Minnesota CropCast

Ed Usset, Grain Marketing Economist Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota was the guest for episode 39 of Minnesota CropCast. Since 2001, Ed has been writing and executing marketing plans for his mythical farms; a corn and soybean operation in Southwestern Minnesota and a wheat farm in the Red River Valley of Northwestern Minnesota. Throughout the discussion, Ed emphasizes the importance for grain growers to forward price their grain based on understanding seasonal market patterns after harvest especially during times of lower commodity prices. He also reviews some of the common mistakes in marketing in terms of timing grain sales. Finally, the discussion covers  how national production and international demand factors may impact the 2024-2025 marketing year.

This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Dr. Robert Koch, an Extension Entomologist in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota. Bob provided a comprehensive review and status of the Soybean Aphid infestations currently affecting commercial soybean acreage in Minnesota. Bob reviewed the basic biology and movement of soybean aphid over the years in Minnesota as well as the current economic thresholds for treatment. Bob emphasized that while correct field scouting techniques are important so are the scouting protocols for aphids on a regular basis through the early R6 (full seed) growth stage of soybeans. Also, he provided an in-depth discussion about the options for commercial insecticides when comparing the efficacy of single mode of action products compared to the use of mixtures of various foliar application products now on the marketplace. Finally, the use of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) techniques and the preservation of beneficial insects for aphid control was addressed as a major component of overall soybean aphid management.

This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Dr. Roger Becker, an Extension Weed Scientist in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.  Roger grew up in southwest Iowa on a beef and grain farm.  It was while he was attending Iowa State University (ISU) that he became interested in field research.  This led him to an internship at Monsanto with a weed scientist and then to graduate school at ISU in Weed Science. 

Dr. Becker came to the University of Minnesota in 1987 where his long and winding professional career began in earnest.  Roger’s research and Extension activities focused on issues of great contemporary importance where professional voids occurred.  For example, his earliest work was around groundwater contamination with herbicides that focused on weed management in forage crops.  Later, when a colleague in the Horticulture department who supported weed control for sweetcorn producers retired, Roger took on this role as well.

Dr. Becker began closely working with MDA and DNR when purple loosestrife was put on the noxious weeds list.  This weed was the thread that really connected Roger with the invasive species as well as the biocontrol, and regulatory communities.  Roger has been an instrumental player in the biocontrol of invasive weed species ever since.  

With Dr. Becker nearing retirement, this conversation reminds us of both the importance of Roger’s work, but also the varied and meandering route that academics sometimes take to make the largest impact for their clientele.  Please join Dave and Seth for another interesting MN CropCast episode.

This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Dr. Kenneth Blumenfeld, Senior Climatologist, Minnesota State Climate Office. Kenny provides an update about this season’s unusually excessive precipitation and its effect on the state’s field crops. In addition, Kenny discusses in detail that this winter and spring’s weather represents some unusual extremes not only in precipitation but also in atmospheric temperatures. Kenny also reviews how the warm but very dry conditions across Minnesota in January and February of 2024, led to a more active pattern and brought much wetter conditions to the state during the spring, along with continued warmth. Meteorological Spring, March through May, exceeded the 1991-2020 average (or "normal") precipitation across all of Minnesota, with about half the state exceeding normal precipitation by over 50%. 

March began on a very dry note, with extreme warmth. Kenny points to several excellent examples of the extreme variability of recent weather events such as in the Twin Cities, where a run of 33 days with no measurable precipitation that began on February 16th and continued through March 20th.  This became the 2nd longest streak without measurable precipitation on record and lead to the opportunity for early season spring field work in out-state, Minnesota. 

More recently, the proportion of Minnesota with above-normal precipitation grew to about 90% during April, with only the far north and a small part of the southeast coming in dry. However, by contrast, only 14 out of 30 days with measurable precipitation in the Twin Cities were warmer than normal for the date, meaning that wet days were slightly more likely to be cool. Season long, spring was warm, but it likely would have been even warmer without the switch to wet conditions, thus explaining the recent slower emergence of weeds and some field crops due to lower temperatures.

In episode 35 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Dr. Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist about early season precipitation, soil crusting and plant assessment of the 2024 corn crop in Minnesota. In addition, Seth, U of MN Extension Soybean Specialist, discussed how these same factors can affect soybean fields this spring. Jeff discussed delayed corn planting dates, desired soil conditions, corn planting populations and when to change corn maturity hybrid planting dates. Seth also discussed in detail the results of delayed soybean planting date research and recommendations for soybean planting populations.

Both Jeff and Seth referenced the University of Minnesota Extension Crop Management Web pages for Corn https://extension.umn.edu/corn/corn-planting and Soybeans https://extension.umn.edu/soybean/soybean-planting as excellent starting points to review guidelines, best practices and potential issues for planting as well as seeding rates based on University of Minnesota applied research trials.

 
In summary: Jeff discussed May and June corn planting windows, survival of flooded corn, populations that are adequate when not at optimal levels and recommendations for supplemental nitrogen fertilizer if needed. Seth discussed the scouting of early planted soybeans under weather stress, how recent rains were actually beneficial to alleviating some soil crusting and the awareness that seed treatments, while helpful, are not considered a long-term season long protection if wet soil conditions are excessive. Seth referred to the U of MN soybean management web pages which indicate that soybean planting in general as of May 22ndt can result in 90-95% of maximum yield while dropping to less than 90% of maximum yield as of May 29. 

This week’s CropCast from University of Minnesota Extension has as its guests, Liz Stahl, Extension educator - crops, and Dr. Bob Koch, Extension soybean entomologist and Director of Extension’s Institute for Agricultural Professionals. Liz provided an overview of the online U of MN Extension’s Strategic Farming program which is designed to address crop-related concerns in a weekly, research-based webinar with specialists in the field. Liz described how Strategic Farming's summer program, Field Notes, features live, interactive discussions with crop specialists addressing in-season issues as they arise. The series began May 8 and will continue through August on Wednesdays from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Crop producers and other ag professionals are invited to join for timely topics including weather, insect and disease issues, soil fertility concerns, agronomics, and more. You need to register only once to attend any or all webinars. Recordings of Field Notes sessions will be available as a podcast shortly after each live session at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming.

Bob provided an overview of the 2024 Field School for Ag Professionals, which will be held July 30 and 31 at the University of Minnesota Agriculture Experiment Station in St. Paul. This two-day, in-field summer event combines hands-on, interactive training with real-world field scenarios. The Field School program is targeted toward agronomists, crop production retailers, seed dealers, consultants, crop protection industry representatives, Extension educators, government agency personnel, and summer field scouts. The first day of the Field School program focuses on core principles in agronomy, entomology, weed and soil sciences to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge. The second day builds on this foundation with timely, cutting-edge topics that participants can self-select. Bob provided an in-depth discussion of the Field School sessions during the podcast. Detailed session descriptions of educational sessions and registration information may also be found at: https://extension.umn.edu/event/field-school-ag-professionals.

This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Tom Hoverstad, Researcher at the Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN. Tom provides an update about this season’s weather and its effect so far on the growth of the area’s corn and soybean crops. In addition, Tom discusses in detail that this winter at the Waseca Research and Outreach Center was the mildest recorded since 1931; a full 10 degrees warmer than normal.  The snowfall total was only 15.5 inches, which was 37 inches less than normal. Tom also reviews his guidelines for the successful planting and establishment of desired corn and soybean stands this April. Finally, Tom provides an in-depth analysis about the significant changes in weed species and management over the last thirty years across southern Minnesota.

In episode #32 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Dr. Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist about planting the 2024 corn crop in Minnesota. In addition, Seth, U of MN Extension soybean Specialist, discusses the outlook for soybean planting this spring. Jeff talks about optimal corn planting dates, desired soil conditions, corn planting populations and corn maturity hybrid planting dates. Seth also discusses in detail the results of early soybean planting date research and recommendations for soybean planting populations.

In episode #31 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Mitch Hunter, Associate Director of the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. In this podcast Mitch discussed the Forever Green Initiative (FGI) which is developing Kernza as the first commercially viable perennial grain crop.

  
Mitch is a native of Minnesota, and his parents continue to raise organic grass-fed beef in southeast Minnesota. His postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota focused on dual-use management of Kernza® intermediate wheatgrass for forage and grain production. Mitch did his PhD in agronomy at Penn State where he studied cover crop mixtures, climate resilience, and sustainable intensification.

  
In this podcast, Dave and Seth discuss with Mitch how and why  FGI is developing and improving winter-hardy annual and perennial crops that protect soil and water while driving new economic opportunities for growers across Minnesota. By combining these novel crops with traditional annual crops, FGI is to provide farmers with crops that can keep the soil covered all year round, or a “continuous living cover”.  Mitch outlined how FGI combines basic research with crop commercialization efforts, so that it can be profitable for farmers to produce these crops across rural Minnesota.

  
Mitch also highlights that the Cargill corporation recently awarded $2.5 million to the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota to support research into two novel oilseed crops—winter camelina and domesticated winter pennycress—that can produce vegetable oil for low-carbon transportation fuels while also protecting soil, improving water quality, and providing new revenue streams for farmers.

 A major emphasis of FGIis to combine basic research with crop commercialization efforts, so that it can be profitable for farmers to produce these crops across rural Minnesota. This comprehensive approach moves new crops out of the lab and onto the landscape, where they can make a difference for farmers, the environment, industry, and society.

  
The Forever Green Initiative is a research platform in the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Minnesota that includes over 15 crops, each supported by a multidisciplinary team that may include expertise in the areas of genomics, breeding, agronomics, natural resource sciences, food science, sociology, economics, and commercialization. It is housed in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics

Join Dave and Seth for a lively discussion on this week’s edition of Minnesota Crop Cast.

In episode #30 David Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Matt Pfarr.  Matt is a Field Solutions Manager for Lallemand Plant Care and a graduate of the Applied Plant Sciences graduate degree at the University of Minnesota.  We invited Matt into the studio to talk about his own history, his time at the University of Minnesota and Lallemand, and the biologicals business.  We had a great time.

Matt talked about his family’s strong ties to the University of Minnesota.  Not only did his father attend the U, but so did he and his three siblings (and their spouses).  All four have CFANS based degrees and his sister continues to work as a postdoctoral research geneticist with the Cereal Disease Laboratory. Matt worked on a soybean physiology project with Seth from 2014-2016.  His experiments were focused on environmental effects on secondary constituents of soybean seed. Today, his work forms the cornerstone of our understanding of the tradeoffs between protein quantity and quality in soybean that is important for Northern produced soybeans.  

Matt grew up on a farm in Sibley County Minnesota, in a family where hogs, crops, and wrestling ran deep.  Matt wrestled at St John’s University (MN) during his undergraduate years while his brothers were both well known Gopher wrestlers. Although Matt is fully employed by Lallemand, he continues to farm alongside his family making him a seventh-generation farmer on both his mother’s and father’s side. His mother’s investment on the farm is extraordinary including hauling grain, tillage and animal care.

The Lallemand company is one of the largest producers of yeast and bacterial cultures for the baking, brewing, enology, dairy and industrial ethanol industries. The company entered the plant care business only about twenty years ago through acquisitions of French, Finnish, Brazilian, Uruguayan, and Canadian companies. Today Lallemand is a key player in the plant biologicals space.  Dave and Seth chatted with Matt about the industry’s explosive expansion and the future of biologicals for crop farmers. Join us for another fascinating and far-ranging conversation on Minnesota CropCast.