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Showing posts from August, 2025

Cover Crops Options for Pre-pile Sugar Beet Acres

 American Crystal Sugar’s pre-pile harvest campaign is scheduled to start on August 12. This early start creates an opportunity to establish a cover crop to reduce the potential of wind and/or water erosion throughout the winter and early spring. Winter rye may seem like the obvious choice as it is nearly foolproof to get established and is the most winter-hardy. Likewise, spring or winter wheat may look like an option too. If you, however, plan to seed spring wheat on this year’s sugar beet acreage (or seed wheat adjacent to this year’s sugar beet fields you plan to establish this cover crop), you may want to read the rest of this article. Three potential pest and disease problems in spring wheat can take advantage of a "green bridge" to overwinter and cause problems next season. The earlier seeding allows the cover crop to grow much longer, and thus taller, this fall. The earlier seeding, however, also creates this green bridge for barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), wheat ...

Late-season irrigation: Tips for yield protection and water stewardship

By: Vasudha Sharma, Extension irrigation specialist Late-season irrigation can make or break your yield—and your nitrogen. Learn how much water your crops still need, when to irrigate, and how to avoid costly mistakes like overwatering and nitrate leaching. 1. Crop stage and water demand in late season As of early August, most irrigated corn in central and west-central Minnesota is close to the R2 growth stage. Soybeans are progressing through pod fill (R3–R5), with seed fill just beginning. These stages represent a critical period for grain yield determination. Typically, corn at R2 (blister) uses approximately 6 to 7 inches of water to maturity; Soybeans at R4 (full pod) uses approximately 3 to 4 inches of water to maturity; and Potato at tuber bulking uses 4 to 5 inches of water to maturity. Daily crop evapotranspiration (ET c ) rates remain high at this time of the season, especially during hot and windy spells, but start declining after mid-August. Central Minnesota reference evap...