Crops Day will help plan your upcoming growing season

By CLAIRE LACANNE Guest Columnist

Farmers, if you’re thinking about your plans for the upcoming growing season, join University of Minnesota

Exten- sion for County Crops Day, where we will discuss crop management tactics and share research updates. There are lots of places you can get your information, and U of M Extension delivers research-based information to help you make decisions that benefit your farming operation and your bottom line.

Join Extension researchers for the latest updates in crop management on March 7, at 10:00 am — 2:00 pm at the Rice County

4-H building in Faribault.

Dr. Dean Malvick, U of M Extension plant Pathologist, will discuss crop disease management, highlighting corn tar spot and white mold, which are both present in this region of Minnesota. Since tar spot was first found in Minnesota in Fall 2019, the disease has been spreading in Minnesota and nearby states. Corn fields in southern Minnesota should be scouted throughout the growing season. Though corn tar spot hasn’t caused significant yield losses in Rice and Steele counties, it can cause significant yield loss under the right conditions. Multiple different fungicides applied at growth stages VT-R2 have been shown to be effective for reducing tar spot, and corn hybrids also vary in susceptibility.

U of M Extension corn agronomist, Dr. Jeff Coulter, will provide research updates on integrating mid-season application of nitrogen and sulfur into corn production. The results of this study will likely be of interest to corn producers. Additional nitrogen-related education will be presented in the upper mezzanine at the North American Farm and Power show in the afternoon of Friday, March 17.

Extension crops educator, Ryan Miller, will provide updates in weed management, covering research trials from the Rochester Extension regional office. Weeds take the top spot as the most problematic pest problem farmers manage, and Ryan will discuss management tactics as well as research results.

Pamela Stahlke Director of the USDA Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) St. Paul Regional Office, will talk about how to make the most of your crop insurance in 2023. Pamela will discuss a brief overview of the crop insurance delivery system, what’s new in crop insurance for 2023, and how to take advantage of existing crop insurance options to maximize risk management in today’s farming economy. Topics of discussion will include the double cropping soybean expansion, availability of Revenue Protection for oats and rye, and updates on livestock insurance products.

A few other hot topics will be discussed, including updates on soybean gall midge, which is an emerging pest of soybean. Though soybean gall midge has mostly been present in the western part of the state, it was found in Rice County in the 2021 growing season. Research about the soybean gall midge’s biology is ongoing, and researchers are exploring management tactics. Again, join us for this free event on March 7 in the Rice County 4-H building, 1900 Fairgrounds Drive, #17, Faribault, MN 55021. Lunch will be provided, thanks to partnership with KDHL and KRFO radio. n