Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota

This article was written by Angie Peltier and Dean Malvick and Jeff Nielsen, Michael Leiseth and Joe Wodarek at the UMN Northwest Research & Education Center in Crookston made very significant contributions to getting this Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council-sponsored project done. Thank you also to Marc Cartwright, Pioneer Seeds, for the head's up on the between-the-row commercial sprayer equipment. Purpose of Study White mold in soybeans has always been difficult to manage. The fungus that causes this disease produces long-lived survival structures and has a wide host range, causing economic losses in many crops important to NW MN, including soybean, edible beans, sunflower and canola.   Partial resistance in soybean varieties means that in years in which weather favors disease, some yield loss is still likely to occur. Similarly, while there are several protectant fungicides labeled for white mold management, sub-optimal canopy penetration and coverage at the ...

This article was written by University of Minnesota Extension educator Jodi DeJong-Hughes. Like many annual events, this year’s Soil Management Summit (SMS), formerly known as the  Conservation Tillage Conference or CTC, has had to make the transition from in-person to online.  The SMS planning committee wants to ensure the health and wellbeing of participants, vendors,  and everyone else involved in the summit's production while maintaining the high standard of  programmatic content the event has provided over the years. As the COVID-19 situation has evolved,  the committee made the decision that this event will be offered online only. The Soil Management Summit  (SMS) emphasizes proven farmer experience and applied science. Straight from the fields, learn how  heavier, colder soils aren’t necessarily the challenge they’re made out to be. Hear from long-time no-till, reduced tillage and cover crop farmers as they share their experiences, so ...

Beginning this Thursday and for most Thursdays until January 21, there will be a series of farm transition-related webinars held over the noon hour. The following article was written by University of Minnesota Extension Ag Business Management educator Amber Roberts. General Information Join farm and land transition professionals each week as they provide educational information on transition topics each Thursday from Noon - 1:00 PM. Each week a different topic will be highlighted from goal setting, family communication, estate planning, retirement planning, and many more. Following the 30 minute presentations there will be a Q&A session and participants will receive a follow-up email with additional resources. This is a free virtual webinar series and all meetings are held through Zoom. For the best experience, please download the Zoom application for desktop.  Topic by Date Nov 5 - Where to Begin? Assessing Transition Readiness. Identify the beginning steps for cons...

This article about Regional Farmland Rent Meetings was written by the University of Minnesota Ag Business Management team.  Information about this workshop Recently, farmer profits are down and farmland rental rates have declined slightly while commodity prices have decreased significantly. These factors make determining a fair profitable farm rental agreement a challenge in today’s economy. University of Minnesota Extension Farmland Rental Workshops help farmers, landlords and ag professionals determine a fair farmland rental rate. Presenters review historical rental rates throughout Minnesota and use data-driven decisions to help determine a fair value for land. This is a free virtual workshop held through Zoom. For the best experience, please download the Zoom application for desktop. For help with registration, contact Katie Carr at katiec@umn.edu or 612-624-7182.  Registration information  Crookston Regional Farmland Rent Meeting, November 30, 2020, 10 AM. ...