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 GeneticsJoin 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.

In episode #29 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Dennis Todey, Director of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, Iowa. In this podcast Dennis discussed and reviewed the major factors involved with this winter’s above-average temperatures and lower than average snowfall/precipitation. Dennis also reviewed the effects of warmer than average El Niño and anticipated La Niña and its possible effects on upper Midwest agricultural weather events for the 2024 cropping season.Dennis is a native Iowan with his BS and PhD from Iowa State in Meteorology and Agricultural Meteorology. He has spent two stints in South Dakota, first completing his MS at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and most recently as Associate Professor and State Climatologist for South Dakota at South Dakota State University before moving to the Midwest Climate Hub, based in Ames, Iowa.The mission of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub is to develop science-based, region-specific information and technologies alongside USDA agencies and partners, and deliver these products to agricultural and natural resource managers that enable climate-informed decision-making. The Midwest Climate Hub produces several climate related publications and on-line tools. One such publication is the Midwest Climate Hub monthly which utilizes NOAA and USDA outlooks, placing them in context for agriculture in the Midwest based on current impacts. The most current Midwest Ag-Focus Outlook can be found here.Join Dave and Seth for a discussion with Dennis Todey on this week’s edition of Minnesota Crop Cast.

In episode #28 David Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Gary Muehlbauer, head of the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.  Although Gary no longer has an official research appointment, he continues a very active research program with a large lab and significant outputs.  His research position is focused on wheat and barley molecular genetics. One research area is directed towards Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat and barley. Another is focused on developing and integrating genomics resources into barley breeding programs.  Others involve identifying genetic variation in wild barleys for use in germplasm enhancement, and to genetically characterize a collection of barley tillering mutants.In his role as Department Head, Gary has been instrumental in modernizing the physical space and teaching efforts within the department.  Gary managed the remodeling of classrooms and conference spaces as well as the main office.  He is supporting faculty teaching more engaging courses and working to recruit both undergraduates and graduate students from across the state of Minnesota and beyond.  Join Dave and Seth for a discussion with Gary Muehlbauer on this week’s edition of Minnesota Crop Cast.

In episode #27 of Minnesota CropCast, David Nicolai and Seth Naeve sit down with Jim Anderson from the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.  Jim is the Spring Wheat Breeder at the UofMN and has released at least 19 cultivars and has been co-developer of 8 others.  Jim is well known in all of the small grains communities.  He speaks regularly with farmers and commodity organizations, and he is a leader in the wheat breeding community.  Jim is a pioneer in breeding technology with research focused on identifying genes underlying economically important traits and implementing marker-assisted and genomic selection for cultivar and germplasm development.  He also leads plant improvement programs focusing on intermediate wheatgrass (Kernza®), and field pennycress.  Jim is also an extremely active advisor for graduate and undergraduate students and teaches in the classroom.  Please join Dave and Seth for a conversation about breeding for established and developing crops for Minnesota on this week’s CropCast.Please join us for another lively Minnesota CropCast.  

In episode #26 of Minnesota Crop Cast, David Nicolai and Seth Naeve sit down for a chat with Tom Slunecka, Chief Executive Officer of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSPR&PC) https://mnsoybean.org/msrpc Tom grew up on a beef ranch in central South Dakota, received his degree from SDSU, and went on to serve in a number of roles in the ag sector. Tom led important contemporary farmer focused programs with both public and private organizations. Tom is a true servant to Minnesota and U.S. agriculture. Tom joined the MSR&PC in 2012 and continues to support farmers in their efforts to increase economic and environmental sustainability and resiliency.Tom led the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) https://mnsoybean.org/msga and the MSR&PC in efforts to develop the Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) https://aginnovationcampus.org in Crookston, MN. The AIC is a soybean processing plant and much more. It is an incubator for agricultural innovations that develops novel products and increases the value of agriculture. The AIC fills an important space between the public and private sectors to support creativity that would otherwise not flourish. Tom provides an update on Phase 1 and discusses future phases at AIC.The Minnesota Ag Expo https://mnagexpo.com takes place in Mankato, MN at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center on January 17 and 18, 2024. Tom talks about the importance of this annual event for Minnesota corn and soybean growers. It is a time for legislative resolutions and much more. There are 24 excellent speakers scheduled, including the UofM’s own P.J. Fleck. There is a jam-packed trade show, University of Minnesota researchers on hand, and lots of time and space for chatting with farmers and folks from across the Ag industries. Join Dave and Seth for a conversation with Tom Slunecka today.Please join us for another lively Minnesota CropCast.  

David Nicolai and Seth Naeve were fortunate to have an opportunity to chat with Dr Rex Bernardo early in the new year.  Dr Rex Bernardo is Professor and Endowed Chair in Corn Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.  Rex is a futurist and a lifelong learner.  His accomplishments are a testament to his knowledge, drive, and foresight.  Rex’s work has focused around marker assisted selection in corn for nearly thirty years.  He has been working with big data since the data was small.  In this CropCast, Dave and Seth chat with Rex about his research and his novel views on teaching and outreach that employ hooks to generate interest in students and general public.  Please join us today for another lively Minnesota CropCast.