of Strategic Farming: Field Notes, Dr. Jeff Coulter, Extension corn agronomist, and Dr. Seth Neave, Extension soybean agronomist, joined moderator David Nicolai, Extension educator - crops, to reflect on the crop growing season and discuss implications for harvest. Review of the current status of corn across the state Corn progress and development According to the crop progress report from the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA - NASS) as of August 18, corn silking reached 95 percent. Corn that has reached the dough stage was at 62 percent, 10 days behind last year and 3 days behind the 5-year average. Corn in the dent stage reach...

This week’s University of Minnesota Extension CropCast has as its guest Dr. Robert Koch, an Extension Entomologist in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota. Bob provided a comprehensive review and status of the soybean aphid infestations currently affecting commercial soybean acreage in Minnesota. Bob reviewed the basic biology and movement of soybean aphid over the years in Minnesota as well as the current economic thresholds for treatment. He emphasized that while correct field scouting techniques are important, so are the scouting protocols for aphids on a regular basis through the early R6 (full seed) growth stage of soybeans.  He also provided an in-depth discussion about the options for commercial insecticides when comparing the efficacy of single mode of action products compared to the use of mixtures of various foliar application products now on the marketplace. Finally, the use of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) techniques and the preservation of ben...

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we’re talking about phosphorus fertilizer guidelines in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest. What are current state guidelines throughout the region, and are they satisfactory? Should farmers forgo taking a soil test to measure P levels, or should the test be prioritized? Might state phosphorus guidelines need to be revised, and if so, in what ways? What guidance or advice pertaining to phosphorus guidelines would our panel tell growers? TRANSCRIPT Guests: Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Antonio P. Mallarino, Professor emeritus, nutrient management, Iowa State University (Ames, IA) John Jones, Soil Fertility, plant nutrition, and nutrient management research, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, (Urbana-Champaign, Il) Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, KSU Professor, Soil fertility and nutrient management, Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) Additional resources: Phosphorus and potassium Corn fertilizer gui...

Wheat harvest is well underway. USDA-NASS reported that the spring wheat harvest in Minnesota is 30% completed as of this weekend.  South of US Hwy 2 that percentage is much higher.  Most are pleasantly surprised by how much grain they haul off the field.   Before last week's widespread soaker, test weight was generally well above 60 lbs/bu. For many, the amount of visually scabby or tombstone kernels was low enough not to raise alarm bells.  Growers are, however, complaining about the difficulty of combining. Despite having the concaves as tight as they dare, producers end up with white caps in the grain tank. The latter suggests that the initial scab infections caused immediate abortions of the developing kernels above the initial site of infection. This in turn means that there are yield losses because of scab despite the record-breaking yields. West Central Minnesota and the southern Red River Valley are two areas where producers are more frequently running ...

University of Minnesota Extension has planned a free Cover Crop Strategies Field Day!  Different cover crop and soil health related topics will be discussed, including species selection and equipment discussions from local farmers, a cover crop cost-share comparison resource, termination options, troubleshooting cover crop challenges, and partner organization display tables. Date & Location: September 10, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Steve Lawler’s farm near Rochester MN. Google Maps  (44.023910, -92.341220) Parking will be in the field off of 70th avenue. Cost: Free! This event will also include a complimentary dinner, and beef raffle! Register: An RSVP is required to secure a meal, and can be found with more information on the event page: z.umn.edu/keepitcovered Presentation topics: Farmer experiences with planting equipment (hi boy, drill), planting methods for best seed-to-soil contact, Challenges with incorporating cover crops into a system and adapting to weather...

Claire LaCanne, Extension Educator, Vasudha Sharma, Extension Irrigation Water Management Specialist, and Lindsay Pease, Extension Nutrient and Water Management Specialist Photo: Vasudha Sharma After several years of drought, the excessive rain in many parts of the state this growing season has caused farmers to think about their strategies for irrigation and drainage management. To discuss management and considerations for the future, Vasudha Sharma, Extension Irrigation Water Management Specialist, and Lindsay Pease, Extension Nutrient and Water Management Specialist, joined moderator Anthony Hanson, Extension educator - IPM, in the August 14 session of Strategic Farming: Field Notes. Irrigation considerations What is different about irrigation in a wet year? Although farmers ran irrigators pretty intensely throughout the crop growing seasons the past 3 years (2021 - 2023) due to drought, they are generally not needing to use them as much this year. To demonstrate the difference th...

Liz Stahl, Extension educator-crops The 2024 cropping season has thrown us a few curve balls! Join the U of MN Extension Strategic Farming: Field Notes session, “Takeaways from the cropping season and looking to harvest,” on August 21, from 8:00 to 8:30 am. Dr. Jeff Coulter, Extension Corn Agronomist, and Dr. Seth Neave, Extension Soybean Agronomist, will join moderator Dave Nicolai, Extension Educator - Crops, for a review of the season, an evaluation of where we are, and a discussion on what we should prepare for as the 2024 harvest season draws near. Participants will have the opportunity to have their questions addressed live during the program. For more details and to register, go to https://z.umn.edu/strategic-farming . There is no charge to participate, thanks to generous sponsorship from the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council. Note if you have attended any Strat...

by Robert Koch, Extension entomologist, Anthony Hanson, Liz Stahl, Angie Peltier, and Claire LaCanne, Extension educators - crops This is becoming an “interesting” year for soybean aphid management. After a couple years of limited infestations due to drought, soybean aphid infestations are widespread in 2024. As many people are considering if and how to manage this pest, we provide here some information to consider. Be thorough when scouting Aphids are likely distributed throughout the height of the canopy (not just on upper leaves), so examine entire plants. Scout weekly Weekly scouting of fields is often recommended, but more frequent scouting may be needed as forecasted weather conditions will be favorable for aphid population growth. Under typical field conditions, the time required for population size to double (doubling time) for soybean aphid has been estimated at 6-7 days. However, aphid populations can double in as little as a few days under more ideal conditions for an aphid,...

Craig Sheaffer, Extension forage specialist, and Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist, and and Deborah Samac, Forage pathologist, USDA-ARS. This year’s above normal rainfall in June and July have had multiple direct and indirect effects on alfalfa forage yield and quality. On most soils there is adequate water for good forage growth, but untimely rainfall has had some detrimental effects. These include rain damage, windrow disease, and damage to alfalfa plants by insects and leaf disease. Problem 1: Rain damage Rained on hay and windrow disease. This year’s frequent rainfall events presented very narrow windows for harvest of alfalfa and other forage crops. It was often impossible to harvest alfalfa as hay when 3-4 drying days were required. Rainfall at any time after cutting results in losses of forage yield and quality. These losses are greatest for partially dried forages due to leaf loss. Average yield losses range from 20 to 30%, but can be as high as 100% if no hay is ha...

Phyllis Bongard, Educational content development and communications specialist, Craig Sheaffer, Extension forage specialist, and Troy Salzer, Extension educator As the weather has alternated between drought and excessive rain, farmers that rely on producing high quality pasture and forage crops have been faced with many challenges. To address these issues and discuss management strategies, Dr. Craig Sheaffer, Extension forage specialist, and Troy Salzer, Extension educator, joined moderator Angie Peltier, Extension educator-crops, in the August 7 session of Strategic Farming: Field Notes. Spring recap Winter injury After a winter with very little snow cover, Dr. Sheaffer expected to see a significant amount of alfalfa injury, particularly since it broke dormancy relatively early in the spring. Much to his surprise, there was very little winter injury to either alfalfa or forage grasses. Even without much snow cover, the mild winter temperatures just didn’t get cold enough to signific...

In the 6th episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart series, we’re taking an up-close look at the nitrogen transformation process. We’ll talk more about temperature conditions, rainfall versus drainage, and what makes knowing these details so valuable to Minnesota farmers and producers (as well as growers around the world). TRANSCRIPT Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: Nitrogen Understanding nitrogen in soils - Nitrogen Transformation Video: What to know about nitrogen inhibitors and other enhanced efficiency fertilizers --- Click here  to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes. For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast . And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook , follow us on ...

David Wangila, University of Minnesota Dept. of Entomology, Postdoctoral Researcher Fei Yang, University of Minnesota Extension corn entomologist Image 1. Corn roots damage by corn rootworm. Beetles of the two corn rootworm species, northern corn rootworm and western corn rootworm, are now emerging and flying in cornfields across Minnesota. Corn rootworm is the most damaging insect pest of corn in the state. The larvae feed on corn roots, leading to root injury (Image 1), decreased plant growth, plant lodging (Image 2), and reduced yield. Additionally, adult beetles feed on the tassel and silks, affecting pollination. Peak beetle emergence typically coincides with the onset of silk. The best period to scout for rootworms is usually the first three weeks of August. With the availability of Bt corn for controlling rootworm larvae, growers could simplify management by focusing on corn hybrids and insecticides rather than field-by-field corn rootworm scouting. Image 2. Lodged plants ...

This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Dr. Roger Becker, an Extension Weed Scientist in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. Roger grew up in southwest Iowa on a beef and grain farm. It was while he was attending Iowa State University (ISU) that he became interested in field research. This led him to an internship at Monsanto with a weed scientist and then to graduate school at ISU in Weed Science. Dr. Becker came to the University of Minnesota in 1987 where his long and winding professional career began in earnest. Roger’s research and Extension activities focused on issues of great contemporary importance where professional voids occurred. For example, his earliest work was around groundwater contamination with herbicides that focused on weed management in forage crops. Later, when a colleague in the Horticulture department who supported weed control for sweetcorn producers retired, Roger took ...

Image: Attendees of the 2023 Drainage Research Forum in Crookston checking out a subsurface tile drainage lift station UMN Extension is co-sponsoring two upcoming drainage field day events on how conservation drainage principles can help you get the most out of your drainage system. In a spring like the one we had this year, on-farm drainage can be a savior and help you get out on your fields a few days earlier. It is easy to forget that we just got out of three years of drought across much of the state. Luckily, conservation drainage can help you strike a balance between moving water off your field and keeping water (and nutrients) in place when we are not so rained out. Conservation drainage is kind of like 4R management - but for your water. It follows the “golden rule of drainage” that is to drain all the water you need to produce a healthy crop and not one drop more. Practices like controlled drainage (also known as drainage water management) have been around for decades and rema...

Fei Yang, University of Minnesota Extension corn entomologist Tatum Dwyer, University of Minnesota Dept. of Entomology, MSc Student David Wangila, University of Minnesota Dept. of Entomology, Postdoc Researcher European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), has been an economically important lepidopteran insect pest in Minnesota cornfields since the 1940s. For many years, ECB was one of the most damaging insects to corn. Since the introduction of transgenic Bt corn hybrids in 1996, ECB populations have been significantly suppressed across the United States and Canada. This suppression has benefitted even those farmers who do not plant Bt corn due to the areawide suppression of ECB populations. Recently, however, farmers have started planting more acres with hybrids that lack the ECB Bt traits, and certain areas of Minnesota where a smaller proportion of fields have seen economic threshold populations of this insect. Additionally, ECB resistance to the Cry1F Bt toxin was conf...