Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota

Figure. Compare and contrast reproductive structures produced by different pigweed species. Image courtesy of University of Illinois Extension. While not everyone in northwest Minnesota has had the 'joy' of trying to manage waterhemp in broad leaved crop fields just yet, those that have can attest to the difficulty of trying to stay on top of a weed that can emerge long after both pre- and post-emergence herbicides have broken down.  Palmer amaranth is in the same family of weeds as waterhemp but as it is not native to Minnesota, has the capacity to produce large quantities of seed and a fast rate of growth is considered a noxious and invasive weed that is prohibited in Minnesota and must be eradicated. 

This article was written by Extension soil fertility specialist Dr. Dan Kaiser.   Sulfur has become an important crop nutrient applied to corn fields across Minnesota. Recent research has shown a benefit from applying sulfur in fields low in organic matter and in high residue situations where mineralization and release of sulfate sulfur from organic matter are limited. What can make sulfur application challenging is that the form of sulfur available for crop uptake is sulfate. Sulfate is an anion and, like nitrate, can leach deep in the soil profile where crop roots cannot reach. The addition of sulfur fertilizers to fall phosphorus and potassium applications leads to questions about what the best form of sulfur is. Choosing the right form is critical to ensure crops are not short of this necessary nutrient early in the growing season. Commercial sulfur fertilizer sources include either elemental or sulfate forms of sulfur. The difference between the two is that sulfate sulfu...

This news release was written by the SCN Coalition on September 10, 2019. For questions contact Julianne Johnston: jjohnston@morganmyers.com, (319) 233-0502. There are plenty of agronomic incentives to plant cover crops this fall. But for fields infested with soybean cyst nematode (SCN) there’s one watch-out: Don’t feed the nematodes. “If you have SCN in your fields, we encourage you to consider cover crops that are nonhosts and poor hosts for SCN,” says George Bird, Michigan State University nematologist and leader of The SCN Coalition. “It’s the single most damaging pest in North American soybeans, and once it’s in your fields, you can’t eliminate it completely, but you can manage it.” Researchers from The SCN Coalition have compiled this list of cover crops that are suitable to grow in SCN-infested fields without fear of providing a host for the nematode. The list is based on the results of checkoff-funded research published by Iowa State University and North Dakota State University...

This article was written by  North Dakota State University Extension agricultural and biosystems engineer Dr. Ken Hellevang and edited by communications specialist Ellen Crawford.  Wet field conditions mean harvested wheat may have to be dried.

The article highlighting this podcast installment was written by University of Minnesota Extension educators Ryan Miller and Brad Carlson.  In this installment of the Gopher Coffee Shop podcast, Extension educators Ryan Miller and Brad Carlson sit down with Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist with the Department of Soil Water and Climate, to learn about Dan and his role with Extension. We discuss nutrient management and best management practices (BMP’s) in Minnesota agriculture. What are BMP’s and how are they adjusted over time to adapt to changes in climate and agricultural production? We talk about these recent changes in agriculture and climate and BMP adaptations. About half way through the podcast we talk about newer technologies, the current economic conditions, and how farmers might adjust crop and nutrient management to “keep-it-simple” and maintain profitability. Enjoy! Nutrient Management Website: https://extension.umn.edu/crop-p...

Photo credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This article was written by University of Minnesota Extension manure management specialist Dr. Melissa Wilson. Manure application rate guidelines in Minnesota have recently been revisited and updated as needed to reflect recent research findings for nitrogen and phosphorus needs of crops.

The following article was written by University of Minnesota Extension IPM specialist Bruce Potter, entomologist Bill Hutchison and plant pathologist Dean Malvick. Note that in the northwest I am still looking for fields in Clay, Clearwater, Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau Counties.  Entomologists and plant pathologists at the University of Minnesota continue to document and understand changes in European corn borer (ECB) populations and corn diseases in our state. Each fall, approximately 150 corn fields are surveyed for the presence of corn borer damage (Figure 1), overwintering corn borer larvae, and corn diseases. During the growing season, weekly updates of ECB moth captures in black light traps are made available at: https://www.vegedge.umn.edu/moth-data/ecb-info . Funding from the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council has provided us an opportunity to improve these efforts. Figure 1. Overwintering European corn borer lar...

The following article was written by University of Minnesota Extension personnel working on nutrient management and soil health issues.   In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss soil health tests. What is the consensus definition of soil health? What should growers look for in soil health tests, and how should they go about testing their fields? What research is available in Minnesota tying soil health tests to crop performance and yield? Listen to the podcast View the podcast transcript Subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode on iTunes or Stitcher ! For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to Minnesota Crop News email alerts, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook , follow us on Twitter , and visit our website . Support for the Nutrient Management Podcast is provided in part by the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC).

The following article was written by University of Minnesota Extension plant pathologist, Dr. Dean Malvick. Note that symptoms of Goss's wilt are prevalent and, depending on the corn hybrid, often severe in northwest Minnesota. To read more about this disease click here and here . Although it is getting late in this growing season, it is worthwhile to take note of corn and soybean diseases that have developed in fields in Minnesota and the region. Several different diseases have been increasing in corn and soybean, and we continue to watch development of tar spot of corn in nearby states. Corn diseases Several different diseases have developed in corn fields in Minnesota this year. Physoderma leaf spot was a concern in southwestern Minnesota, especially in mid-summer. Bacterial leaf streak and Goss’s wilt also developed in multiple fields in southern and/or northwestern Minnesota, with bacterial leaf streak being most common again in fields with sweet corn. Mo...

Date of earliest, latest and average first 28 degree frost.   The corn cropping year can end due to physiological maturity or a 28 degree killing frost.   When looking at air temperature data from 1981 through 2010 for five different northwest Minnesota locations, the date of the earliest 28 degree frost ranged from September 13 to 20, the date of the latest frost ranged from October 25 to November 3 and the average frost date ranged between October 2 and 9 (Table 1).   Table 3. Date of earliest, latest and average first 28 degree fall freeze for locations in northwest Minnesota (source: U2U GDD calculator) Fall 28 degree freeze Moorhead Ada Crookston Thief River Falls Humboldt Earliest Sep 20 Sep 20 Sep 15 Sep 15 Sep 13 Latest Nov 3 Oct 29 Oct 25 Oct 25 Oct 25 Average Oct 9 Oct 6 Oct 5 Oct 4 Oct 2 Ideally, to allow some co...

Growing degree days (GDD).   Corn plants require heat in order to grow, develop and reach vegetative and reproductive milestones on their way to maturity.   Growing degree days (GDDs) are a way to determine how much heat a corn crop has accumulated after planting.  For each day, 50 is subtracted from the average of the daily high temperature (up to 86 degrees) and the daily low temperature (down to 50 degrees) to yield a daily GDD value ranging from 0 to 36.   Agronomists have determined the relationship between GDDs and developmental milestones like emergence, silking and physiological maturity. In seed corn catalogues companies provide a hybrid’s relative maturity, typically expressed in days.   Some companies also provide additional information about the GDDs required to reach physiological maturity.   Physiological maturity is also referred to as black layer, the name for a physical barrier that forms between a kernel and cob, rendering kernel...