Minnesota Crop News

This week's update is NOT a carbon copy of last week; while the fields still are all but void of disease and pests of any kind, the immediate weather forecast is not. Extreme heat is forecasted for the southern half of the state. Luckily, the grainfill period is well underway for the spring cereals and near completion for the winter cereals.  The risk of yield losses caused by fungal diseases is very limited at this stage of the game. Fusarium head blight infections can still occur and, consequently, deoxynivalenol (DON) can still accumulate in the grain.  However, the FHB risk models indicate low risk across the southern half of the state. In the northern part of the state, the situation is not the same.  In the southern half of the Red River Valley, about half the spring wheat crop just reached anthesis this past week.  Spring wheat in the northern half of the Red River Valley will start to reach anthesis this week.   And while daytime highs are not pred...

Eric Yu, Extension Educator – IPM, Matt Pfarr, Extension Educator – Crops, Bob Koch, Extension Soybean Entomologist Recent rainfall across Minnesota has brought much-needed moisture to many crop acres, though conditions remain variable depending on location. During the June 24 Strategic Farming: Field Notes webinar, Matt Pfarr, Extension Educator – Crops, and Dr. Bob Koch, Extension Soybean Entomologist, provided timely updates on crop development, nutrient management, disease concerns, and soybean insect scouting. The webinar was moderated by Dave Nicolai, Extension Educator – Crops. Corn update: Rapid growth and management timing Corn across much of Minnesota is progressing well, with many fields approaching or surpassing the V8 growth stage. As corn enters rapid vegetative growth, management decisions related to herbicides and nitrogen become increasingly important. Pfarr emphasized that while some post-emergence herbicide labels allow applications at later growth stages, applicator...

Is the the future of corn production standing a little shorter? In this episode of the Minnesota Cropcast, hosts Dave Nicolai and Dr. Seth Naeve sit down with Dr. Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota Extension Corn Specialist, to explore a novel (and highly visual) shift in corn hybrid technology: short stature corn. While traditional corn towers at 9 to 12 feet, new hybrids are keeping the canopy at 7 feet or less—without sacrificing the yields growers require. Dr. Coulter breaks down the history, the agronomics, and the cutting-edge research happening right here in Minnesota. Highlights from this Cropcast Episode : The Physics of Standing Tall: Why shorter, fatter stalks and deeper root systems may provide added resistance to lodging and green snap during severe wind events. Populations Drive Higher Yields: How these compact plants tolerate higher plant populations, allowing growers to pack more plants per acre to drive up grain yield. The Silage Advantage: Why short stature corn m...

Taylor Herbert, Extension Educator, Crops - Wright, McLeod, Meeker Counties Seth Naeve, Extension Soybean Agronomist and Professor of Agronomy and Plant Genetics Jeff Coulter, Extension Corn Agronomist and Professor of Agronomy and Plant Genetics Dave Nicolai, Extension Educator, Crops Matt Pfarr, Extension Educator, Crops Area Storms Bring Hail Damage Reports of hail associated with the strong storms that blew through much of the south central part of the state on Tuesday June 23rd reached our team of crops Extension Educators. In particular, a narrow band from Cosmos, MN in southern Meeker county to south of highway 212 in Glencoe was particularly hit. While some areas had pea sized hail that gathered in piles on the ground, some 1.5 to 2 inch sized hail was also reported. Field scouts found varying degrees of damage in both corn and soybeans from leaf shredding to complete removal of biomass down to the stalk.  While instinct can push farmers toward action, often the best thing ...

Practicing soybean staging and insect scouting techniques By: 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. This two-day event is the premier summer training opportunity that combines hands-on, interactive training with real world field scenarios.  Book now before July 1st 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. The first day of the Field School program focuses on core principles in agronomy, entomology, weed and soil sciences to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge. The second day builds on this foundation with timely, cutting-edge topics that participants can select. This program is targeted toward agronomists, crop production retailers, seed dealers, consultants, crop pro...

   Be sure to put Tuesday, June 30, 2026 on your calendar for the Rochester Crop Management Tour! See what's new and on the horizon in corn and soybean weed management, tour herbicide and cover crop trials, and get updates on crop pests.  Tour stops, topics, and speakers Minnesota waterhemp herbicide resistance update: 2,4-D, Dicamba, Glufosinate Dr. Debalin Sarangi - Extension Weed Scientist Corn and soybean herbicide evaluations Storen® and Acuron® Flexi herbicide rate trial Revisiting use of Group 15 herbicides in soybean production Ryan Miller – Crops Educator, University of MN Extension Managing spray water quality: Corn herbicide pH adjustment trial results Dr. Eric Yu – Crops Educator, University of Minnesota Extension Cover crops as a tool for weed management Liz Stahl – Crops Educator, University of Minnesota Extension Cover crop termination timing, water use, and soybean yield Sithin Mathew – Graduate student, University of Minnesota applied weed science Other t...

By: Vasu Sharma, Extension irrigation specialist, Department of Soil, Water and Climate University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Potato Growers Association (MNPGA) are pleased to announce the upcoming 2026 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Field Day. This event will showcase advanced agricultural practices and the latest field research conducted at the Sand Plain Research Farm (SPRF) in Becker, MN. Participants will have the opportunity to learn directly from University of Minnesota researchers and specialists. A complimentary dinner will be provided at the research station headquarters at the conclusion of the field tour. Event Details Date & Time Thursday, July 9th, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dinner immediately follows the tour. Location:  Sand Plain Research Farm, 15003 157th St. SE, Becker, MN 55308 (Map) Cost:  This field day is free to attend, but please register by July 6th for planning purposes Featured Presentations & Research Topics The fi...

This week's update is a carbon copy of last week - the fields are all but void of disease and pests of any kind, and growing conditions are near-ideal for small grains with intermittent but spotty rain showers. Therefore, the advice remains the same as last week. Oats - If you did not apply a fungicide to control crown rust when the flag leaf had just fully extended, apply a fungicide at Feekes 10.5 (fully headed)  to protect the crop against crown rust for the remainder of the season.  There is little incentive/need to switch to a premium fungicide to also try to suppress FHB, given that the overall risk appears to be relatively low Spring barley - Apply a fungicide at Feekes 10.5 (fully headed) to suppress FHB and control net blotch on varieties rated susceptible or very susceptible to net blotch. There is little incentive to use one of the premium fungicides to suppress FHB. Winter wheat - Apply a fungicide at Feekes 10.51 (beginning of anthesis) if you find either tan sp...

June 22, 2026 By Claire LaCanne, University of Minnesota Extension Educator – Crops, Tom Peters, University of Minnesota Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist, and Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension Field Crops Pathologist During the June 17 Strategic Farming: Field Notes webinar, Extension specialists Tom Peters and Dean Malvick discussed updates in sugar beet and disease management, moderated by Anthony Hanson, Extension Educator - Integrated Pest Management. The session highlighted updates and challenges for sugar beet management, including pest management and the onset of disease pressure. Overview of sugar beets in Minnesota We grow about 1,100,000 acres of sugar beets in the United States. All of our sugar beets are processed into sugar that is part of our diets. In Minnesota and North Dakota, we grow about 635,000 acres of sugar beets, which represents about 60% of the acreage that is in the United States. Sugar beets are usually grown in a rotation that includes grass and...

Irrigation in Minnesota. Photo: UMN Extension Irrigation is the topic of discussion of today's episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast . What are current irrigation conditions in Minnesota? How is the aquifer in the Central Sands region recharged, and why is it so important to manage nutrients efficiently when irrigating? What new irrigation and nutrient management research is being conducted by the University of Minnesota? What are some of the benefits and risks associated with irrigation - and what practices might a farmer want to focus on first? What partnerships and financial resources are available for Minnesota farmers interested in adopting irrigation practices? Are there smaller practices that a grower new to irrigation might want to consider? What have farmers reported back to our panelists after having adopted irrigation practices? What are irrigation practices like throughout the rest of the country, and how does Minnesota differ? All this and more on today's epis...

By Liz Stahl, Extension Educator – Crops, Seth Naeve, Extension Soybean Agronomist, and Debalin Sarangi, Extension Weed Specialist

 In this timely episode of Minnesota CropCast, hosts Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve welcome Ken Franzky from Centrol Crop Consulting out of Marshall, MN. Ken Grew up on a farm in West Central Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota. He worked in the seed industry under several brands for both Syngenta and Pioneer before joining Centrol in 2015. At Centrol, his primary roles include: Technical Training : Managing agronomic competency standards and training for consultants. Education & Diagnostics : Leading internal cross-department training and providing in-field diagnostic assistance. Industry Relations : Handling interactive product training with agricultural companies and acting as a communication bridge with university personnel. Ken discusses his managerial role at Centrol and highlights some of the challenges faced by a complex and evolving agricultural system in terms of implementing a detailed training system for Centol’s crop consultants to maintain...

In the first week of scouting, all three scouts did not report anything noteworthy in the wheat fields they visited. And except for a few aphids and a single lesion of halo blight in a single plot of a new Canadian oat variety, the yield trials near Rochester and Rosemount told the same story.  Halo blight is caused by the bacterium  Pseudomonas syringae   pv. coronafaciens and is primarily a seedborne disease that is rarely, if ever, found in Minnesota.   However, that same day, true armyworms were reported in several rye cover crops in SE Minnesota.  This morning, a similar report was fielded from the SW part of the state.  This indicates that, while maybe not widespread, true armyworms have migrated north, and locally numbers may be high enough to warrant treatment.  To scout for armyworms in small grains, part crop, and look for fecal pellets on the soil surface. If present, look for larvae under soil clumps and plant residues. Start scou...

By Tana Haugen-Brown, Extension Educator, UMN Extension Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education, and Sally Raymond, Extension Educator, UMN Extension Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education

Sithin Mathew, Weed Science Graduate Student, Eric Yu, UMN Extension Crops Educator, and Debalin Sarangi, Extension Weed Scientist Herbicides often require the use of adjuvants to maximize weed control efficacy and minimize application-related risks. Although some herbicide formulations contain built-in adjuvant packages, few are designed to optimize performance across the wide range of environmental and application conditions. Therefore, the applicator often needs additional adjuvants to optimize the herbicide application for the specific conditions of the area being treated.  The most commonly used adjuvants can be grouped into four categories: 1) activator adjuvants [e.g., nonionic surfactant (NIS), crop oil concentrate (COC), and methylated seed oil (MSO), etc.], 2) water conditioners [e.g., ammonium sulfate (AMS), and volatility reduction agent (VRA), etc.], 3) spray solution modifiers [e.g., antifoam agents, and drift reduction agents (DRA)], and 4) adjuvant mixtures. Adjuvan...