Minnesota Crop News

By:  Sarah Roth, Research & Extension Coordinator at the Water Resources Center;  A. Marcelle Lewandowski, Senior research and Extension coordinator at the Water Resources Center &  Anna Cates, Extension soil health specialist In fall 2024, the Minnesota Office for Soil Health surveyed nearly 1,100 farmers across Minnesota to better understand their perspectives on soil management and soil health practices like cover crops, strip-till and no-till, and diversified rotations. The goal was to help agronomists, conservation professionals, and other farm advisors provide more useful, relevant support. The results offer a statewide snapshot of what motivates farmers, the challenges they face, and how they think about soil productivity, profitability, and environmental stewardship. Here are five key takeaways from the survey. Respondents were similar to the overall population of Minnesota farmers in terms of demographics, size and types of farms, and regions. However, re...

Photo: University of Minnesota Extension Crop and livestock integration is an intriguing idea, but it might feel challenging to make it work on your own operation. Join us for Virtual Farmer Shop Talks, where you can meet up with other farmers interested in crop and livestock integration.  Each session will start with a farmer pitching their question to the group; the rest of the session is what you make of it. Share your experience with others, ask your own questions, or sit back and learn from your farmer peers.  Whether someone has 2 or 20 years of experience with integration, they have valuable knowledge to share and insightful questions to ask the group.  Register here These Virtual Farmer Shop Talks are free to attend, and once you register you'll have access to all three Shop Talk sessions: November 9, 2026 How can you maximize your row crop ground and pasture to extend the grazing season? Pitched by Amber Britz 12 - 1 p.m. CST November 12, 2026 How do you make ann...

Photo credit: Nancy Bohl Bormann, University of Minnesota Extension It's early / mid October in Minnesota, which means it's time for the fall manure outlook on the Nutrient Management Podcast. Minnesota's manure application rate guidelines have been updated for corn-corn and corn-soybean rotations. What are some of the results of these changes? What was the reason to update the guidelines? What weather conditions might we experience with the predicted 2026 Super El-Nino? Knowing these, are there changes that farmers should make to their fall best practices? ManureDB (the online manure nutrient database) recently had a large data set added to it. What does the new data mean for the end user? Are micronutrients included in ManureDB's data? In the world of on-farm research what’s currently happening - and how can farmers get involved? Important upcoming events for manure technicians, and farmer questions round out today's episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast . ...

By: Melissa Wilson, Extension Specialist for Manure Nutrient Management We recently updated the University of Minnesota Extension  manure application rate recommendations for non-irrigated corn based on recent soil fertility research.  Like with fertilizer, manure application recommendations are based on nitrogen rate research trials conducted across Minnesota over the past two decades (over 230 rate trials have been completed, most in the past seven years!).  Our goal is to evaluate the agronomics of corn production while minimizing the risk of N losses from overapplication. However, fertilizer-only application rates also take into consideration a third aspect – the economics of corn production (nitrogen cost versus corn prices). This is the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) method. Since the economics of manure application are quite different and incredibly variable across farms, the MRTN method is not applicable when using manure for the growing season it is...

Manure nutrient management is uniquely complex, and we discuss some reasons why on today's Advancing Nitrogen Smart episode. What specific factors make manure management far more complex than applying standard chemical fertilizer?  How do digestive systems and diets cause nitrogen availability to differ across various livestock species ?  Why does nitrogen availability decline so rapidly when manure is left exposed on the soil surface, and how much may be lost to atmospheric evaporation within a just few days?  How can farmers optimize their fertilizer investments and evaluate whether their crops received sufficient nitrogen using late-season testing ? These questions and more on today's 42nd episode of  Advancing Nitrogen Smart . Read the full transcript here Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: How to put together a manure management plan Nitrogen ava...

Dry edible beans are an important Minnesota crop, and we explore them further on today's Nutrient Management Podcast. We'll talk with four experts from around the Midwest about your dry bean questions; What are some similarities and differences managing for dry edible bean versus soybean, for example? What should farmers keep in mind about growing in the Red River Valley, or Southern Minnesota, or elsewhere in the Midwest? What does recent research indicate pertaining to dry bean? What major yield-limiting factors do farmers need to be aware of when growing dry edible bean? All this plus iron deficiency chlorosis, row spacing, macros, economics and more on today's episode of the  Nutrient Management Podcast . Read the full transcript Guests: Kristin Simons, research agronomist, North Dakota State University Ana Carcedo, broadleaf agronomist, North Dakota State University Bijesh Maharjan, Extension specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutri...

By Gary Sands, University of Minnesota Extension For a quarter-century, the Tri-State Drainage Research Forum has served as an essential venue for connecting agricultural producers, drainage contractors, agency personnel, consultants, and researchers across Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. This year marks a major milestone as we host the 25th Annual Tri-State Drainage Research Forum on October 1, 2026. The event is brought to you by South Dakota State University, Iowa State University, and the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. 25 Years of Drainage Innovation Agricultural drainage has evolved from basic field water removal to sophisticated, precision water management designed to optimize crop yields while safeguarding soil health and downstream water quality. Gary Sands (University of Minnesota) will kick off the forum with a presentation reflecting on 25 years of research updates, policy shifts, and technology adoption that have sha...

Photo: University of Minnesota Extension How do soil health practices—such as minimizing disturbance, maintaining ground cover, and promoting biological activity—interact with the 4Rs of nitrogen management to reduce runoff and nitrate leaching into water sources? How does nitrogen release (mineralize) or become tied up (immobilize) in residue depending on soil moisture, temperature, and microbial activity? Are biological soil tests (like the Haney test and Solvita CO₂ burst) precise tools for calculating exact fertilizer rates, or should they be considered general risk indexes? What role do strong soil structure and expansive root systems play in maximizing nitrogen uptake? Brad Carlson, Anna Cates and Dan Kaiser discuss this and much more on the 41st episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart  podcast.  Read the full transcript here Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Anna Cates, state soil healt...

  By: Extension climate educator Katie Black, Extension soil health educator Bailey Tangen, and Extension soil health specialist Anna Cates Drought has defined five of the last six growing seasons in Minnesota, with below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures contributing to the spread of D1, D2, and D3 drought conditions across more than 75% of the state this summer. August is normally one of Minnesota's wettest months, but rainfall totals have continued to fall short. Drought is expected to persist  in much of the state through the end of the growing season. While impacts on corn yield are expected to be minimal across much of the state, seeing fields across the state recently had us wondering – beyond looking dry and cracked, what happens to our soils during a drought? Drought and soil health Healthy, productive soils have good soil structure, can cycle nutrients, can filter and retain water, are easily penetrated by plant roots, and support a variety of orga...

The University of Minnesota Manure Team is reminding Commercial Animal Waste Technicians (CAWTs) that recertification for licensure in 2026 is now accessible starting September 1, 2026 through an online course. This digital offering allows CAWT professionals to meet their mandatory training requirements from the convenience of their homes. The course, covering a variety of critical topics, will remain available until October 31st, 2026 . Key focus areas include: Program updates from MDA Manure application timing and nitrification inhibitors Rule and permit regulatory updates from MPCA Water quality considerations for manure management Public perception and promoting the industry The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) emphasizes that anyone who fails to complete the course, whether in person or online, by the late October deadline, will need to retake the certification exam to renew their licensure. With a growing focus on environmental sustainability and safe manure management ...

By: Vasudha Sharma, Extension Irrigation Specialist For many Minnesota farmers, this growing season has been hot and dry with limited rainfall. While rainfall has varied considerably across the state, some areas remain dry or very dry as we approach the end of August. As corn and soybean crops move toward maturity, one question I am hearing is: Do I need to irrigate again? The answer depends on three things: How much water remains in the root zone, Where the crop is in its growth stage, and How much water the crop is likely to use before maturity. For irrigated fields, these factors can help determine whether another irrigation is needed and when to make the final irrigation. Don't stop thinking about water just because harvest is approaching Corn and soybean water use declines as crops approach maturity, but crops can still require significant amounts of water during the later reproductive stages. For corn, water stress during grain filling can reduce kernel weight and ultimately ...

Photo credit: University of Minnesota Extension August is in full swing, which means it's time for the Fall Fertilizer Outlook on the Nutrient Management Podcast . Our panelists recently returned from Minnesota's annual Farm Fest where they heard directly from farmers. How did crops do during the 2026 field season? What are current fertilizer prices, and are there alternative options that farmers might want to consider? What kind of planning tools might be useful for MN growers as we head into fall? Which fertilizer decisions might be postponed until spring? All of this plus more on the Nutrient Management Podcast. Read the full transcript Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Jeff Vetsch, Lead researcher, Southern Research and Outreach Center (Waseca) Additional Resources: Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator U of M Corn Fertilizer Guidelines Why understanding the “price ratio” is key to picking a pr...

By: Brad Carlson, Extension educator Urea is now the most used nitrogen (N) fertilizer source in Minnesota. The switch away from anhydrous ammonia (NH3) has occurred for many reasons. Some of these include safety of the product, needing specialized equipment for storing, handling and applying, and a narrow range of soil conditions when anhydrous ammonia can be applied. Despite these issues, there are reasons to still consider anhydrous the best source of N in many situations. The science The N content of anhydrous ammonia is 82%, making it the most concentrated N fertilizer available, and therefore the most efficient with respect to its weight and the space it takes up. This means that less product needs to be transported and applied to the field to get the desired N rate. This results in savings of both time and money for the farmer. Anhydrous ammonia is the feedstock from which all other N fertilizers are produced. This means that every other product – such as urea and urea ...

Photo credit: University of Minnesota Extension The benefits and challenges of manure use in general is the topic on this 40th episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series. What is it about manure that makes it good for the soil - and what makes livestock bedding an important addition? What's in manure that's organic but isn't living? What makes the benefits of manure usage long-term in nature? How should people think about manure use related to water quality issues? What kinds of tech might farmers want to be on the lookout for which affect manure use efficiency? According to panelist Melissa Wilson, manure is like a multivitamin for the soil. Find out why she thinks so on today show. Read the full transcript here Guests: Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional resources: Manure management How to put together a manure management plan Nitrogen availability of different...