UMN Extension Nutrient Management Podcast

Brad Carlson and Dan Kaiser discuss sidedressing in today's Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast episode. What's the big-picture rationale behind sidedressing? How can sidedressing or split-applying be beneficial in terms of avoiding nitrogen loss? Since nitrogen uptake isn't linear, what growth stages coincide with peak daily demand on the crop? Are there any significant risks in starting a sidedress application early in the season? What have past experiments shown regarding positive and / or negative responses to sidedressing? How should inhibitors be used with sidedress / topdress? What should farmers know about soil types and tile drainage when making sidedress decisions? This and much more on the 37th episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• Things to consider when sidedressing nitrogen
• Split-applying nitrogen for corn: Three keys for successful sidedress applications (YouTube)
• What's the right PSNT number? New research refines the critical threshold for corn nitrogen decisions in Minnesota
• Are split applications of nitrogen fertilizer in Minnesota worth it?
• Supplemental nitrogen fertilizer: Is it time to pull the trigger?

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Minnesota is the nation's top producer of sugarbeets by acreage. Today we're discussing sugarbeet nutrient management on the Nutrient Management Podcast. What are the fertilizer guidelines for sugarbeets right now, and how are they revised? What sugarbeet research studies are currently underway at the University of Minnesota? Are there any considerations when fertilizing sugarbeets with manure? What should farmers know about micronutrients, or about timing? What makes sugarbeets such effective nitrogen scavengers? All this and more on today's episode.

Guests:

• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• John Lamb, Professor Emeritus in Department of Soil, Water and Climate (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• Sugarbeet fertilizer guidelines
• New sugarbeet fertilizer guidelines for Minnesota: What to know about nitrogen and micronutrient management
• ManureDB
• Unharvested sugarbeets in your fields this spring? Here are some nutrient management considerations
• Tissue sampling tips for corn, soybean, sugarbeet and wheat
• Urea and sugarbeet stand loss: Should growers change how they manage nitrogen?

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Support for the Nutrient Management Podcast is provided by Minnesota's fertilizer tonnage fee through the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC). Learn more at MNsoilfertility.com.

We’re talking all about nitrate management and placement as important factors for reducing nitrogen loss to water on today's episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast series. Different forms of nitrogen have their own potential for loss. How does nitrogen already in the nitrate form differ from ammonium for example? How does basic soil science slow down or speed up nitrogen transformation? Why can't nitrates be easily stabilized in the fall in Minnesota? How do other factors like pH affect nitrogen transformation? This and much more in today's discussion.
 
Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• Nitrogen placement: What MN farmers should know about depth, incorporation, loss pathways, and more
• How 4R Nutrient Stewardship can help Minnesota farmers
• Four things I’ve learned about nitrogen management for corn based on a decade of research in Minnesota
• Six observations from six years of tile sampling for nitrates in southeast Minnesota
• Nitrogen BMPs and nitrate water quality issues in southeast Minnesota: What should growers be thinking about?

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Brad and Jeff continue their discussion about variable rate nitrogen technology by zeroing in on the pre-sidedress nitrate test (PSNT). What are key differences between the PSNT and the pre-plant nitrate test (PPNT)? What growth stage should the crop reach before taking a PSNT? How have sampling and storage procedures evolved from past years? How variable can samples actually be within the same zone and between zones? What should farmers watch out for when interpreting test results? Do different methods of N application produce different PSNT results? How about timing? Manure? What's N's 'critical value' in Minnesota? All these answers and more in-depth discussion on today's episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Jeff Vetsch, Lead researcher, Southern Research and Outreach Center (Waseca)

Additional resources:

• What’s the right PSNT number? New research refines the critical threshold for corn nitrogen decisions in Minnesota
• Video: 6 takeaways on the pre-sidedress nitrate test
• Tips for Accurate Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Tests
• Split-applying nitrogen for corn: Three keys for successful sidedress applications
• Understanding nitrogen in soils

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Early April means it's time for the Spring Fertilizer Outlook here on the Nutrient Management Podcast. Our panel of four specialists and researchers begin by discussing current field conditions throughout Minnesota. World events affecting farmers and other ag professionals are top-of-mind right now. How is price volatility impacting input planning - or is it? Should farmers consider changes to their management plans, and /or potentially cut back on specific inputs? If so, which ones and why? Does soil testing become more important during times when other costs are high? As our panelists talk with farmers across Minnesota, what silver linings and bright spots have they noticed in today's ag environment, and why is it important to keep these in mind? All this and much more on today's episode.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Jeff Vetsch, Lead SROC researcher (Waseca)
• Lindsay Pease, Extension nutrient and water management specialist (Crookston)

Additional Resources:

• cornnratecalc.org (MRTN rate calculator)
• Are you overspending on fertilizer?
• Drought conditions overview
• Phosphorus: Rate guidelines, sources & best practices for Minnesota, Midwest farmers
• Do biostimulant seed treatments boost soybean yields? New study across 103 locations in 22 states says no
• Nutrient management

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Support for the Nutrient Management Podcast is provided by Minnesota's fertilizer tonnage fee through the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC). Learn more at MNsoilfertility.com.

Brad Carlson and Jeff Vetsch talk about variable rate sensors on today's Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast episode. What is meant by the term 'active sensors' and what data do active sensors capture? Which specific brands of sensors have the Southern Research and Outreach Center (SROC) researched, and how did they perform? What stage does corn need to reach before sensors can best contribute to variable rate decision making? How do other field variables like soil texture or irrigation systems contribute (or not) to variable rate sensing? Join us today for part one of a two-part discussion on variable rate technology with Brad and Jeff.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Jeff Vetsch, Lead researcher at the Southern Research and Outreach Center (Waseca)

Additional Resources:

• 5 Things to consider for sensor-based nitrogen management
• Variable rate nitrogen and nitrogen advisory tools: Do they work?
• Variable rate technology: How should farmers evaluate outcomes?
• Things to consider when sidedressing nitrogen
• Nitrogen smart
• Nitrogen

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Today on the Nutrient Management Podcast we discuss phosphorus with experts from Minnesota and across the Midwest. Why are Midwest phosphorus guidelines different from state to state? Are Minnesota's current P guidelines satisfactory - or do states' P guidelines need revision? Would a P-rate calculator that incorporates economics be a useful tool, similar to nitrogen's MRTN calculator? What 'Phosphorus & the 4R's' tips and suggestions do our Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois and South Dakota panelists recommend for area farmers? Nitrates and water quality issues continue to be top-of-mind - would switching P sources be beneficial? What new and ongoing phosphorus-related research projects are panelists watching? All this and much more on today's show.

Guests:

• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• John Jones, soil fertility, plant nutrition, and nutrient management research, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)
• Jason Clark, Extension soil fertility specialist, South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD)
• Manbir Rakkar, assistant professor, soil fertility and nutrient management, The Ohio State University (Brewster, OH)

Additional resources:

• Understanding phosphorus in Minnesota soils
• Videos of the 2026 Nutrient Management and Nitrogen Conferences are now available
• Phosphorus fertilizer sources: What are the differences and which one should you use?
• Is 'fixed' P lost? 4 things to consider
• Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Support for the Nutrient Management Podcast is provided by Minnesota's fertilizer tonnage fee through the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC). Learn more at MNsoilfertility.com.

Today on the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast we speak in-depth about the recently-revised Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy with Matt Drewitz from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. What are the goals of the MN Nutrient Reduction Strategy, and how are they being addressed specifically? Are we on track to meet our objectives? How have environmental changes over the years affected our progress? How have wastewater treatment plants contributed to the effort, and what have we learned from them? What kinds of other practices can be leveraged to meet the goals of the NRS, and how should farmers approach these ideas? Who's a farmer's point of contact with questions about adopting these practices? All of this on today's episode, recorded on the road from the recently held Nutrient Management Conference in Mankato, MN.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Matt Drewitz Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy
• One Watershed, One Plan
• Addressing nitrate in southeastern Minnesota
• The state of Minnesota's soil health: How many farmers are doing no-till, cover crops, and more
• Edge of field N and P reduction strategies: What to know about conservation drainage practices
• Videos of the 2026 Nutrient Management and Nitrogen Conference presentations are now available

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Today we’re going on the road with a conversation recorded during the Minnesota Association of Social and Water Conservation Districts' (MASWCD) annual conference. Mike Schultz, district manager at the Le Sueur County SWCD talks with Brad Carlson about actual methods of incorporating conservation practices into the landscape. What are general categories of conservation practices? How are watershed plans written, and how do they address a balanced set of interests? Which practices tend to appeal to farmers the most? What kinds of resources can a County SWCD provide? What are some examples of successful implementation? Are there cost-share programs available - and if so how do farmers find them? All that and more on today's episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Mike Schultz, district manager, Le Sueur SWCD 

Additional resources:

• Le Sueur County SWCD
• Soil and Water Conservation District Directory 
• MN SWCDs (from the MN Board of Soil and Water Resources)
• Minnesota Nutrient Reduction Strategy
• Nitrogen Smart
• One Watershed, One Plan

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at [email protected].

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Today on the Nutrient Management Podcast we discuss all things manure as we head into spring. Our three manure nutrient management specialists and researchers talk about recent updates to ManureDB (the online manure database). Why was ManureDB created, and what makes it a helpful tool for farmers and producers? What's the status of current and future manure research projects? How can Minnesota farmers partner with the University of Minnesota manure team for on-farm research projects? What are some top-of-mind best practices for sampling and safety as we head into the growing season? All of that and much more on today's show.

Guests:

• Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Eduardo Garay Lagos, manure research manager (St. Paul)
• Nancy Bohl Bormann, manure nutrient management researcher (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Introducing ManureDB: A new way to view manure variability and trends 
• Manure Management
• How to put together a manure management plan
• 'Manure is complicated': 5 Reasons you need a manure management plan
• Manure sampling and testing: Variability, guidelines & safety for your operation

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