UMN Extension Nutrient Management Podcast

Today we discuss cover crop usage and explore factors which can impact water quality and reduce residual soil nitrate loss on the Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast. How do cover crops help capture residual soil nitrate that corn leaves behind late in the season before it can be lost to water runoff? Why are early-harvested crops like corn silage and small grains ideal scenarios for getting sufficient cover crop germination and biomass growth in Minnesota? What makes winter annuals like cereal rye the top-performing choice for overwintering and protecting water quality in northern climates? How can farmers prevent potential agronomic risks from cereal rye, such as nitrogen tie-up, moisture depletion, and crop seedling diseases? What do long-term drainage plot studies reveal about the actual percentage reduction of soil nitrate and edge-of-field water loss when using cover crops? All this and more in our 43rd episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Anna Cates, Extension soil health specialist (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• Cover Crops
• Hybrid winter rye nitreogen management: 5 key takeaways for Minnesota growers
• What are my best options for terminating a cereal rye cover crop this spring?
• Nitrogen study looks at two cover crops' potential to reduce nitrate leaching
• Strategic Farming: Let’s talk crops! session talks frequently asked questions regarding cover crop

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

It's early / mid October in Minnesota, which means it's time for the fall manure outlook on the Nutrient Management Podcast. Minnesota's manure application rate guidelines have been updated for corn-corn and corn-soybean rotations. What are some of the results of theses changes? What was the reason to update the guidelines? What weather conditions might we experience with the predicted 2026 Super El-Nino? Knowing these, are there changes that farmers should make to their fall best practices? ManureDB (the online manure nutrient database) recently had a large data set added to it. What does the new data mean for the end user? Are micronutrients included in ManureDB's data? In the world of on-farm research what’s currently happening - and how can farmers get involved? Important upcoming events for manure technicians, and farmer questions round out today's episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast.

Guests:

• Nancy Bohl Bormann, manure nutrient management researcher (St. Paul)
• Chryseis Modderman, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (Morris)
• Stephen Gregg, on-farm research manager and outreach specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Manure rate recommendation update: What's new and important considerations
• What's manure worth? (calculator)
• Calculating manure application rates
• Online Commercial Animal Waste Technician (CAWT) Recertification Workshop
• Introducing ManureDB: A new way to view manure variability and trends
• How to put together a manure management plan
• Six inch soil temperature network (MDA)
• "El Niño" is Coming. What Might That Mean for Minnesota's Weather?
• Sulfur for Minnesota Soils
• Welcome to the Manure Management Research Group | Wilson Lab
• Manure Management for Small Farms and Horse Owners
• Contact Nancy Bohl Bormann, Chryseis Modderman and Stephen Gregg: manure@umn.edu

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Support for the Nutrient Management Podcast is provided by Minnesota's fertilizer tonnage fee through the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC). Learn more at MNsoilfertility.com.

Manure nutrient management is uniquely complex, and we discuss some reasons why on today's Advancing Nitrogen Smart episode. What specific factors make manure management far more complex than applying standard chemical fertilizer? How do digestive systems and diets cause nitrogen availability to differ across various livestock species? Why does nitrogen availability decline so rapidly when manure is left exposed on the soil surface, and how much may be lost to atmospheric evaporation within a just few days? How can farmers optimize their fertilizer investments and evaluate whether their crops received sufficient nitrogen using late-season testing? These questions and more on today's 42nd episode of Advancing Nitrogen Smart.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• How to put together a manure management plan
• Nitrogen availability of different manure types: What we know and what we are researching
• Manure use benefits and barriers: Insights from a survey of farmers and advisors
• Introducing ManureDB: A new way to view manure variability and trends
• Tips for fall manure application and how to avoid nutrient loss

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Dry edible beans are an important Minnesota crop, and we explore them further on today's Nutrient Management Podcast. We talk with four experts from around the Midwest about your dry bean questions: What are some similarities and differences managing for dry edible bean versus soybean, for example? What should farmers keep in mind about growing in the Red River Valley, or Southern Minnesota, or elsewhere in the Midwest? What does recent research indicate pertaining to dry bean? What major yield-limiting factors do farmers need to be aware of when growing dry edible bean? All of this and much more on today's episode of Nutrient Management Podcast.

Guests:

• Kristin Simons, research agronomist, North Dakota State University
• Ana Carcedo, broadleaf agronomist, North Dakota State University
• Bijesh Maharjan, Extension specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Taking another look at nitrogen requirements for dry bean production in Minnesota
• Fertilizing dried edible beans in Minnesota
• Fertilizing pinto, navy, and other dry edible bean
• Black and navy bean row spacing
• Pinto bean row spacing
• MN CropCast: Dry bean acreage increasing as alternative crop

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

How do soil health practices—such as minimizing disturbance, maintaining ground cover, and promoting biological activity—interact with the 4Rs of nitrogen management to reduce runoff and nitrate leaching into water sources? How does nitrogen release (mineralize) or become tied up (immobilize) in residue depending on soil moisture, temperature, and microbial activity? Are biological soil tests (like the Haney test and Solvita CO₂ burst) precise tools for calculating exact fertilizer rates, or should they be considered general risk indexes? What role do strong soil structure and expansive root systems play in maximizing nitrogen uptake? Brad Carlson, Anna Cates and Dan Kaiser discuss this and much more on the 41st episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Anna Cates, state soil health specialist (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• Soil health and water quality: How are they connected?
• The connection between soil organic matter and soil water
• The state of Minnesota's soil health: How many farmers are doing no-till, cover crops, and more
• Nitrogen Smart
• Minnesota Office for Soil Health - MOSH

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

August is in full swing, which means it's time for the Fall Fertilizer Outlook on the Nutrient Management Podcast. Our panelists recently returned from Minnesota's annual Farm Fest where they heard directly from farmers. How did crops do during the 2026 field season? What are current fertilizer prices, and are there alternative options that farmers might want to consider? What kind of planning tools might be useful for MN growers as we head into fall? Which fertilizer decisions might be postponed until spring? All of this plus more on the Nutrient Management Podcast.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Jeff Vetsch, Lead researcher, Southern Research and Outreach Center (Waseca)

Additional Resources:

• Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator
• U of M Corn Fertilizer Guidelines
• Why understanding the “price ratio” is key to picking a profitable nitrogen fertilizer rate for corn (2025 blog post)
• Updated corn nitrogen rates: What are we currently seeing for N fertilizer requirements in Minnesota? (2025 blog post)
• Making sense of Minnesota’s corn fertilizer guidelines: Frequently asked questions and answers (2023 blog post)

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Support for the Nutrient Management Podcast is provided by Minnesota's fertilizer tonnage fee through the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC). Learn more at MNsoilfertility.com.

The benefits and challenges of manure use in general is the topic on this 40th episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series. What is it about manure that makes it good for the soil - and what makes livestock bedding an important addition? What's in manure that's organic but isn't living? What makes the benefits of manure usage long-term in nature? How should people think about manure use related to water quality issues? What kinds of tech might farmers want to be on the lookout for which affect manure use efficiency? According to panelist Melissa Wilson, manure is like a multivitamin for the soil. Find out why she thinks so on today show.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Manure management
• How to put together a manure management plan
• Nitrogen availability of different manure types: What we know, and what we are researching
• Manure use benefits and barriers: Insights from a survey of farmers and advisors
• Tips for fall manure application and how to avoid nutrient loss

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

Today on Advancing Nitrogen Smart we ask an unusual question: What is manure, really? We all know manure is made of the liquids and solids that pass through an animal's digestive system, but what has to happen for manure to become usable? Is all manure created equal, or do differences in animal type - and their feed - result in manure with variable nutrient values? How do factors like handling, storage and animal bedding impact available nutrients in manure? What are some of the long-term benefits of manure application? Is there an optimal time of year to apply manure? Brad Carlson and Melissa Wilson answer these questions and many more on this 39th episode of the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Melissa Wilson, Extension manure nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• How to put together a manure management plan
• Nitrogen availability of different manure types: What we know and what we are researching
• Manure use benefits and barriers: Insights from a survey of farmers and advisors
• Introducing ManureDB: A new way to view manure variability and trends
• Guidelines for manure application rates

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

We're examining the effect of recent heavy rainfall on input decision-making in today's Nutrient Management Podcast. What adverse or severe weather conditions did parts of Minnesota recently experience? How does it compare to past events? It's currently mid-July; what did the Minnesota Drought Monitor say about our drought levels before the rainfall? Was the soil profile able to accept more water as a result? What effect did the heavy rain have on nutrients in the field? At this point in the season, are corn crops past the risk of damage? What effect do soil types have on both the amount of N recommended, and the speed at which the N can potentially leave the field? All this and more on today's episode.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca)

Additional Resources:

• Minnesota Drought Monitor
• Field Notes talks about what to expect after heavy June rains (recorded 2025)
• Did applying supplemental nitrogen fertilizer to corn in south-central Minnesota pay?
• Why understanding the nitrogen cycle is key to managing soil fertility
• Fertilizing corn in Minnesota

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Listen to all Nutrient Management Podcast episodes.

For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Support for the Nutrient Management Podcast is provided by Minnesota's fertilizer tonnage fee through the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC). Learn more at MNsoilfertility.com.

Nitrate reduction with perennial plants is the topic on today's Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast. What are some pros and cons of covers like rye, oat and alfalfa for reducing nitrate? How do they compare in terms of biomass or establishment? What sets alfalfa apart as a cover crop candidate? How does our Minnesota climate affect a strategy for perennials? How could cover crop benefits stack up when used in conjunction with a dairy operation for example? Do some areas of the landscape benefit from perennials more than others? All this and more on the 38th episode of Advancing Nitrogen Smart.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional resources:

• Cover Crops
• Best management for cover crops in unfavorable weather patterns
• Growing cover crops in Minnesota: 4 great resources to get you started
• Video: Can cover crops reduce nitrate loss in tile drainage?
• Midwest Cover Crops Council (Minnesota)
• Strategic Farming: Let's talk cover crops!

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For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to the Minnesota Crop News daily or weekly email newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like UMN Extension Nutrient Management on Facebook, follow us on X (formerly twitter), and visit our website.

If you have questions or comments, please email us at nutmgmt@umn.edu.

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.