UMN Extension Nutrient Management

Precision drainage means using soil characteristics and field topography effectively, capturing soil water efficiently, maintaining a uniform water table across the field, and controlling the amount of water that leaves the field - depending on seasonal trends and crop needs.

Precision Drainage Begins with Soil and Water Basics “Precision” has been the trend in agriculture for the last few decades. Advancements like auto-steering, yield monitors, remote sensing/imag...

For years, some tissue testing labs and crop consultants have advocated using a strict total N/S ratio (e.g., aiming for a 15:1 or 12:1 ratio) to diagnose sulfur deficiencies. The logic seems sound: if N goes up, S must go up to maintain the balance. But what does the research say?

Nitrogen to sulfur ratio: Should S fertilizer rate increase as N rate increases? As commercial corn yields continue to climb, optimizing input efficiency is no longer just about deciding how much nitrogen (N) to apply. To...

Recent shocking wind erosion events in Minnesota were the result of many factors coming together to create a “perfect soil storm”.

Why does this matter and what can you do to reduce wind erosion potential?

READ THE BLOG POST: https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2026/06/generations-of-future-crop-productivity_0596652462.html

What should farmers know about soil types and tile drainage when making sidedress decisions?

Sidedressing nitrogen: The rationale, past research & potential risks in split-applying Sidedress application in Faribault, MN. Photo: UMN Extension Brad Carlson and Dan Kaiser discuss sidedressing in today's Advancing Nitrogen ...

Saline soils, poor drainage and the high calcium carbonate content of soils in the Red River Valley result in reduced soybean yields, but research is looking at how to overcome those challenges.

Research looks at how to make soybean yields more competitive in northwestern Minnesota Saline soils, poor drainage and the high calcium carbonate content of soils in that region result in reduced soybean yields, but research is looking at how to overcome those challenges.

The research showed that the drainage benefited soybean yields in dry years because it removed the snowmelt from fields and resulted in warmer soil temperatures so the crop could be planted earlier in the spring than undrained plots.

Removing the snowmelt water also allowed sugarbeets to be planted earlier than if the field was not drained, which resulted in yields that were higher than in previous wet years when the crop was grown on the acreage.

Study looks at effects of drain tile on yields and nutrient loss Research at the Northwest Research and Outlook Center in Crookston showed fertilizer application shouldn't change when a field is tiled. But drain tile seems to increase yields for some crops.

When it comes to in-season fertility, the crop itself is one of the best diagnostic tools a grower has — especially in a year when rainfall could be spotty and nitrogen losses could be uneven across the field.

“The easiest thing that they can do is just watch the crop, pay attention to the crop, look to see, does it start to get that yellow tint to it,” said Jeff Strock, Professor with the University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton. A 12-inch or two-foot soil sample remains the gold standard for checking nitrate levels, but plant symptoms can flag when a side-dress — or, in wetter conditions, an aerial application — is warranted.

The same head-on-a-swivel approach applies to weeds, diseases and insects. Strock urged producers to scout regularly, stay in close contact with their agronomists and watch especially for late-season pests like soybean aphids.

For now, his message to Minnesota farmers is a steady one. “Sit back and do what you can out there. Pay attention to your crop and watch it grow,” Strock said, “and make sure eventually you get that combine tuned up and ready for fall.”

UMN Southwest Research & Outreach Center American Ag Network

Cool Start, Dry Topsoil: Minnesota’s Spring Crop Is Off to a Quiet Start (LAMBERTON, MN) — Spring planting across southern Minnesota has unfolded in much the same rhythm as last year — early field access, good seedbeds and farmers that wasted no time getting the crop in the ground. The

The optimum window for making sidedress nitrogen applications in corn is narrower – and potentially earlier – than many growers might realize.

Is Your Corn Sidedress Strategy Ready For The V10 Surge? Agronomists explain why nitrogen must be present in the root zone well before the crop’s daily demand peaks.

Dry conditions combined with cooler temperatures may be resulting in apparent nutrient deficiencies. Where soil tests show nutrients are adequate, any deficiencies showing up in corn at this point are likely cosmetic. Once soils warm up and plants and roots start to more actively grow, plants should be able to better access nutrients in the soil.

Strategic Farming Field Notes: Planting progress and decisions after a cool spring By Liz Stahl, Extension Educator – Crops, Jeff Coulter, Extension Corn Agronomist, and Matt Pfarr, Extension Educator-Crops Corn emerging in...

"The most important N is pre plant. The beet needs enough N to develop leaves that cover the row. The leaves act like a solar panel to bring in energy and convert it to sugar. By July 1, the rows are closed and there's enough mineralization to produce a good quality beet." - John Lamb

Sugarbeet nutrient management: Best practices, guidelines & new research for MN growers Photo: University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota is the nation's top producer of sugarbeets by acreage. Today we're discussing sugarbeet n...