Headland Highlights: Southeast Minnesota Update with Ryan Miller
Good day, and welcome to the University of Minnesota Extension and CFANS podcast, Minnesota CropCast. I'm Dave Nicolai, University of Minnesota Extension crops educator, along with my cohost, doctor Seth Nave, University of Minnesota Extension soybean specialist.
Seth:K. Welcome back, folks. This is Seth Nave, Extension soybean agronomist along with Dave Nikolai. He is a regional Extension educator, and we are chatting with Ryan Miller today. This is a short discussion with some of our folks that are out in the fields regularly.
Seth:We're starting a new podcast under the header of Minnesota CropCast, and we're gonna call this Headland Highlights. This is the the idea is to go out and chat with some folks and get a kinda read on what's happening out in the field in a more timely way. So we're here on Tuesday, April 14, the day before tax day, talking with Ryan Miller and just trying to get an update on what's happening in Southeast Minnesota. There was some heavy weather that went through last night, so we wanted to check-in and see about potential damage and rainfall, and then work backwards and and find out what kind of field activity has happened, prior to some of this weather that went through. So so how do things look down there in, in the Southeast, Ryan?
Ryan:Well, this morning the headlands were wet. So we had locally about an inch of rain, a little over probably. And so we had started we had had pretty decent soil conditions, but now we're well saturated in the area. And so that rainfall came in a shorter period of time with some thunder showers last night. So, ground is very saturated, we did see a little bit of movement of residue and soil in some locations, you know, where some of that water tends to kind of channel up and flow.
Ryan:But overall, I think a lot of it had an opportunity to kind of saturate or infiltrate the soil and kind of recharge things. You know, we haven't really done a lot of planting yet. I think folks that had small grains in their plan this this spring, were able to find some opportunities to get those planted earlier. If not, now we're starting to get a little bit on the late side with some of that if we're going to be held out of the field for another week with with some of that activity. But certainly some of that was, had happened.
Ryan:We'd see some field work, you know, people hauling manure, maybe a little bit of tillage, but really, you know, we've been quite cool, little bit below normal, I would say with our our temperatures. And so, not, not much they know of as far as early planting with, with soybeans and corn.
David:Well, Ryan, you're
Ryan:Oh, yeah.
David:That's You're in
Ryan:Yeah, Dave.
David:Yeah. Rochester area. Would you say your observations encompass a lot of Southeastern Minnesota? I know I I'm more up in the Dakota County area, but in down in Goodhue County area, there's been some fall, I should say in spite of fall nitrogen, we don't do in those areas, we've had a lot of spring application that I've noticed so far. Know, and hydrous ammonia nurse tanks going back and forth, dry fertilizer being applied in some of those lighter soil types pretty aggressively I think.
David:In some, I wouldn't call it primary tillage, would call it secondary tillage, you know, ahead of planting has happened in some of those locations. Has that been reflective of some of the counties in that Freeborn area and some of the other areas to to your south and east?
Ryan:Yeah. I think some of that preliminary work certainly has has begun. You know, like you said about a week ago is up your direction. There was pretty good activity on some of those soils there that kind of between Rochester, when you get closer to Cannon Falls, where it's maybe some coarser texture soils and things, quite a bit of activity. But yeah, we've we've seen some initial activity.
Ryan:It's just, it's been a slow start. We've been well below normal as far as our air temperatures and so things you know, you have to be a little bit careful to make sure fields are fit before you start to do a lot of work. But yeah, certainly some of that fertilizer application, because in this region, we get in the car's topography, we certainly don't do full nitrogen. It's just it's not a good practice at all either economically or environmentally. It's just it's not something we want to be doing.
Ryan:So there's been some opportunity to get those applications on in some cases, so some of that work is started. But again, it's one of those things that kind of as you know, we want to do that close to the time of planting because you know, a lot of our nitrogen demand with corn isn't going to come here for another couple of months. So you know this it's begun. I did pick up some fertilizer from one of our local co ops. Well, for planning our small grain trial last week and there was some activity but not, it wasn't a flurry.
Ryan:I didn't get the sense. We've also had some very windy days with conditions that aren't weren't real conducive for spreading fertilizer or spraying any kind of herbicides. So, you know, we've been dealing with those challenges also. So
Seth:Yeah. Overall, things are just a little bit delayed. I think We kinda had some, you know, a little hint to some really summery weather back in March, and that got people going. I know one of my cousins down in Northern Iowa, you know, he planted a half section of soybeans back, I think, at the March, early early May when we had a early late March, early April when we had a little bit of warm weather there before before Easter. And so I'm interested to hear from some folks.
Seth:So if anybody's online and is listening and knows some early planted soybeans, they can certainly check back with any of us and let us know where those fields are so we can come out and take a look at those. I'm really interested to hear. I'm sure some early soybeans probably got snuck in here or there.
David:Well, in terms of what is it, you know, we're going to take, we talked about the seven day forecast here before we started this morning and sounds like it's more typical and normal little bit of rain here. But Saturday, Sunday coming up, does sound, going back in cold situations. Well, temperatures be highs only in the forties. So does it look like next week or you know, at least another week yet here, Ryan?
Ryan:Yeah, I would say next week probably with our current forecast, we've got chances of precipitation in the Southeast section of the state, you know, periodically until this weekend. And then this weekend, like you mentioned, they're predicting overnight lows below freezing. So folks aren't real excited to get going with those kinds of conditions. I mean, you'd be muddying it in and you would just really want to wait till the fields are fit to plant and just make sure we're ready to go when that opportunity arises. So we've also been monitoring for some insects, part of some of the work that Bruce Potter is still coordinating some of these things, looking for black cutworm and true armyworm.
Ryan:And, know, it's been slow, but it's cool overnight. And that's when you get a lot of moth activity. So we've had some windy weather that we likely have seen some moths come in, but in the traps that I've got, we haven't really, picked any up. And I got an exchange via email with Bruce yesterday, I believe. And he said there's been a little bit of action with some of the black cutworm with the bigger catch, I think he said about up in McLeod County.
Ryan:But again, it's been cool overnight. And so it's been kind of limited in some of that activity, I think. And I would expect now with with some of the weather that's blowing in and with some of these warmer temperatures, might start to pick up on on that. And that'll be important to pay attention to as we start planting them because as those insects lay eggs and the worms start to develop, they can create a risk for corn that's planted in the coming week or so. So, anyways, it'll be interesting to to watch.
Ryan:But, again, I think this week, it's if the forecast holds for sure, we're we're looking into next week before any, great activity.
Seth:Dave was on campus I'm coming back to soybeans again. So Dave was on campus planting soybeans yesterday for us. And what did you find for soil conditions and soil temperatures yesterday on campus?
David:Well, I think I'm gonna give credit where credit is due because I think Seth, you were one of them that was actually helping to push this out the door, wanting to try this since it's a little bit of a demonstration for field school that we are running the July this year. And we've wanted to do this before and it's one of those things where you have to, I guess, you know, thread the needle so to speak, getting it in. And we did plant soybeans, couple of blots in different populations. Took soil temperature and at two inches, Ryan, we were about 58 degrees. Now this is a lighter soil type and fairly forgiving here in this part of actually we're in Ramsey County, I guess.
David:But in terms of it, so it's not a really very high organic matter or peak type soil. So we'll see how that goes and what the temperature fluctuates and so forth. And so that might be a good opportunity to have a little bit in. But I was going to ask you also about another crop and that's alfalfa. You're in Southeast Minnesota.
David:Are those things are you gonna be watching for? Should people be looking at or what do you look for if you're going out these alfalfa fields and wanna see how things came through the winter?
Ryan:Well, right. And I think that's it's time to kinda make some of those evaluations. And I'm hearing rumors that that winter was pretty tough again on some of those alfalfa crops. And I know I'd I'd drill past a larger field that's kinda south and east to Rochester that the farmer had started to work up areas that, you know, hadn't made it. And I don't know what his plan is for for rejuvenating that probably based on what the age of the stand looks like.
Ryan:Once temperatures kind of click around here and it warms up a little bit, certainly would be the opportunity to, to plant some alfalfa back in into those spots, you know, because it's I mean, if you wanna talk about that, but it it it looked like a newer seating that didn't didn't make it, you know, so I don't know if it was later in fall. We were kinda dry and then the winter conditions here were just terrible for for overwintering crops. We had we had what was developing to be kind of a normal winter when you look into late November and December and then right around Christmas time, things warmed way up. Or maybe it was just after Christmas, warmed way up. We had some rain showers and the snow all melted, then the temperatures just plummeted.
Ryan:So we had ice sheeting in places and, you know, that kind of up and down temperature pattern with with water sitting and then freezing, just not a good good situation for for things that wanna try to overwinter. And, so that was kind of our scenario. And then we kinda had an open winter with some cooler temperatures and then, you know, kind of clicked maybe a little bit more normal as we got later into winter. So certainly presented some challenges as far as having an alfalfa crop over winter this year. And so those are the rumors and so folks wanna kind of get out there and evaluate those stands.
Ryan:Think now is the time to really do it because evaluating our winter cereal trial that Jocham is hosting down here in Rochester. Early on, it's kind of tough to tell what's what's making it, what's not making it. And once it kind of warms up here, it's pretty clear now which varieties have made it through the winter and which which haven't. And so, again, it's a great time now, would say, to get out and make those final decisions on what you're going to do with things that didn't overwinter.
David:Well, very good, Ryan. Well, thanks for your time this morning. Any last comments or words on things that we didn't touch on here in terms of crop status and immediate future in in your area of the state?
Ryan:No. We'll have to wait until we get some more things planted and and see see how the season progresses.
David:Well, we appreciate again you taking time. We're going to be doing a number of these shorter what I call updates or opportunities with some of your coworkers and different parts of the state here as we go forward. So it's always good to touch back and we we have your number and we will be in contact to get some updates with you as the spring and summer progresses. So thanks again. This has been Dave Nicolai with University of Minnesota CropCast and our new shortened feature here along with Doctor.
David:Seth Nave, University of Minnesota soybean specialist and Ryan Miller, extension crops educator located in Southeastern Minnesota out of the Rochester area. Thank you.
