Minnesota Crop News

While an ornithologist might say spring starts when the sandhill cranes have returned from their wintering grounds in the southern US and northern Mexico, a cereal pathologist may look for aecia of Puccinia cornonata on buckthorn to tell that spring is underway.  The picture below is from Steele County in SE Minnesota and confirms that the crown rust season of oats has started. That means that two of the three corners of the disease triangle are now in place.  Favorable conditions for the spores released by these aecia will be the third and final corner of the disease triangle for crown rust to start in oats. This past week, however, the risk models indicate that conditions have been too dry and that the resulting dew periods have been too short for crown rust to successfully infect oats at this point.   To use the risk model, simply select the MAWN/NDAWN weather station nearest to you, select the flag leaf growth stage, and look for the number of consecutive days ...

Photo: University of Minnesota By Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Educator- Cropping Systems, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, & Sherburne Counties, and Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Educator- Crops, Wright, McLeod, & Meeker Counties Choppers have started running and alfalfa harvest is underway, at least in southern and south-central Minnesota. 15 of the 16 cooperators have submitted samples so far this year and five have harvested. Most fields have reached at least 20 inches tall and are transitioning to the bud growth stage. While there is still some variability between fields, warmth and rain over the weekend has brought fields closer to the harvest window across the central region. Meanwhile, farmers are keeping an eye out for insects. While some aphids and a few adult alfalfa weevils were spotted over the last few days in cooperator fields, populations were nowhere near economic impact levels. There were no reports of visible insect damage, and lady beetles are keeping aphid po...

By Liz Stahl, Extension Educator – Crops It is not too often – okay, it has never happened before – that I get an email with the subject line “Is any of this true”. However, that is exactly what I received last week.

Second-year alfalfa. Photo: University of Minnesota By Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Educator- Sustainable Agriculture, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, & Sherburne Counties, and Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Educator- Crops, Wright, McLeod, & Meeker Counties There continues to be a bit of variation in alfalfa progress across the region. We have one cooperator in the south that’s started cutting, while some cooperators in the north are taking their first sample. 15 of the 16 cooperators have submitted samples so far this year. Alfalfa growth among the sampled fields has been modest with most gaining about 2 inches since Monday’s sample. There have not been any reports of insect feeding yet. Moisture over the weekend and warm temperatures next week should encourage good growth during the last full week of May. Please remember to take a moment to fill out the alfalfa pest needs assessment survey at z.umn.edu/alfalfapestsurvey . This online survey lets you voice what issues you are seein...

Photo: University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota is the nation's top producer of sugarbeets by acreage. Today we're discussing sugarbeet nutrient management on the Nutrient Management Podcast . What are the fertilizer guidelines for sugarbeets right now, and how are they revised? What sugarbeet research studies are currently underway at the University of Minnesota? Are there any considerations when fertilizing sugarbeets with manure? What should farmers know about micronutrients, or about timing? What makes sugarbeets such effective nitrogen scavengers? All this and more on today's episode. Read the full transcript Guests: Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) John Lamb, Professor Emeritus in Department of Soil, Water and Climate (St. Paul) Additional Resources: Sugarbeet fertilizer guidelines New sugarbeet fertilizer guidelines for Minnesota: What to know about nit...

By Liz Stahl, Extension Educator – Crops, Jeff Coulter, Extension Corn Agronomist, and Matt Pfarr, Extension Educator-Crops Corn emerging in field. Photo: Liz Stahl

Matt Pfarr, Extension educator-crops and Dave Nicolai, Extension educator-crops The 2026 Field School for Ag Professionals will be held July 29 and 30 at the University of Minnesota Agriculture Experiment Station in St. Paul. Book now to secure summer professional development at the lowest price. Class sizes will be capped to provide instructor access. Register today and lock in your spot. Features A two-day program taught in the field with real-world scenarios. Hands-on activities examining current insects, diseases, and crop management. Small learning groups. Each subject is led by experienced instructors offering personalized instruction and small group activities. Twelve Certified Crop Advisor CEUs are offered over two days. Past participant comment “I have not found a more comprehensive exchange on crop physiology, plant pathology, weed science, entomology and nutrient management. The field school is entirely hands-on learning and occurs in one location.” This program is targeted...

Photo credit: University of Minnesota By Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Educator-Sustainable Agriculture, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, & Sherburne Counties, and Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Educator-Crops, Wright, McLeod, & Meeker Counties For today’s report we finally have results from some of our northern cooperators! 13 of the 16 cooperators have submitted samples so far this year. Fields in Stearns, Benton, and Morrison Counties reached 14-15 inches on Monday. Alfalfa growth among the rest of the sampled fields remained steady with most gaining 3 to 4 inches over the weekend. One cooperator reported lodging after rain and high winds in some fields to the south but for the most part fields remain standing. There have been no reports of any insect feeding yet and all fields have grown through the minor frost damage we observed last week. Moisture over the weekend and more in the forecast later this week should help maintain strong stands coming into Memorial Day weekend. Please ...

By Dr. Fei Yang – Extension Corn Entomologist, University of Minnesota Department of Entomology, and Bruce Potter – Potter Brothers, LLC and University of Minnesota Extension retired

The University of Minnesota Extension will hold six hands-on small grain clinics and plot tours in the coming weeks. The aim of the clinics is to get you ready to tackle any disease and pest problems should they develop between now and the all-important flowering time in wheat, barley, and oats. These clinics will be held at the on-farm small grain trials near Rochester, LeCenter, Fergus Falls, Oklee, Humboldt, and Strathcona.   The date, times, and location details are as follows: Rochester - Wednesday, June 10th from 10:00-noon at the Lawler Research Farm northwest of the intersection of Collegeview Road NE and 70th Ave NE (Google Plus code - 2MF6+972 Chester, MN) LeCenter - Wednesday, June 17th from 10:00-noon at the Ruth Hoefs and Ron Pomije  Farm east of the intersection of  211th Ave and 340th Street (Google Plus code - F84C+X68 Lexington, Minnesota) Fergus Falls - Monday, June 22nd from 10:00-noon at the Walkup Farm southeast of the intersection of Co Rd 26 ...

By Angie Peltier, UMN Extension crops educator, Thomas Peters, UMN Extension sugarbeet agronomist and Eric Yu, UMN Extension IPM educator The following information was presented during the inaugural Strategic Farming: Field Notes session of 2026. Use your preferred podcasting platform or listen online to a podcast of this episode. Budgets are tight in 2026 Producers frequently ask questions about managing inputs to make projected crop budgets in 2026. Managing inputs is a grower-by-grower and field-by-field proposition and can not be answered in a single statement. However, we know that managing weeds must be a priority.   Weeds: a) rob yield; b) persist in the soil for up to 20 years; and c) are alternate host plants to soil borne and foliar pathogens. UMN Extension encourages producers to actively manage weeds using integrated weed management strategies.   Crops and weeds are emerging Weed seedlings have begun to emerge in Minnesota crop fields. With research confirming t...

Photo: University of Minnesota By Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Educator- Sustainable Agriculture, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, & Sherburne Counties and  Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Educator- Crops, Wright, McLeod, & Meeker Counties The Alfalfa Scissor-Cut and Harvest Alert project is moseying along. This year, there is a wide disparity in growth among cooperating fields from south to north. Fields in the south central region are making progress with about two samples so far, while fields to the north aren’t quite ready for sampling as they’re hovering around 11 inches or so in height. Hopefully warm temperatures today and tomorrow will encourage productive alfalfa growth across the region. While we don’t have too much Scissor Cut data to look through, take a moment to fill out the alfalfa pest needs assessment survey at z.umn.edu/alfalfapestsurvey . This online survey lets you voice what issues you are seeing in the field first-hand for alfalfa pests. Participating in the ...

University of Minnesota Extension nutrient management specialist Dan Kaiser recently finished a four year study on potassium (K) fertilizer application for corn and soybeans. The study aimed to determine the optimal K rate for both crops, assess if spring application of potash (potassium chloride, KCl) negatively impacts soybean yield (potentially due to too much chloride), and evaluate the accuracy of current plant tissue and soil testing guidelines. About the study The study was conducted from 2022 through 2025 at locations around Minnesota with various soil types. There were six trial locations each year totaling 24 site-years of data. Five K fertilizer rates were tested: 0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 lbs K 2 O per acre. Fall versus spring application timing was compared at each rate. Potassium was applied as potassium chloride (KCl), commonly known as potash. Researchers targeted locations with low soil test K levels, specifically those testing at 150 ppm or less (ideally 100–120 ppm or...

You didn't need to be in Kansas or like the band with the same name yesterday to come up with the title for the blog post. There was dust in the wind.  Visibility in parts of the Red River Valley was measured in feet rather than the usual miles at times.  Below are two pictures of a wheat field that was damaged by yesterday's dust storm.    Photo 1 - A field of spring wheat in the 2-leaf stage after yesterday's dust storm Photo 2 - A close-up of the 2-leaf spring wheat with damaged leaf tissue as a result of yesterday's dust storm This damage will be temporary as new leaves emerge from inside the leaf sheath of the second leaf, and tillers will appear in the axils of the first, second, and third leaves in the coming weeks.  It's unlikely there will be any yield losses as a result of this dust storm.

Photo: University of Minnesota By: Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Educator- Sustainable Agriculture, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, & Sherburne Counties and Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Educator Crops, Wright, McLeod, & Meeker Counties With the weather and current soil conditions, the Alfalfa Harvest Alert Project , also called Scissor Cut , is having a slow start to the year. The cooler temperatures we have been experiencing have slowed alfalfa growth this spring. Fields in the south central region have hit the 14 inch mark while fields in north and west central Minnesota are lagging behind at 3 to 9 inches tall. We have also received reports of some significant winter kill, especially on sandy soil with farmers considering interseeding with cool-season grasses or calling it a day and tilling fields under. We have also seen some minor frost damage with slight browning on leaf edges. The first Scissor Cut samples were taken on May 7th and 11th. The warmth over the next few days sho...

Liz Stahl, Extension Educator - Crops and Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist  Register now for the 2026 University of Minnesota Cover crop research trial at Lamberton, 2025. Photo: Liz Stahl   "Cover Crop Field Day: Setting up for Success" at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center by Lamberton on Thursday, June 25.

In recent years, Minnesota alfalfa growers have been reporting increased issues with alfalfa insects to Extension staff. Especially for alfalfa weevil, there have been reports of reduced pesticide efficacy for this pest along with issues persisting past first cutting and concerns about how to manage other insects in addition to alfalfa weevil. In order to respond to these concerns and assess how widespread these issues are, University of Minnesota Extension has been hosting a multi-state survey focused on alfalfa grower perspectives and needs for alfalfa weevil management and other related insects. The survey is set to close in early June, so now is the time to add your perspective to the survey and let University of Minnesota Extension know how your alfalfa fields and financial decisions are affected by alfalfa pests. The short 22-question online survey covering the 2021-25 growing seasons can be found at https://z.umn.edu/alfalfapestsurvey . Reduced alfalfa regrowth due to p...

Photo credit: Anna Cates, Minnesota Office for Soil Health We’re talking all about nitrate management and placement as important factors for reducing nitrogen loss to water on today's episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast series. Different forms of nitrogen have their own potential for loss. How does nitrogen already in the nitrate form differ from ammonium for example? How does basic soil science slow down or speed up nitrogen transformation? Why can't nitrates be easily stabilized in the fall in Minnesota? How do other factors like pH affect nitrogen transformation? This and much more in today's discussion.  Read the full transcript here Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: Nitrogen placement: What MN farmers should know about depth, incorporation, loss pathways, and more How 4R Nutrient Stewardship can help Minnesota farmers Four things I’ve learned about nitrog...

By Liz Stahl, Extension Educator – Crops, Seth Naeve, Extension Soybean Agronomist, and Dave Nicolai, Extension Educator-Crops

UMN Extension Educator Dana Adams estimates alfalfa quality using a PEAQ stick By: Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Local Educator, Crops - Stearns, Benton, Morrison, and Sherburne Counties and Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Local Educator, Crops - Wright, McLeod, and Meeker Counties With the recent stretch of spring weather, alfalfa fields are greening up and it won’t be long before we are thinking about the first cut of hay. This also means we are getting ready to take alfalfa scissor cut samples for the Alfalfa Harvest Alert Program.  This program helps forage producers determine the best time to cut the first crop of alfalfa to optimize forage yield and quality. This project is in its 30th year and is a collaboration between the Central Minnesota Forage Council and University of Minnesota Extension with support from area agribusiness sponsors and farmer collaborators. This year, samples will continue to be collected from fields in Stearns, Benton, Morrison, Wright, McLeod, Meeker, S...

  In Episode #67 of MN CropCast, we bring you another " Headland Highlights " to get you up to speed on planting progress across the state. The hosts sat down with three Extension Educators (Angie Peltier, Anthony Hanson and Matt Pfarr) on April 30 to discuss how farmers are navigating the spring of 2026 in their respective regions. What you’ll learn in this episode: Northwest Minnesota: Angie Peltier describes the challenges facing northern farmers. While the central Red River Valley and areas further south are off to a strong start, progress north of Fargo-Moorhead remains slow. Heavy snowpack and recent rains have stalled field work in Polk County and the surrounding region. In the far Northwest, only 10–15% of wheat and sugar beets are in the ground, with a significant push expected over the next two weeks. West Central Minnesota: Anthony Hanson highlights the impact of varying soil types. While corn and soybeans were planted on lighter soils during the final weeks of A...