Minnesota Crop News

Craig Sheaffer, Extension forage agronomist Excess rainfall in the spring followed by late summer drought has made for another challenging year for growing alfalfa. Earlier we reviewed some strategies to deal with the wet spring conditions. See: Alfalfa news in summer of 2024 . Now we are in mid-fall and some new questions arise: Will drought this fall harm alfalfa? Minnesota’s alfalfa growing regions have had variable levels of drought this fall combined with above normal air temperatures. The drought will not lead to increased winterkill of alfalfa. Fall moisture deficits actually increase winter survival compared to well watered conditions. Irrigation is not necessary. The longer growing season is favorable for the dormancy reaction and accumulation of energy reserves which should reduce risk of winter injury. See   Fall cutting of alfalfa in 2023  for more information. Is it now safe to fall harvest? It is a safe time to harvest. Although we have not reached...

In episode 12 of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart series Brad and Dan talk in detail about nitrification inhibitors. What are the two types of inhibitors, and what are best practices for incorporation? How do soil type, temperature, and precipitation factor into farmer decision-making? How much time does a nitrification inhibitor buy you? In what circumstances should inhibitors be avoided altogether? These answers and many, many more on today's episode. TRANSCRIPT Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: Nitrification inhibitors and manure: Do they work? Video: What to know about nitrogen inhibitors and other enhanced efficiency fertilizers A difference in degrees: Fall application efficiency at 50 Fahrenheit Nitrogen Smart --- Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes. For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management P...

Yucheng Wang, Research Associate, Department of Entomology, and Fei Yang, Extension entomologist Figure 1. Corn leafhopper adult. It can be differentiated from other leafhoppers by the presence of two black spots  located between their eyes. (Photo courtesy of Danielle  Sekula from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension). The corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) (Figure 1), is an invasive insect native to Mexico that has spread extensively across the Americas, covering tropical regions of North, Central, and South America. First detected in the United States in the 1940s, it has since expanded into southern states, including California, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, where sporadic outbreaks have caused economic losses. By 1981, the insect was documented as far north as Ohio. In 2024, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension issued an alert about a surge of corn leafhoppers in the Texas Mid-Coast region. P...

By: Jack Wilcox, Extension communications generalist Access to unbiased, research-based information is essential for farmers and agricultural professionals. On the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series, Extension educator Brad Carlson and Extension nutrient management specialist Dan Kaiser examine and unpack the latest in nitrogen management research and recommendations, enabling farmers to make their own best decisions to maximize profits and minimize nitrogen loss to the environment. The Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series just turned 10! (episodes old). If you haven't listened yet, you can tune in here . Here's what we've covered so far and what you can expect from us in the near future. Advancing Nitrogen Smart episodes: Ep. 1 - N Placement Brad and Dan launch our series with a detailed discussion about the first of the 4 Rs - placement. What should Minnesota farmers know about depth, incorporation, loss pathways, and more to help achieve optimal nitrogen efficie...

By: Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist Deciding whether to lime the soil can be a difficult choice, especially in rental situations, since the impact of liming can extend beyond short-term rental situations. The benefits of liming may not be achieved until two or more years post-application, so determining where lime is most economical can be difficult to assess. In addition, Minnesota maintains two separate lime recommendations depending on sub-soil acidity, which reflects differences in the parent material that formed the soils across the state. A current study is underway which will help assess the long-term benefits of lime applications in Minnesota. The study will also look into the rationale for parts of the current lime guidelines to determine whether changes should be made to better represent current cropping practices across the state. The history behind Minnesota’s lime guidelines The benefits of liming have been demonstrated through cooperative work between...

In this week’s CropCast, Seth Naeve and David Nicolai welcomed Dr. Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension plant pathologist for corn and soybeans. Dean discussed hybrid selection and corn tar spot management criteria for growers to consider when choosing their 2025 corn seed and crop inputs. While crop yield data from multiple sites in 2024 is extremely important, yield stability over time as affected by disease resistance for corn tar spot is essential in the selection process. Dr. Malvick provided a review of the corn tar spot disease biology and the spread of the disease in corn production fields this year across Minnesota and into adjoining states. Dean specifically provided what is known and what is not known about progression and incidence of the disease occurrence in relation to weather, environment, wind spread and crop rotation effects. Because of the many disease risk factors that can occur each year there is not a simple answer to managing this disease. Dean discuss...

Craig Sheaffer, Dept. Agronomy and Plant Genetics; and Deborah Samac and Mindy Dornbusch USDA-ARS, Plant Science Research Unit Alfalfa at flowering stage Alfalfa’s value as a nutritious livestock feed, as a contributor of N to crops in rotations, and as continuous living cover is well known. It is an economically and environmentally valuable crop. But often overlooked is the simple beauty of alfalfa’s lush green foliage flowing over the landscape and the accent provided by its deep purple flowers. A closer look at the foliage reveals dainty leaves composed of trifoliolate leaflets and small flowers grouped together in a cluster called a raceme. Individual flowers have a large standard or banner, 2 wings, and a fused keel petal. Within the keel petal are the male and female reproductive parts that are only obvious when the flowers are sprung or tripped by insects or wind. Purple is the dominant flower color of modern alfalfa varieties; however, alfalfa varieties can have plants ...

Today we’re talking all about fall application. What's the first thing farmers should know about applying in fall? What’s the difference in N efficiency at 50 the degree threshold versus even a 55 degree threshold, and then when have those degree dates happened historically? TRANSCRIPT Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: Minnesota Department of Agriculture Soil Temperature Network Southern Research and Outreach Center (Waseca, MN) temperature chart Advanced Nitrogen Smart: A deep dive into the 4 Rs --- 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 X (formerl...

Curt Burns, a farmer and independent crop consultant from south central Minnesota joins Dave and Seth for a chat about the 2024 crop and soybean harvest. Curt farms in the Steward area and supports other farming operations as an independent crop consultant with C.B. Agronomics in Sibley, Renville, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, and Kandiyohi Counties.  Dave and Seth chat with Curt about the soybean harvest progress and yields. The exceptionally dry and warm fall conditions have left Minnesota soybeans in an unusually dry condition. This has led to yield losses for the farmer who is selling overly dry soybeans plus significant field losses due to shattering and harvest loss. Curt discusses how the excessive spring and summer rainfall and late drought conditions affected the crop and reports on the soybean yields farmers are seeing in his region. Curt also chats with Seth and Dave about variety selection for both corn and soybean. He's concerned about other activities during this very dry...

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, our panelists discuss liming in detail. What kind of variation is there in liming recommendations? Since pH changes aren’t instant, when is the best time to apply limestone? Is lime application economically justified, and in what circumstances? What should growers know about selecting liming materials? What other bits of advice do our panelists recommend? TRANSCRIPT Guests: Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Carl Rosen, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca) John Jones, Soil Fertility, plant nutrition, and nutrient management research, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Additional resources: Soil test pH and liming: Common questions and answers Lime needs in Minnesota Liming materials for Minnesota soils Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool (FRST) — Click here to listen to all Nutrient Management Podcast episodes. For the latest nutrien...

This week’s University of Minnesota Extension CropCast host Dave Nicolai has as his guest Dr. Tom Peters, Extension Sugarbeet weed specialist for the University of Minnesota and North Dakota State University. Tom provided an update on sugarbeet harvest progress and challenges this growing season for both the Red River Valley and southern Minnesota sugarbeet growing areas. In addition, Tom reviewed the major weed problems, herbicide options and what the future may hold in terms of new herbicide technologies. Finally, Tom provided an in-depth update about his 2024 weed control research programs and recommendations to consider when planning for 2025 weed control in rotated crops in sugarbeet programs. Listen to the podcast What is Minnesota CropCast? Hosts David Nicolai and Seth Naeve discuss the progress and challenges of Minnesota's agronomic crops in this new podcast. They are joined by a diversity of specialists representing all crops and agronomic disciplines to discuss their res...

By: Vasudha Sharma, Extension irrigation specialist The number of irrigated acres in Minnesota is increasing as more and more growers look for ways to ensure high crop yields during dry years. This blog post provides an update on an ongoing field research study being conducted at two irrigated corn sites in Minnesota’s central sands region. I will focus on how different reduced irrigation strategies impact nitrate leaching and residual soil nitrate. After four years of data (one wet year and three dry years) at one of the sites, we’ve seen some interesting results on how different irrigation strategies could alter water usage and nitrate leaching losses, saving farmers money and benefiting the environment. Where is this study conducted? A field research study is being conducted at two locations in central Minnesota: The Sand Plain Research Farm in Becker, Minnesota, and the Rosholt Research Farm in Westport, Minnesota. Both sites are situated in the heart of Minnesota’s irrigated acres...

  The following is reprinted with permission from Iowa State University Extension. Joshua Michel, Field Agronomist in northeastern Iowa, Iowa State University Extension Harvest season has started across most of the state and according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor , the majority of the state is abnormally dry with pockets of moderate drought in northeastern and southwestern Minnesota. These abnormally dry conditions could enhance the potential for combine and field fires this fall. Low relative humidity levels and high winds will further increase the risk of fires. Fires cause millions of dollars in property damage, including loss of machinery, crops, and time. Unfortunately, injuries to farm workers and firefighters may also occur. Modern combines are powerful machines, which means they can produce excessive amounts of heat. All it takes to start a fire is a single high-temperature source in the engine area or an overheated bearing to ignite some dry plant material. While it’...