Minnesota CropCast

• Turmoil and Opportunities in Minnesota Grain Marketing

  Ed Usset, Grain Marketing Economist at the Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota, joins us for this milestone 50th episode of Minnesota CropCast, recorded on September 12, 2025.Working with colleagues at the Center for Farm Financial Management and in Extension, Ed developed the acclaimed Winning the Game workshop series and manages Commodity Challenge, an online marketing education game that uses real-time cash and futures data. At the University, he also teaches Commodity Markets to undergraduate and graduate students.In this episode, Ed stresses the economic importance for grain growers to complete final marketing of any 2024 crop still in storage by this fall. He shares suggestions and target prices to help producers forward-price grain, drawing on seasonal post-harvest market patterns—especially critical during times of lower prices and weakened demand under current trade policies. He also reviews the potential financial impacts of economic constraints on U.S. feed grain exports, particularly corn in 2025.Finally, Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota Soybean Extension Specialist, discusses soybean export needs across Asian markets and what shifting demand means for Upper Midwest producers.

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• Dry Beans Acreage Increasing in Minnesota as an Alternative Crop

   In 1960, the number of farmers raising dry beans in Minnesota and North Dakota could be counted in single digits. The 2025 USDA Dry Bean Planting report showed 320,000 acres (22% of US production) in Minnesota and 630,000 acres (43% of US production) in North Dakota, thus placing Minnesota in 2nd place in US production ahead of Michigan and several other states. In this episode Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Minnesota Independent Crop Consultant, Darrol Ike and Mitch Coulter, Northarvest Bean Growers Association Executive Director, about the production and market expansion of dry beans in Minnesota. Farmers in the Northarvest (Minnesota and North Dakota) region grow a wide range of dry bean types including pinto, navy, black, dark red kidney, light red kidney, white kidney, Great Northern, pink, small red, and cranberry beans. Darrol reviewes some best management practices of successful dry bean growers concerning planting dates, populations, weed control and crop inputs. Mitch Coulter discusses dry bean markets, research, uses, exports and the increasing acreage for specific varieties of dry beans. Mitch also comments on legislative efforts to improve the usage and production of dry beans. Additional dry bean resources can be found at the Northarvest Bean Institute Website- https://beaninstitute.com/  and Northarvest Bean Grower Magazine which includes the annual Research Publication:  https://northarvestbean.org/beangrower-magazine/

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• Winter cereals are a great idea, but will they work in Minnesota? with Jochum Wiersma

  In this week’s CropCast, Dr. Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota extension small grain specialist is the guest for the podcast hosted by Dave Nicolai, Extension Crops Educator and Dr. Seth Nave, Extension Soybean Specialist. Jochum discusses the increases in both interest and acreage in winter grains in Minnesota such as Winter Wheat, Winter Barley and Winter Rye along with the renewed interest in growing other summer small grain crops such as Oats. Jochum provides a history of small grain production in Minnesota and an outlook for the future of small grain crops, he also reviews how the selection of small grain crops is influenced by changes in crop rotation, pest reduction and economics. For example, he discusses how rotations can control or reduce disease, insect and weed pressure. Thus, crop rotations can aid in the diversity in crops grown which can spread out fieldwork and harvest time and reduce risk. Jochum talks about the yield and genetic potential of growing new and current oat varieties for the conventional and organic markets along with the challenges of disease management in oats such as crown rust. Finally, Jochum discusses the recommended planting practices for the winter grains establishment concerning timing, tillage and proper placement within a recommended crop rotation. For more detailed crop selections and management recommendations please consult the University of Minnesota Extension field crop web site Small Grains.

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• Getting the most out of pre-emergence herbicides with Dr. Tom Peters and Dr. Debalin Sarangi

  In this week’s CropCast, Seth Naeve and David Nicolai welcomed Dr. Tom Peters and Dr. Debalin Sarangi to discuss “Getting the most out of pre-emergence herbicides” Dr. Tom Peters is a sugarbeet agronomist specializing in sugarbeet weed control at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, Dr. Debalin Sarangi is a University of Minnesota Extension Weed Scientist for corn and soybeans. Both weed scientists reviewed the highlights of the recently published University of Minnesota Crop News article Getting the most out of pre-emergence herbicides: It starts with your soil in terms of suggestions to aid early season weed control. Their review included a discussion of factors including soil type, moisture conditions, and soil organic matter content which can affect herbicide performance. They emphasized that timing plays a big role in efficacy when it comes to pre-emergence herbicides. These products can be applied before planting, at planting, or right after planting—as long as it’s before the crop emerges. They detailed the effects of soil pH and CEC, herbicide mobility, soil moisture, rainfall and herbicide degradation via specific herbicide types and modes of action which are also listed in the recent crop news article.These two gentlemen reviewed the crop growing season and early harvest results for sugarbeets, corn and soybeans in western Minnesota. They discussed early planting delays, limited seasonal rainfall, weed concerns and why some early yield results were better than expected. Factors such as genetic improvement and cultural management contributed significantly to the improvement for some area yields. Tom and Zach also provided advice on 2024 selection criteria when ordering corn and soybean (SCN tolerance) inputs as well as pest management & crop rotation of sugarbeets, corn and soybeans.Please join us for another lively Minnesota CropCast. 

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• Spring Planting Guidelines for Corn, Soybeans and Sugar Beets in Minnesota

  In this week’s CropCast, Dr. Seth Naeve, extension soybean specialist and David Nicolai, extension crops educator welcomed University of Minnesota and North Dakota State Extension Specialists; Dr. Jeff Coulter and Dr. Tom Peters. Dr. Jeff Coulter is an extension corn specialist and Dr. Tom Peters is an extension weed specialist in sugar beets. These three state specialists discussed optimum planting criteria for growers to consider when planting their 2025 corn, soybean and sugar beet seed inputs. They reviewed specific guidelines regarding the most favorable planting depths, planting dates, planting rates and soil temperature for these Minnesota crops. They covered the practices to ensure good seed-to-soil contact based on optimal soil moisture conditions when soils are deemed “in good dry conditions” as influenced not just by soil temperatures but also by variety maturity and calendar dates as we move in the last half of April. They also discussed whether to plant longer- or shorter-season varieties based on the calendar, planting delays and soil/moisture conditions. Early season weed control was favored in all crops, especially sugar beets when grown in longer rotations by utilizing appropriate pre-emergence herbicides favored by the incorporation into the soil profile via timely spring rains. For more detailed crop planting recommendations please consult the University of Minnesota Extension field crop web sites at Soybean Planting, Corn Planting or Sugar Beet Growing. 

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