UMN Extension Nutrient Management Podcast

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, four U of M researchers discuss the Maximum Return To Nitrogen (MRTN) approach to corn N rate guidelines. What is the MRTN and why was this system implemented? What are the pros and cons of the MRTN approach and how is it performing? What should corn growers know about alternative approaches to the MRTN? Will there be any changes made to the MRTN approach in the future? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss fertilizer prices and supply chain issues. Extension educator Brad Carlson is joined by: Jim Carlson, Vice President of Agronomy at United Farmer's Co-op in Winthrop, Minnesota; Russ Quinn, ag market reporter for DTN/The Progressive Farmer and a farmer in eastern Nebraska; and Josh Linville, Director of Fertilizer at StoneX Financial. Where are fertilizer prices right now and how do they compare to the recent past? Why are fertilizer prices so high right now? What are price ratios and why is this an important metric to watch? How are farmers reacting to the high prices and fertilizer availability concerns? What should growers be thinking about in terms of fertilizer purchasing decisions and nutrient management planning this fall and next spring?Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss soil management and nutrient issues.How do erosion and tillage practices impact nutrients in the soil and nutrient management? After a dry spring and summer, what should growers know about soil and nutrient management heading into the fall? How can farmers better manage soils to avoid nutrient issues? Are cover crops a good idea this year?Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss sulfur.How has atmospheric sulfur deposition changed over time and why does it matter for farmers?How did the dry conditions this year impact sulfur availability? Do dry soils mean sulfur responses will be greater? Do dry soils affect which source of sulfur growers should use? What do we know about interactions between sulfur and other nutrients? What should farmers thinking about applying sulfur for the 2022 crop keep in mind?Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

 In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, four U of M researchers discuss fall fertilizer decisions.With rising prices, what are some ways growers can save on fertilizer costs this fall and next spring?With the dry conditions, is there anything growers need to be thinking about regarding nutrient availability or soil testing that might arise this fall if conditions stay dry? Is this a year that a soil nitrate test might be useful? Is there anything related to changes in the U of M fertilizer guidelines that growers should be aware of?Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss starter fertilizer issues. What makes liquid starter fertilizers risky when applying on or near the seed? Should growers adjust their liquid in-furrow application rates in dry years? Is it a good idea to mix liquid fertilizer with fungicides or insecticides?Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, four U of M researchers discuss irrigation and nutrient management.What is deficit irrigation and could there be an important role for it this year if it stays dry?What's the best approach to nitrogen fertilization in irrigated corn, and what should farmers keep in mind when applying N in irrigated fields?Is there an advantage to using fertigation over traditional fertilizer applications?What should growers know about variable rate irrigation and variable rate fertigation?Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss potassium management. What key factors impact potassium availability in soils? Currently, Minnesota suggests banding potassium is more efficient than broadcast application. What are your thoughts on the band versus broadcast debate? There have been some questions over the winter related to potash application on soybean. What are some key takeaways from your research and should farmers consider alternative forms of potassium fertilizer?Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, four U of M researchers discuss continuous corn nutrient management. What are the most challenging aspects of continuous corn production? Which key nutrients are impacted by residue breakdown and how can continuous corn growers manage residue to limit nutrient tie-up? What has recent research told us about how to maximize yield in a continuous corn system? Are there any other practices, not specifically related to fertilizer management, that may interact with a soil fertility program that growers should be aware of for continuous corn production? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, two U of M researchers and Dave Franzen from North Dakota State University discuss wheat nutrient management. Why is nitrogen important for wheat production? What makes managing nitrogen more challenging for wheat than for corn? What was the rationale behind recent changes to the wheat nitrogen guidelines in North Dakota? What are the best management options for ensuring high wheat yields that maintain protein near 14%? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, five U of M researchers discuss drainage research. Could there be different nitrogen guidelines in the future based on drainage status? Is older research in Minnesota on drainage systems still valuable or have changes in climate and crops mean we should re-look at some of these topics? Where do conservation drainage technologies such as bioreactors fit economically in our cropping systems? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

 In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers and independent agronomist Matt Wiebers discuss on-farm research and nitrogen rates. Matt walks us through his AFREC-funded on-farm research project and what he's seen the last few years with regards to nitrogen rates. University researchers weigh in with their thoughts on Matt's research and how recent university data compare. Then the group discusses where the nitrogen guidelines might be heading and the future of on-farm research. Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

 In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss nutrient interactions. What are nutrient interactions and how important are they to crops? Which nutrient interactions are of concern to crop producers? What can you do to avoid misinterpreting plant tissue analysis results due to nutrient interactions? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss our manure nitrogen guidelines. What are the most important considerations when making a nutrient management plan for manure application? Is it possible to put a value on the nutrients in manure? How does manure fit in with the maximum return to nitrogen (MRTN) approach used in the current nitrogen fertilizer guidelines? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

 In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss liming. Which crops benefit the most from lime application? What should growers look for in a liming material? How are the university's lime recommendations developed? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, four U of M researchers discuss fall fertilizer management. What were summer growing conditions like across Minnesota? Is there any nutrient management research currently underway that crop producers may be interested in? What should growers consider when making fall fertilizer decisions? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast. 

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, two U of M researchers discuss manure management. What manure-related events and educational programming are coming up? What's the latest on the liquid swine manure sidedressing research project? How is the manure N & P credit study going? What should farmers keep in mind about manure management heading into fall? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, four U of M researchers discuss current growing conditions around the state and give us an update on their research projects. What questions have Extension researchers been getting this year from Minnesota growers and consultants about nutrient management? Is there anything growers should be aware of when making nutrient management decisions for 2021 based on this year's growing conditions? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss alfalfa nutrient management. Why is managing soil inputs important for alfalfa producers? What are some key points that growers should consider when making nutrient management decisions for alfalfa? Does timing matter with alfalfa fertilizer application? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers and a special guest from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture discuss nitrogen economics. How does the sale of nitrogen fertilizer in Minnesota break down by source, and what trends have we seen in nitrogen use for crops in Minnesota? Are farmers shifting towards more on-farm storage of nitrogen fertilizer, and what do farmers interested in storing and applying their own fertilizer need to be aware of? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss biostimulants. What are biostimulants and what products are currently on the market? What classes of products are gaining a larger foothold in agriculture? What does research in Minnesota say about these products? Should farmers be taking a greater look at biostimulants? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss optimal phosphorus and potassium levels in the soil. What are some key takeaways that growers should know about interpreting soil tests? Environmentally, what is the threshold at which we should avoid applications to prevent significant nutrient loss? Is there really an optimal soil test level that farmers should shoot for? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, three U of M researchers discuss nitrogen management. Should growers consider split-applying N? Is fall urea too risky? Is ESN worth the cost? Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, five U of M researchers discuss their 2019 research projects and what they'll be studying in 2020. Topics include sulfur sources, urea timing, split application of N, banding P and K, soil health tests, cover crops, irrigation management, variable rate N technologies, the pre-plant nitrate test, and more. Thank you to Minnesota's Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for supporting the podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss precision agriculture and nutrient management. What is the current state of precision agriculture? Which areas can growers benefit the most from incorporating precision ag technologies into current farming systems? Is precision agriculture part of the answer for reducing nutrient loss to ground and surface waters? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss fall soil sampling. Is there a best time to take samples in the fall? What is a good strategy for sampling banded fields? Grid versus zone sampling, which is the better option? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss fall fertilizer economics. How early is too early when planning nitrogen applications? Are we looking at a year where farmers should be considering inhibitors? What makes the most sense economically for all fertilizers this fall? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In Part Two of this special episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we shift the focus to the larger Root River watershed, examining how a buildup of older sediment sources can muddy the waters, both literally and figuratively, for water quality. Topics include the unexpected benefits of nuclear testing, regions trapped in their own history, when to focus on practices versus results, and making water walk instead of run. Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In Part One of this special episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss what happens when soil and nutrients leave a field. Extension educator Greg Klinger is joined by Kevin Kuehner from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Root River Field to Stream Partnership in southeast Minnesota. How much of the soil and nutrients that leave farm fields in the region actually end up in the streams and rivers of the region? Greg and Kevin explore how dissolved nutrients and soil-attached nutrients move at different speeds through watersheds, road ditches as sediment control structures, the value of digging holes in the Driftless region, and how we often underestimate the value of existing conservation practices. Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss soil health tests. What is the consensus definition of soil health? What should growers look for in soil health tests, and how should they go about testing their fields? What research is available in Minnesota tying soil health tests to crop performance and yield? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, we discuss considerations for fall fertilizer applications. Given the conditions this spring, if fertilizer was applied to a field which didn't end up getting planted, does fertilizer still need to be applied this fall for the 2020 crop? Is there anything new related to nitrogen which growers should be considering for fall application considering our recent wet growing seasons? What about P and K? And micronutrients? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

Part Two of this special episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast examines what you can learn when you install equipment that collects all the runoff water from a field. What nutrients are being lost in surface runoff? Critical times for runoff, the difference between high-runoff soils and high-erosion soils, what can be done to limit nutrient losses when the ground is frozen, and Olympic-size swimming pools of runoff are all discussed. Extension educator Greg Klinger talks about the Root River Field-to-Stream Partnership in southeast Minnesota with Kevin Kuehner, from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Ron Meiners, retired Root River Soil and Water Conservation District Manager. Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In Part One of this special episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, Extension educator Greg Klinger facilitates a discussion about the Root River Field-to-Stream Partnership in southeast Minnesota.He's joined by Kevin Kuehner, from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Ron Meiners, retired Root River Soil and Water Conservation District Manager. The episode explores the question: How do you build a soil and water conservation project that brings everyone to the table? The podcast tackles the ideas of critical source areas, the needed density and intensity of soil conservation practices, sediment conveyor belts, and all the other things you learn when you walk over 8,000 acres of fields for conservation practices. Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, University of Minnesota researchers meet in Crookston at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center to discuss their ongoing research across the state. Listen to the podcastSubscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode on iTunes or Stitcher!For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to Minnesota Crop News, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and visit our website.View the podcast transcriptSupport for the Nutrient Management Podcast was provided in part by the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC).

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, University of Minnesota Extension specialists and educators review spring planting and crop conditions in Minnesota. What should farmers be thinking about going into early summer related to nutrient availability? What takeaways can we make from these two challenging springs we've had in a row?Listen to the podcastSubscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode on iTunes or Stitcher!For the latest nutrient management information, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or visit our website.View the podcast transcriptSupport for this project was provided in part by the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC).

In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, University of Minnesota Extension specialists and educators discuss agricultural drainage and nutrient management. What happens when we drain soils? How does drainage impact crop production and water quality? How can we minimize nutrient loss through drainage systems? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode, Dan Kaiser, Fabian Fernandez, Anne Nelson, Greg Klinger, Brad Carlson, and Jeff Vetsch discuss post-planting management of nitrogen. How important is nitrogen applied prior to planting? What options are available to farmers to apply nitrogen at or after planting? Should inhibitors be included? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode, Dan Kaiser, Lindsay Pease, Melissa Wilson, and Jeff Vetsch discuss phosphorus and potassium application in a late spring. Should growers be concerned when applying P and K if soils are wet? Is it better to delay planting and get fertilizer applied? Are there options to apply P and K post-planting? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode, Dan Kaiser, Carl Rosen, and Jeff Vetsch discuss micronutrient deficiencies. What crops are sensitive to micronutrient deficiencies? How accurate are tools such as soil tests or tissue tests in predicting micronutrient deficiencies? If someone encounters a deficiency in season, can foliar application of micronutrients correct it? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.

In this episode, Fabian Fernandez, Dan Kaiser and Jeff Vetch discuss sulfur. What does the research say about fall versus spring application? What is the best source of sulfur for corn? Should farmers be concerned about an interaction between nitrogen and sulfur? Thank you to the Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council (AFREC) for their support of this podcast.