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Showing posts from October, 2019

USDA Encourages Affected Producers to Contact Insurance Agents for Delayed Harvest

The wet conditions this fall have left farmers unable to reach fields or harvest crops.  If you still have spring wheat in the field know that October 31 is the last day your crop is insured.  Corn and soybean producers have a bit more time to harvest as the end of the insurance period is December 10. Taking time to communicate with your insurance agent is key as these important deadlines approach.  Below is a press release from the USDA's Risk Management Agency. Producers can file a Notice of Loss and request more time to harvest WASHINGTON, October 24, 2019 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said today that producers who currently participate in Federal crop insurance and are experiencing a delay in harvesting their crop should contact their Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) to file a Notice of Loss and request more time to harvest.

MN Cover Crops "Recipes" now available

This article was written by Anna Cates, UMN state soil health specialist, Liz Stahl, Extension educator and Axel Garcia y Garcia, Assistant Professor Cereal rye interseeded into corn. Wondering how to do cover crops? UMN Extension, in collaboration with the Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC), has produced cover crop “recipes” for two scenarios: Post corn, going to soybean and Post soybean, going to corn.

Haney soil test webinar available

This article was written by Liz Stahl, UMN Extension educator and Anna Cates, state soil health specialist. The Haney test, a test for soil health, is being used to assess biological activity in the soil.  Growers are using these tests to qualify for programs, explore their soil health, and in some cases, plan crop fertility needs. However, many questions remain about interpreting Haney test information, especially for Minnesota soils.

Managing frosted forage crops on prevent plant acres

This article was written by Dr. Jared Goplen, UMN Extension crops educator stationed at the regional Extension office in Morris. While northwest Minnesota was able to largely avoid the prevent plant situation that greeted some in central and southern Minnesota, not all forage crops may have escaped unfrosted.  Temperatures in much of the state have already been below freezing, or will be soon. If you are still planning to graze or mechanically harvest forage on cover crop acres it is important to keep forage species in mind as some species can have toxic effects on animals.  Is my forage crop safe? Harvesting sorghum-sudangrass for forage.

Nutrient Management Podcast: Fall fertilizer economics: What to know this year

Nutrient management communications specialist Paul McDivitt recently posted this article on the MN Crop News. In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss fall fertilizer economics. How early is too early when planning nitrogen applications? Are we looking at a year where farmers should be considering inhibitors? What makes the most sense economically for all fertilizers this fall?

Rain in 2019: A year for the record books at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center

Flooded soybean field in Crookston, MN, October 11, 2019. This article was written by Michael Leiseth, who works as a researcher 2 at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center (NWROC) in Crookston. He is responsible for collecting and compiling the center’s weather data. Recently, I was asked to compile the last 5 years of growing season rainfall. Growing season being April through October. This sparked my curiosity. How does the 2019 growing season stack up against the spread? You may have heard that this year has been extraordinary, but just how extraordinary has it been?

A challenging soybean harvest is ahead for Minnesota

Dr. Seth Naeve, UMN Extension soybean agronomist wrote this article for MN Crop News. Soybean field near Crookson, MN, October 11, 2019. Photo:  Angie Peltier Whether it’s ‘insult to injury’ or a ‘nail in the coffin’, rain and snow beginning on October 10, 2019 was not the weather that soybean farmers were looking for. Even in a normal year, rain during the second week of October is not welcome. But, add snow, cold temperatures, and a hugely delayed crop maturation to the mix and we have a real mess on our hands.

Update on tar spot of corn in Minnesota

Tar spot on corn in Minnesota. Source: Dr. Dean Malvick, UMN Extension plant pathologist. This article was written by Dr. Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension plant pathologist for MN Crop News. As reported last week in Minnesota Crop News, tar spot of corn was found and confirmed for the first time in Minnesota in late September in southern Fillmore County. This find raised the question of whether tar spot also occurs in other areas in Minnesota. Now we know that tar spot has developed in multiple field and counties in Minnesota.

A second species of gall midge associated with widespread white mold in Minnesota soybean fields: Factors that favored both

This article was written by UMN's James Kurle, plant pathologist; Bob Koch, Extension entomologist; Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist; and Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist for MN Crop News. Part 2. The fungus. Why was white mold so prevalent in 2019? Figure 1. White mold mycelium with sclerotia on senescing soybean stem. Photo: R. Koch

Gopher Coffee Shop podcast: Urea as a nitrogen source

In this installment of the Gopher Coffee Shop podcast, Extension educators Ryan Miller and Brad Carlson sit down with Fabián Fernández, Extension nutrient management specialist with the Department of Soil Water and Climate, to learn a little about Fabián’s background and to discuss urea use in Minnesota. Did you know that urea has surpassed anhydrous ammonia as Minnesota’s primary nitrogen source for crop fertility? We discuss urea application timings, current climate trends and implications for urea use, and urea loss processes. It was an interesting discussion and by the end of the podcast you should better understand efficient and effective use of urea as a nitrogen source. Enjoy!

Tips from the pros for applying manure in adverse weather conditions

This article was written for MN Crop News by Chryseis Modderman, Extension educator - manure management (Morris, MN). Here we go again, another wet fall. Many manure applicators around the state are having flashbacks to last year and bracing to face those challenges once again. Last year, Minnesota farmers, on average, had about seven days between harvest and substantial snowfall or ground freeze in which to apply manure. And certain areas – I’m looking at you, southern MN – had far less than that.

Join us for the 15th annual Conservation Tillage Conference, St. Cloud, MN, December 17-18

This article was written by UMN Extension educator Jodi DeJong-Hughes on behalf of the conference planning committee.  UMN Extension would like to invite you to the 15th annual Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) on Dec 17-18 at the Holiday Inn in St. Cloud, MN.  The CTC is more than reduced tillage, it provides information and research on all aspects of soil health.  The 2019 CTC will feature:

Soil compaction and ruts: What can you do?

This article was written for MN Crop News by Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator. Minnesota has experienced an extremely wet year. As of September 12th, Minneapolis has had the second-wettest year in weather records. It is no wonder that growers are concerned about harvest equipment causing ruts and compacting the soil. How do ruts affect yield?

Fall versus spring corn harvest

Angie Peltier, UMN Extension and Joel Ransom, NDSU Extension Recent wet weather.   The winter storm that brought with it rain and then snow to northwest Minnesota dropped between 0.5 and 4 inches of rain (Figure 1).  This topped off an already wet month, with total rainfall ranging between 5 and 15 inches (Figure 2).  Figure 1. Between October 5 through 12, the region as received widespread precipitation amounts between 1 to three inches. Source: National Weather Service.

2019 European corn borer survey

What is the European corn borer and why should I care? The European corn borer (ECB) is a moth that lays eggs on the undersides of corn leaves, but it’s the larval stage of its life cycle that poses a risk to corn (Figure 1).   Larvae initially feed on leaves and when they get bigger tunnel into stalks and ear shanks.   Tunneling affects a plant’s ability to transfer nutrients throughout the plant and can reduce yield by reducing kernel weight and number.  Tunneling can also let in stalk rotting fungi and result in stalk breakage and ear drop. European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). Photo: Clemson University, USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org.

Building an Industrial Hemp Industry In Minnesota

The article below introducing a report detailing how Minnesota can build an industrial help industry  was posted on the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute's website . AURI is pleased to present this preview of an upcoming Minnesota Hemp Value Chain Analysis report to the growers, governments, supply chain sectors and end users who are engaged in the emerging hemp industry in Minnesota. With the interest in industrial hemp growing both nationally and internationally, and the passage of the 2018 farm bill allowing cultivation of the crop in the U.S., AURI has decided to put together this comprehensive report, which provides an overview for the history and background of hemp around the globe and the United States. The report also gives an overview of the primary areas of opportunity for hemp value-add in Minnesota. It covers areas with the most potential, including food, fiber, CBD, fuel and feed. Additionally, the report discusses the challenges that lie ahead on the r

Beware of ergot-contaminated livestock feeds

The following article was issued by NDSU agriculture communication on September 19, 2019. For details regarding the editor or authors of this article, scroll to the end.  Note that the cool, damp weather that delayed small grains planting in parts of North Dakota, mentioned by plant pathologist Dr. Andrew Friskop also occurred throughout the southern counties in the northwest crop reporting district in Minnesota. Ergot has been found in several parts of North Dakota. Although ergot is not a new problem in North Dakota, more of it is being documented in several areas of the state, according to Gerald Stokka, North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. Ergot is a fungal disease that can develop in grasses and cereal grains, and it can be toxic to livestock that consume it. “Ergotism is generally a sporadic disease that can affect ruminants, horses, swine and humans,” Stokka says. “Clinical signs in cattle are gangrenous (d

Annie's Project Program to be held in Blackduck: Monday, November 4 through Monday, December 16

The following description is found on the program's website.  Annie's Project is a workshop for women on management and decision-making in the complex, dynamic world of agriculture. Annie's Project is designed to empower farm women to be better business partners through a six-week series of risk management education sessions covering the business of farming and ranching. Dates and Times:  Monday evenings from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. A meal will be served at 5:30 PM. Course runs for 6 consecutive weeks. Attendees should plan to be at all 6 sessions. November 4, 11, 18 December 2, 9, 16 For more more information regarding registration and cost for this program, check out the program's event website here .

Resources for Help with Farm and Rural Stress

The wet weather this fall has added to the typical stresses experienced during fall harvest. Farmers: as you wait for fields to dry a bit to finish small grains harvest, lift beets and start on soybean and are waiting for corn to mature and dry down a bit, know that members of your family and your friends and neighbors are thinking about and rooting for you. As you continue to wait for more favorable field conditions please don't think that you are alone during this stressful time.  There are people, organizations and resources that are available to help. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has compiled a list of these resources on a printable brochure . From the brochure: Help with Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Feeling 'Stuck' and Crisis Situations