Agronomists visiting northwest Minnesota (and eastern North Dakota for that matter) may be amazed to see just how quickly crop producers are able to complete their spring fieldwork to take advantage of as much of the short growing season as possible. As seedlings begin to emerge, the producers and these visiting agronomists alike might also notice that there are field areas from which no crop seedlings emerge. Some of these bare areas may never have had either crop or weed seedlings emerge throughout the growing season and the bare area may increase in size over time.
Of additional concern; many continue to farm these unproductive acres, working the soil, planting seeds, spreading fertilizer, and other inputs as if expecting a crop were to be produced. So not only is this land not producing a marketable crop, costs associated with inputs mean that these bare areas start out the growing season as a negative asset.
To learn more about both what causes these unproductive field areas and what practices could be employed to help make every acre pay, join the University of Minnesota Extension for the Making Every Acre Pay series of webinars to be held on January 15, 22, and 29, 2021 from 8 to 9 a.m.
Speakers and topics will include:
Naeem Kalwar, NDSU Extension soil health specialist
Tanner Bruse, Pheasants Forever ag and conservation programs manager
Alan Lepp, NRCS assistant Minnesota conservationist – field operations
Jan 15 – Soil Health 101 and Remediation. What are characteristics common to NW MN soils? What is it that makes them susceptible to becoming unfavorable for crop growth and development? Can work investigating crop salt tolerance help in remediation?
Jan 22 – Dollars, Cents, and Yield Maps. Comparing and contrasting: what the research tells us about cropping or making a change on underperforming acres. Objectively analyzing yield maps to identify parcels that cost more than they earn.
Jan 29 – More Options for Under-Performing Acres. What in the world do under-performing acres have to do with hunting? Are there federal or other programs that might be a good fit for under-performing acres?
About the training: Pre-registration is required. You will not be able to access the Zoom meeting room without first pre-registering and receiving the secure Zoom link and passcode from Extension staff.
To register: Register at z.umn.edu/MakingEveryAcrePay2021
ALL attendees MUST pre-register prior to the event and must be able to access the Zoom platform to be able to view the training. If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact Heather Dufault at (218) 280-1129 or email pohl0024@umn.edu.
