Let's talk crops is back for 2023!
Crop producers and agricultural professionals face a host of challenges, including pests and pest resistance concerns, agronomic issues, and soil fertility questions. The Strategic Farming program will address your crop-related concerns in a weekly, research-based webinar with specialists in the field.
Let's talk crops will begin on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, and continue through March 29 on Wednesday mornings from 9 to 10 a.m. The program will feature short presentations with the experts followed by live, interactive discussions with attendees.
Can’t make the live session? No problem. The discussion-based series will be recorded and posted here on this website.
You need to register only once and may attend any or all of the webinars.
Resources for Strategic Farming series
Field Notes
Field Notes is designed for farmers and agricultural professionals as a weekly webinar during the growing season to address crop-related concerns in an interactive, discussion-based format. Listen to the sessions from 2021 and 2022 at your convenience on strategicfarming.transistor.fm.
2023 Let's talk crops!
Watch the recordings from the 2023 series and look over resources at your convenience.
Join Ed Usset, U of MN Extension grain marketing economist, and Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay from DNR as they look ahead to 2023 and discuss weather, economic and supply chain forecasts.
Additional resources
- U. S. Drought monitor - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- USDA 2022 Crop production summary
- World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE)
Join Anthony Hanson, Extension educator - crops, and Bruce Potter, IPM specialist as they discuss how to plan for corn insect pests in 2023 and manage insecticide resistance concerns.
Additional Resources:
Nitrogen is a dynamic nutrient. Nitrogen availability and fertilizer need are heavily influenced by environmental factors like soil type, rainfall, and temperature. Join Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist, and Brad Carlson, Extension educator - water, as they discuss how current climate factors are influencing our nitrogen management strategies.
Additional Resources
- Nitrogen smart offerings
- The fundamentals of nitrogen cycling and management
- MN Crop News
- For list of all Strategic Farming sessions: https://z.umn.edu/strategic-farming
Join Drs. Rex Bernardo, UMN maize breeder, and Aaron Lorenz, UMN soybean breeder, as we discuss U of MN research on semi-dwarf corn and the advantages this corn might provide. Breeding efforts around soybean cyst nematode (SCN), a major yield robber in soybean, will also be discussed as field populations of SCN adapt to our current tools.
Products that claim to make nutrients more available, reduce crop stress, stimulate microbial activity and more – what does the research show us? Join Drs. Seth Naeve, Extension soybean agronomist, and Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist, for a discussion around the logic of biologicals in corn and soybean.
Weeds take the top spot as the most problematic pest problem farmers manage. Herbicide resistant weeds, multiple herbicide resistant weeds, and new weed species all contribute to the problem. Listen to Dr. Debalin Sarangi as he discusses the current state of herbicide resistance, as well as, new and traditional weed management technologies.
Additional resources
Can I cut N rates if I plant a cover crop? Will planting green hurt my cash crop? How do I best fit cover crops into my cropping system? Listen to Drs. Anna Cates, State soil health specialist, and Monica Schauer, Research specialist at University of Wisconsin-Madison, for a discussion on these key FAQs around cover crops and more.
Listen to Dr. Jochum Wiersma, Extension small grains specialist, discuss the benefits of including small grains in your crop rotation and the challenges of using winter cereals as cover crops.
Tar spot of corn was problematic in portions of Minnesota last year. It can spread rapidly, develop quickly, and cause significant yield loss. Since tar spot is a relatively new disease, it’s one to watch for. Listen to Drs. Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist, and Darcy Telenko, Extension field crop pathologist from Purdue University, as they tackled questions from tar spot basics to management.
Additional resources
Map from ipmPIPE showing where tar spot has been confirmed and real-time scouting reports.
Fungicide efficacy for control of corn diseases
Fungicide efficacy ratings developed by the Corn Disease Working Group of the Crop Protection Network.
Description of the corn disease and management guidelines from the Crop Protection Network.
Managing alfalfa weevil larvae has become more complicated with increasing pyrethroid resistance issues and the loss of chlorpyrifos as a management tool. Join Drs. Craig Sheaffer, Extension forage agronomist, and Anthony Hanson, Extension educator - crops, as we discuss these and other challenges, including winter injury potential.
Listen in as Dr. Bob Koch, Extension entomologist, discusses new and old insect pests in soybean. Is the new leaf miner a big deal? How about soybean gall midge? Get a status update on these new pests and on the old, including soybean aphid.
Additional resources
Learn more about soybean gall midge identification, its impact on soybean, and potential management strategies.
Learn more about soybean aphid identification, its life cycle, and scouting and management.
Keep an eye out for a potential new pest: Soybean tentiform leafminer - MN Crop News
Insecticide resistance management in soybean
Learn more about how insecticide resistance develops and strategies you can use to prevent it or slow it down.
2022 Let's talk crops!
Watch the recordings from the 2022 series and look over resources at your convenience.
Most of Minnesota had an abnormally dry growing season in 2021. When this is coupled with historically high fertilizer prices, farmers are looking for opportunities to adapt their fertilizer plans. Join Dr. Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist, and Brad Carlson, Extension educator - water resources, to discuss these challenges and opportunities for 2022.
Resources
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Capturing soil nitrate - View the section on soil nitrate tests in Fertilizing corn in Minnesota.
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Role of N inhibitors in 2022 - View Spring fertilizer decisions: Should you use nitrogen inhibitors and other enhanced efficiency fertilizers?
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Pre-sidedress nitrate test (PSNT) - See Tips for accurate pre-sidedress nitrate tests.
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Phosphorus and potassium - With high fertilizer prices, medium to high soil test levels of P & K offer producers some flexibility in their fertilizer applications. Applying in-furrow starter instead of broadcasting P will carry you a long way in high testing soils. Potassium application is trickier, especially in dry years as starter application may not be enough if soils test less than 200 ppm. Read the discussion on changes in P and K soil test values in "Fertilizing corn in Minnesota."
Join Dr. Aaron Daigh, North Dakota State University, and Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator - water quality, as we recap why in 2021 we could see evidence of soil compaction from years ago. We'll discuss how long one compaction event can remain a challenge, what can be done to remediate it and how to avoid causing it in the first place.
Resources
- Soil compaction - Learn what causes soil compaction and how it affects crop growth and yield. Adopt management practices that minimize compaction.
- Soil compaction videos - Watch additional videos from the Extension crops team.
Finding sufficient livestock feed supplies was a significant challenge during the historic 2021 drought, leading some to bale corn that had originally been intended for grain production. Join Drs. Joe Lauer, UW-Madison corn agronomist, and Luiz Ferraretto, UW-Madison ruminant nutritionist, as we compare and contrast how to best manage corn intended for grain and livestock feed purposes.
Resources
- Corn silage - University of Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin Team Forage - Resources to enhance profitable forage production
Sulfur might be considered a secondary nutrient, but it is essential for crop production. Join Dr. Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist, and Jeff Vetsch, Soil scientist, as we discuss sulfur fertility and new findings on sulfur fertilizer.
Additional resources
Nutrient management website
With increasing herbicide resistance and a decrease in effective management tools, weed management will continue to become more complicated. Join Drs. Tom Peters, Extension sugarbeet agronomist and weed scientist, and Debalin Sarangi, Extension weed scientist, and Extension Educators Dave Nicolai, Jared Goplen and Ryan Miller as they discuss strategies for effective weed management in the years to come.
Resources
- Weed identification - Photos of weeds and weed seedlings commonly found in Minnesota crop production
- Herbicides - Calibrating rates, managing risk and drift and symptoms of dicamba exposure
- Herbicide resistance management - Strategies for diversifying weed control
Timing can mean a lot when it comes to cover crops. Join Drs. Anna Cates, State soil health specialist, and Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable cropping systems specialist, to learn what we found when looking at different termination timings in corn and soybean, and what impacts this could have in your farming operation.
Join Drs. Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist, and Nathan Kleczewski, plant pathologist at GROWMARK Inc., as they summarize the 2021 tar spot of corn situation in MN and the Midwest, discuss management options, and look ahead to what the situation and needs may be for tar spot in MN in 2022.
Resources
Tar spot of corn - Crop Protection Network
Join Dr. Jochum Wiersma, Extension small grains specialist, and Jared Goplen, Extension educator, as they address production agronomics, variety selection, and economics of small grain production in Minnesota. Whether you are a farmer or crop consultant already producing small grains, or looking for another crop to add to the rotation, this recording is for you.
Additional resources
Extension small grains - University of Minnesota
Join Dr. Ian MacRae, Extension entomologist, Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist, and Seth Naeve, Extension soybean agronomist, as they discussed how the 2021 drought might affect insect pest pressure in 2022. Seth Dibblee, EPA Pesticides, made a special guest appearance to explain EPA's revocation of all chlorpyrifos tolerances.
Additional resources
Pest management
Follow-up on chlorpyrifos questions
A question on the use of chlorpyrifos on cereal rye for seed production came up during the Q&A portion of the webinar.
The Office of Pesticide Programs states:
"Regarding seed production, we have considered “crops grown for seed” to be nonfood/nonfeed uses when covered by the following label restrictions: There are extensive restrictions on the label including that the seed harvested from the crop bear (shipping) labels with a prohibition against human consumption or use as an animal feed. In addition, the label states that “no portion of this seed crop may be used or distributed for food or feed for 1 year (365 days) after the last application of this product”; this includes ALL portions of the crop (e.g. forage, hay, meal, roots) and extends to grazing of animals in the fields."
According to Seth Dibblee, this use will be available but with extensive restrictions about the use of the remaining biomass. If cereal rye is grown for seed and treated with chlorpyrifos, the post-harvest, non-seed residue cannot be used for forage or grazing for one year after application. Chlorpyrifos insecticides for non-food/non-feed uses are being relabeled on an ongoing basis since the tolerance was revoked; this label language will appear on new product in the future. While a chlorpyrifos label in hand may not have these restrictions listed, the user should avoid introducing chlorpyrifos residues in any food or feed now that the tolerances have been revoked. In their recent guidance, FDA said that any residues found from applications after the tolerance revocation date will not meet the requirements under their “Channels of Trade” provision.
Managing corn insects requires planning ahead. Join Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist, and Dr. Ken Ostlie, a recently retired Extension corn entomologist, as we learn how insect issues from last year, such as corn rootworm, may affect plans for 2022.
Additional resources
Learn more about black cutworm, armyworm, corn rootworms and other insect pests of corn. Learn scouting techniques and how to manage them.
Black cutworm reporting network
A group of volunteers throughout the state set pheromone traps to help monitor black cutworm migrations into the state. The data they collect is used to estimate population densities and to predict cutworm development and potential crop damage.
There are many questions around carbon sequestration and carbon markets. Join Dr. Anna Cates, State soil health specialist, and Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator - water quality, as they explore how much carbon we can really store in our cropping systems, which practices have the most impact, and what could this mean for us (including the bottom line).
Resources
Carbon markets: Paying farmers to reduce tillage, plant cover crops - Nutrient management podcast
Sometimes organisms in our fields are already helping us with pest control. Join Dr. George Heimpel, UMN entomologist, to learn about the types of organisms that can aid you and how they can be managed.
Additional resources
Includes section on predators and parasites of soybean aphid.
Join our nutrient management and weed management specialists in this final webinar of the series. We will look ahead to 2022 and discuss how to tame fertilizer and weed management input costs in this rapidly changing environment.
2021 Let's talk crops!
Watch the recordings from the 2021 series and look over resources at your convenience.
What criteria should you used when selecting a corn hybrid? How do hybrid maturities affect your bottom line? What about hybrid selection and disease resistance? Watch the recording for answers to these questions and hybrid trial results with Dr. Jeff Coulter, Extension corn agronomist, Tom Hoverstad, Researcher from Southern Research and Outreach Center and Dr. Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist with moderator Ryan Miller, Extension educator-crops.
What criteria should you use when selecting a soybean variety? How do the economics pencil out for different soybean maturities in your area? What disease traits should you be on the lookout for? Learn more through a discussion of these questions and trial results with Dr. Seth Naeve, Extension soybean agronomist and Dr. Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist with moderator Dave Nicolai, Extension educator-crops.
Webinar recording
Webinar supplement
Dr. Seth Naeve shares slides on variety trait group comparisons.
Additional resources
University of Minnesota Extension soybean website
Variety selection, planting, growth and development, pest management, and harvest and storage production information.
Yield testing for corn, corn silage and soybeans.
Where does it make most sense to use certain herbicide tolerance traits? What are some of the things you should consider when using them? Learn more in this discussion with Dr. Debalin Sarangi, Extension weed scientist and Dr. Tom Peters, Extension sugarbeet agronomist with moderator Jared Goplen, Extension educator-crops.
Additional resources
Herbicide resistant traits in Minnesota and North Dakota
Herbicide resistance traits create additional weed options for crops, but can also cause confusion around which herbicides can be applied safely and legally. This guide clarifies which herbicides can be applied to various trait packages for our major crops.
North Dakota Weed Control Guide
Information on herbicides, application rates and weed control ratings.
Herbicide diversification options for glyphosate-resistant corn and soybean
Herbicide rotation intervals and diversification strategies for corn and soybeans developed by University of Minnesota Extension and North Dakota State University, 2021.
Learn about a current P & K band versus broadcast study and listen to the discussion on phosphorus and potassium management in corn and soybeans with Dr. Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist, Jeff Vetsch, Researcher at the Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca and moderator Ryan Miller, Extension educator-crops.
Are you looking for a third crop for some of your acres to help manage weeds, corn rootworm, and soybean cyst nematode but don't know what to plant? Join us for this discussion on third crop options (forages, small grains, etc.) that make the most sense for your acres with Dr. Jochum Wiersma, Extension small grains specialist and Dr. Craig Shaeffer, Professor in the department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota with moderator Jared Goplen, Extension educator-crops.
Additional resources
When’s the best time to plant a cover crop and when should I terminate it? How do cover crops affect my weed management program? Join us to discuss these questions and more with Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable cropping systems specialist at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center and Anna Cates, State soil health specialist and Dr. Gregg Johnson, Associate Professor, Biomass cropping systems, Southern Research and Outreach Center.
Additional resources
- UMN Extension Cover Crops: https://z.umn.edu/ExtCoverCrops
- MOSH MN Cover Crop Research: https://mosh.umn.edu/management/minnesota-cover-crop-research
- MCCC Selector Tool: https://mccc.msu.edu/covercroptool/
- MCCC Cover Crop Recipes: https://mccc.msu.edu/getting-started/cover-crop-recipes/
- SARE Cover Crop Economics: https://www.sare.org/resources/cover-crop-economics/
Listen to a brief introduction on soil pH and how it can be raised or lowered. Then learn more about adjusting soil pH to maximize crop production and profit with Dr. Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist and Jeff Vetsch, a researcher from the Southern Research and Outreach Center.
Additional resources
Liming website includes
On-farm research is a potentially useful tool that can shed light on crop management questions important to your farming operation. Like any tool, however, it can be used correctly or incorrectly. Join us for this discussion with special guest Dr. R.L. (Bob) Neilsen, Extension Corn Specialist & Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University.
Additional resources
Videos and fact sheets on how to do research on your farm.
Practical field scale research: Why and how (video from Purdue University)
Dr. Bob Nielsen's YouTube channel (Purdue University)
Are you planting and managing that headland, and yet never getting a bushel back? When does it pay to plant those spots that often drown out and when doesn't it? Join us for this discussion with Naeem Kalwar, Extension soil health specialist at North Dakota State University, Tanner Bruse , Minnesota Ag & Conservation Programs Manager with Pheasants Forever, and Alan Lepp, NRCS.
Additional resources
Is it worthwhile to continue to plant Bt corn for European corn borer? How should Bt-resistance of corn rootworm affect management decisions? Join us for the discussion on these and other corn pests to watch out for with Dr. Ken Ostlie, Extension entomologist at the University of Minnesota and Bruce Potter, Extension Integrated Pest Management specialist at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center.
Additional resources
Integrated Pest Management - Southwest Research and Outreach Center
- Black Cutworm Reporting Network
- Pest Management Tips & Resources
- Research Results
- SW MN IPM Stuff Newsletters
Join members of the SCN Coalition from MN, ND and IA and learn about why soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is such a threat to soybean production and how the coalition is helping producers fight back. Join us for this discussion with Dr. Greg Tykla, nematologist with Iowa State University, Dr. Seth Naeve, Extension soybean agronomist at the University of Minnesota and Dr. Samuel Markell, Extension broadleaf plant pathologist at North Dakota State University .
Additional resources
Watch the extensive video collection and learn more about SCN and its management.
Learn more about SCN and the symptoms it causes, conditions that favor it and management tips.
Soybean cyst nematode - Crop Protection Network
Learn more about the life cycle of SCN, symptoms and management.
Join Dr. Seth Naeve, Extension soybean agronomist, Dr. Jeff Coulter, Extension corn agronomist, and Dr. Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist for a discussion on how factors such as planting date, row spacing, soil conditions, planting rate effects and seed treatments can affect stand establishment in corn and soybean. What can we do to avoid issues?
Additional resources
General guidelines, planting dates, populations and row spacing.
General guidelines, planting dates and seeding rates
2020 Webinar resources
The 2020 Strategic Farming webinar series provided up-to-date crop production strategies to optimize inputs for the growing season. The series included 5 one-hour webinars with university specialists; each webinar focused on a different topic area.
Here you'll find the recorded webinars and additional resources for each session.
Fertilizer can separate the most profitable producers from the rest of the pack. While fertilizer is a critical component for high yields, spending too much on fertilizer can really cut into your bottom line. This webinar discusses how to get fertility right for top yields and maximum profit.
Presented by Dan Kaiser, Nutrient management specialist and Brad Carlson, Extension educator
Moderated by Ryan Miller, Extension educator
Additional resources will be added soon.
Additional resources
University of Minnesota nutrient management
Resources for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micro- and secondary nutrient recommendations, crop-specific needs, liming, and soil testing and interpretation.
Research-based fertilizer rates by crop
Nitrates in Minnesota drainage water
Strategies to avoid nitrate losses from cropping systems that can both protect the environment and reduce fertilizer costs.
Soybean management can be complex and this webinar helps you sort out what you need, what you don’t need and what you might want to try. Also with the advent of insecticide resistant soybean aphid do we need to be rethinking our management strategy?
Presented by Seth Naeve, Soybean agronomist and Bob Koch, Soybean entomologist
Moderated by Ryan Miller, Extension educator
There are a number of important considerations when deciding which cover crops fit best with your operation. In this webinar, we discuss U of MN research to help match cover crop management strategies with your goals. Research results on potential benefits and limitations will be highlighted, with a particular emphasis on impacts on cash crop yield and nutrient management.
Presented by Axel Garcia y Garcia, Agronomist - Sustainable crop systems and Paulo Pagliari, Nutrient management specialist
Moderated by Liz Stahl, Extension educator
Additional resources will be available soon.
Additional resources
University of Minnesota cover crop website
Benefits, selection, establishment, maintenance, utilization and termination of cover crops.
Minnesota cover crop recipes
These recipes provide step-by-step guidance to some of the lowest-risk starting points for cover crops. They don’t cover the whole spectrum of possibilities, but they can help beginners get most pieces in place to incorporate cover crops into a farm operation.
Midwest Cover Crop Decision Tool
Select cover crops based on how it will be used, soil drainage, cash crop and flood risk.
The soybean gall midge: Will this insect drive changes in Minnesota soybean production?
Learn the latest information on this new Minnesota pest.
New disease challenges: Tar spot in corn and frogeye leaf spot in soybean
Soybean and corn crops continue to be challenged by various diseases. Some have long been in MN and we manage them with various levels of success, while others such as tar spot of corn and frogeye leaf spot of soybean are new and pose new potential risks and challenges.
Presented by Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist, and Dr. Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist
Moderated by Angie Peltier, Extension educator
Additional resources
Online unbiased, collaborative resources on important issues affecting field crops in the United States and Canada. The CPN is a product of Land Grant Universities.
Soybean gall midge in Minnesota soybean
How to identify and scout for this new pest and its impact on soybean.
- Soybean gall midge not only small orange fly larvae in Minnesota - Minnesota Crop News
- Soybean gall midge: Another insect pest of Minnesota soybeans (poster)
Update on tar spot in corn - Crop News, October 2019
Tar spot of corn - Gopher Coffee Shop podcast
Symptoms, conditions that favor this disease and how to manage it.
With the multitude of crop herbicide resistant trait packages available, chemical weed control has become more complicated, especially as herbicide resistant weeds continue to cause management challenges. A good understanding of weed biology and trait package options along with results from field trials implementing chemical and non-chemical methods will help you get the most out of your weed management investment.
Presented by Lisa Behnken and Jared Goplen, Extension educators - crops
Moderated by Ryan Miller, Extension educator - crops
Additional resources
Herbicide resistant traits in Minnesota and North Dakota
This guide clarifies which herbicides can be applied to various trait packages for our major crops.
Herbicide resistance management
Several articles with strategies for preventing and managing herbicide resistance.