Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota

This article was written by Ryan Bergman, program coordinator in ag technology with Iowa State University Extension and originally posted to ISU Extension's Integrated Crop Management website. Prior to spring field operations, ensuring your equipment is ready can save valuable time and reduce stress when windows get tight due to weather conditions. The sprayer is a critical piece of equipment in most crop production operations. Ensuring your sprayer is mechanically sound, clean, and properly setup will help ensure quality and timely applications of spring fertilizer and pesticides. Nozzle selection and setup The spray nozzles are a critical piece of quality spray applications. Take time to look at the products you plan to apply in 2020 and evaluate if the nozzles you already have will work well with those products at the speeds and pressure you plan to operate in. Some chemicals like dicamba and 2,4-D products have strict nozzle requirements whereas other produc...

Join University of Minnesota Extension soil health specialist Dr. Anna Cates, NRCS resource soil scientist Brandon Defoe and Red Lake Falls crop producer David Miller for Soil Health Cafe Chats next week. Cates will discuss moderating our cover crops expectations, Defoe using the Haney soil test to measure available nitrogen and soil health and Miller cover cropping practices that have worked on his farm. Monday, March 2, 2020 - 6 PM - Community Center, St. Hilaire, MN - RSVP by noon on March 2 by calling Cindi at (218) 683-7030 Tuesday, March 3, 2020 - 8 AM - Uptown Cafe, Warren, MN - RSVP by noon on March 2 by calling (218) 745-5232. These events are sponsored by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, NRCS, Northwest Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation Districts, University of Minnesota Extension and several Ag Lenders in Pennington, Warren and Red Lake Counties. Meals will be served at these events. To reserve your se...

Do you farm land that you own and rent for a crop that you then sell?   Does your license to purchase and apply restricted use pesticides expire on March 1, 2020?  Do you prefer to not take tests? Do you want to learn new things? If the answers to all of these questions is "yes", and you live in northwest Minnesota there are three remaining private pesticide applicator training events to be held in the region this month: Feb. 7 , 1 to 4:30 PM, Crookston : Youngquist Auditorium, NW Research & Outreach Center, University of Minnesota - Crookston campus Feb. 19 , 1 to 4:30 PM, Thief River Falls : Auditorium, Northland Community & Technical College, 1101 Hwy. 1 East, Thief River Falls Feb. 25 , 1 to 4:30 PM, McIntosh : Community Center, 240 Cleveland Ave. SW, McIntosh Licensees will be able to renew their unexpired private pesticide applicator's license for three years by paying a $75 fee and either taking another test (paper or online) or attending a re-cert...