A field day on September 9th will highlight some unique long-term drainage plots managed by the University of Minnesota since 2012. On rented farmland near Wells, MN, the plots have been used to investigate how varying tillage, fertility, and other soybean management practices perform on fields with and without drainage.
Researchers from UMN Extension are partnering with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts from Waseca, Faribault, and Blue Earth counties to present a field day for farmers to showcase these results and highlight the carbon intensity (CI) scores of various corn and soybean management practices.
Participants will have a chance to walk through the plots and see how the 2025 growing season is shaping up, as well as do soil health assessments in tilled and untilled plots.
Research at the site has been supported by the MN Soybean Research and Promotion Council and Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC).
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“Every year has been different,” says Seth Naeve, Extension Soybean Agronomist and Professor in Agronomy and Plant Genetics. “But these plots really show how drainage can be profitable.”
Gabriel Paiao, a post-doc in Fabian Fernandez’s group in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, did his PhD research at these plots, and will showcase how corn N needs varied in different tillage and drainage scenarios. Optimum N rate was generally lower in the drained conditions, he found, but there are some nuances to timing in wet and dry years.
Gabriel Paiao, a post-doc in Fabian Fernandez’s group in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, did his PhD research at these plots, and will showcase how corn N needs varied in different tillage and drainage scenarios. Optimum N rate was generally lower in the drained conditions, he found, but there are some nuances to timing in wet and dry years.
Location
Wells Drainage Plots: 250th St. and 20th St. Vivian Township, Wells, MN 56097
Date & Time
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cost
There is no cost to participate. Lunch will be served.
Registration
Please RSVP here, or reach out to Cammi Nordmeyer, Waseca SWCD (507-835-0603, CammiN.swcd@wasecacounty.gov).
For more information about the event, visit: How drainage and tillage affect your bottom line
Research at the site has been supported by the MN Soybean Research and Promotion Council and Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC).
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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 (formerly twitter), and visit our website.
If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.
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