UMN Extension Nutrient Management Podcast

Today on Advancing Nitrogen Smart we’re talking about the nitrogen cycle and managing soil fertility. What does 'the nitrogen cycle' mean, and how does it affect your management strategy? In what ways do temperature and moisture slow down or speed up nitrogen's window of usability? What are nitrification, denitrification, volatilization, mineralization and immobilization? How well do inhibitors work, when should they be applied? How does organic matter affect the nitrogen cycle? All these answers and more on today's episode.

Guests

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator
• Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist

Additional Resources

• Understanding nitrogen in soils
• Nitrogen smart fundamentals
• The nitrogen cycle
• The nitrogen cycle (YouTube)

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes.

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.

Cation exchange capacity and cation balancing are the topics of the day in this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast. What are the definitions of cation exchange capacity and cation balancing? How is CEC measured, and are those estimates reliable? What does the research say about CEC and CB and their role in a nutrient management strategy? What should farmers remember about cation exchange capacity and cation balancing for their own operations?

Guests:

• Fabian Fernandez, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Carl Rosen, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Timing of K application for corn and soybean production
• Chloride and soybean: What to know about potash fertilizer management
• Impact of cation exchange on corn K guidelines
• Four soil test myths that farmers should know
• Corn planting and nitrogen management: 5 things to consider
• Fall K fertilizer decisions: How should corn growers prioritize applying potassium?
• Potassium management: Maps showing soil clay type could help Minnesota farmers

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Click here to listen to all Nutrient Management Podcast episodes.

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 discuss nitrogen fertilizer management and surface water issues. When did we first become aware of nitrates appearing in surface water? What are some of the effects, and who is being affected? What are Minnesota's current nitrate-reduction strategy benchmarks - and are we on target to meet them? What are some of the challenges and success stories Minnesotans should know about? Which organizations can I contact if I'd like to become more involved?

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• MPCA Nutrient Reduction Strategy
• Nitrogen Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• HUC-8 Watersheds
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) in Minnesota

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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.

It's the end of March, which means it's time for the annual Spring Fertilizer Outlook. What are field conditions like throughout Minnesota? What early fertilizer application options might MN growers want to consider? Which early fertilizer application practices might MN growers want to avoid, and why? What are growers excited - or hesitant - about? What about N carryover credits in this more typical season? Our four panelists weigh in.

Guests:

• Fabian Fernandez, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca)
• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Are you overspending on fertilizer?
• FINBIN
• Don't apply commercial fertilizers to snow-covered frozen soils
• 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.

A lot of the conversation about nitrogen management centers around environmental issues, and in particular, nitrate levels in groundwater and surface water in Minnesota. Today we’ll discuss N management and nitrate levels in groundwater. What are some effects of elevated nitrate levels in both infants and adults? When were elevated levels first discovered in Minnesota? How do different soil types factor into nitrogen loss to goundwater? What's being done to address this issue at state, county and municipal levels? How do changing climate conditions affect how we proceed? All this and more on today's episode.

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• Nitrate in community water systems
• Drinking water in Minnesota
• How to interpret a water test for nitrate
• Minnesota Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes.

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 talk with four panelists throughout Minnesota about nutrient management and cover crops. What are some results of new research looking into incorporating covers into a nutrient management strategy? What are some of the specific rotations being measured, and why? What do farmers need to know about new manure management regulations and cover crops? How much of MN has incorporated covers? This and more on today's episode.

Guests:

• Lindsay Pease, Extension nutrient and water management specialist (Crookston)
• Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca)
• Bailey Tangen, Extension educator (Farmington)

Additional Resources:

• Land application of manure
• MPCA announces updated water permits now available to large feedlot operators
• Feedlot permits: What's new in 2025?
• Great Lakes Cover Crop Project

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Click here to listen to all Nutrient Management Podcast episodes.

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 we’re talking all about nitrogen-fixing biologicals. What's the best definition of a biological or biostimulant? Are they fertilizers, pesticides - or neither? In what ways do they interact with nitrogen in the field? Where and how are biological products tested? Which environmental factors might impact biologicals? How should they be properly transported and stored? How can farmers assess whether biostimulants might be right for their operation? All this and more on today's episode.

Guests:

• Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Carl Rosen, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• NCERA103.org
• Nitrogen-fixing biological products: Four Midwest experts weigh in on industry claims, on-farm research tips, and more
• Nitrogen-fixing biological products: New report summarizes research from across the Corn Belt
• "Fixation" in the soil: What you need to know  (article talks about fixation in the context of P and K)

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes.

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 talking all about variable rate nitrogen. What underlying information do we need to make decisions about VRN? What areas in the field might be prone to N loss? Should you only add extra N to high-yielding areas, or could a low-yielding zone also show positive responses? What effect could your overall management strategy have on a variable rate response? All this and more on today's episode.

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• Variable rate nitrogen and nitrogen advisory tools: Do they work?
• Nitrogen Smart
• Understanding nitrogen in soils

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes.

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.

Here we are in 2025. Today on the Nutrient Management Podcast, our panelists talk about how the practice of nutrient management has changed over the last quarter century. How have precipitation levels - and perceptions about precipitation - changed? What came before the current Maximum Return To Nitrogen management model, and what did the change address? How has U of M research contributed to sulfur nutrient management understanding? How has awareness of ground and surface water quality evolved? Finally, how has tech changed (or not changed) the practice of fertilizer management over the last quarter century? This and much more on today's show.

Guests:

• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Carl Rosen, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca)
• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Fabian Fernandez, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Nutrient management (UMN Extension)
• Register for Nitrogen Conference & Nutrient Management Conference

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Click here to listen to all Nutrient Management Podcast episodes.

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.

Nitrogen conservation and water quality are the subject of today's Advancing Nitrogen Smart episode. There's lots to cover so we're splitting the episode up into two parts. Today in Part 1, Brad Carlson and Jeff Vetsch unpack different conservation solutions, and what might be achieved from their adoption. In what situations might buffer strips, cover crops, and corn genetics play their part? What about using technology-such as active and passive sensors? How do any reactive mitigation costs compare with proactive nutrient management planning? This and much more on today's episode.

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• 2025 Nitrogen Conference
• How to interpret a water test for nitrate
• Nitrogen Smart

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast episodes.

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.