Top 10 podcasts of 2025

Winter is a great time to listen to podcasts. Here are some of the best episodes from 2025 from University of Minnesota Extension’s crops team.

#1 Turmoil and opportunities in Minnesota grain marketing

Ed Usset, Grain Market Economist at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Farm Financial Management, joins Extension educator Dave Nicolai and Extension soybean agronomist Seth Naeve for the Minnesota CropCast Podcast’s milestone 50th episode, recorded on September 12, 2025.

#2 How has nutrient management changed since 2000?

To kick off the Nutrient Management Podcast in 2025, we convened five U of M experts to look back on the last quarter-century to see how nutrient management has changed. This episode, (published January 23, 2025) covers precipitation changes, nitrogen recommendations, sulfur needs, water quality, technology, and more.

#3 Variable rate nitrogen: What are we trying to accomplish?

On this episode of Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series, Extension educator Brad Carlson and Extension nutrient management specialist Dan Kaiser take some of the mystery out of variable rate nitrogen. What are we trying to accomplish when we use a variable rate management practice? What kinds of field conditions might benefit from variable rate nitrogen and which conditions should be avoided? Originally published July 17, 2025.

#4 Selecting for Success: How the 2025 Corn Crop Shapes Decisions for 2026

Extension corn agronomist Jeff Coulter joins the Minnesota CropCast Podcast to discuss how this year’s unique challenges should inform producer decisions for 2026. Published December 1, 2025.

#5 Manure sampling and testing: Variability, guidelines & safety for your operation

In this episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series, Extension educator Brad Carlson sits down with Extension manure management specialist Melissa Wilson for an in-depth discussion on everything manure and nitrogen. Published June 18, 2025.

#6 Tar spot and late-season corn and soybean disease updates

Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist, joins Minnesota CropCast to discuss tar spot and late-season corn and soybean disease management, recorded on July 23, 2025.

#7 Cover crops and nutrient interactions

Did you know that you can listen to recordings of our summer Strategic Farming: Field Notes webinars as podcast episodes? This episode features Extension cropping systems agronomist Axel Garcia y Garcia and Jeff Vetsch, researcher at the U of M Southern Research and Outreach Center, to discuss the latest research in cover crops and how they interact with nutrient management for row crops. Published June 18, 2025.

#8 Nitrogen-fixing biologicals: What farmers should know

Nitrogen-fixing biological soil fertility products are always a hot topic. In this episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series, two Extension nutrient management specialists start with the basics of how these products work and end with how farmers can assess whether biostimulants might be right for their operation. Published February 19, 2025.

#9 Managing weeds with more than just herbicides

While our winter Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops webinars aren’t available as podcast episodes, they are available as video recordings on YouTube. In this video, Extension weed scientist Debalin Sarangi explores non-herbicide weed management tools. Have they been tried in the northern latitudes? How did they work and how might they fit into an integrated weed management plan? Published February 5, 2025.

#10 Conducting on-farm research: Four Midwest experts weigh in on design tips, planning and more

Extension educator Matt Pfarr joins the Nutrient Management Podcast crew to discuss on-farm research. What kinds of problems have the panelists encountered while conducting on-farm research, and how might those problems have been avoided? How can farmers participate in University of Minnesota on-farm research projects, and how might it benefit them? Published May 28, 2025.

Subscribe to Your Favorite Podcasts

If you enjoyed these episodes, remember to subscribe to these three great podcasts wherever you listen:

• Subscribe to the Minnesota CropCast Podcast
• Subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast and the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series
• Subscribe to Strategic Farming: Field Notes webinar recordings
• Subscribe to the University of Minnesota Extension Crops YouTube channel
• Subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News blog’s email newsletter

Register for Upcoming Events

Don’t forget to register for these in-person and online events:

• Soil Management Summit - Jan. 14 & 15 in Fargo
• Grain Gathering - Feb. 18 in Rochester
• Research Updates - Jan. 6-15 at various locations around the state
• Nutrient Management Conference - Feb. 3 in Mankato
• Nitrogen Conference - Feb. 17 in St. Cloud
• Small Grains Update - Jan. 19-Feb. 20 at various locations around the state
• Northern Soil Compaction Conference - Online Feb. 3, 10, 17 & 24

And our weekly webinar series, starting Jan. 7: Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops

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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.