Pull up a chair and join in or bring the conversation with you as you go about your day. Whatever works best for you, join us this winter to discuss some of the key issues and questions around commodity crop production facing Minnesota farmers today through the “Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops” webinar series. This live, online program will provide up-to-date, research-based information to help optimize your crop management strategies for 2022. Sessions will be held over Zoom, which can be accessed via your computer, phone or other mobile device, and run from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 5 through March 30, 2022.

Sessions will be very informal and open to all interested. Each session will start with a brief presentation by the discussion leaders for the day, followed by discussion framed around farmer/participant questions on the topic.

Topics and speakers include:

• January 5: 2022 Crop fertility adjustments

Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist, and Brad Carlson, Extension educator – water resources

• January 12: 2021-The year when past indiscretions were revealed (think compaction)

Aaron Daigh, North Dakota State University, and Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator – water quality

• January 19: Compare and contrast: Management of corn for grain and silage

Joe Lauer, UW-Madison corn agronomist, and Luiz Ferrraretto, UW-Madison ruminant nutritionist

• January 26: New findings with sulfur fertility

U of MN Nutrient management specialists and researchers

• February 2: Strategies for effective weed management in 2022

U of MN Weed scientists and researchers

• February 9: Cover crops: Termination timing and planting green

Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable cropping systems specialist, and Anna Cates, State soil health specialist

• February 16: Tar spot of corn: Status and options for this rising issue

Dean Malvick, Extension plant pathologist, and Nathan Kleczewski, plant pathologist, GROWMARK Inc.

• February 23: Small grains management update

Jochum Wiersma, Extension small grains specialist

• March 2: Soybean gall midge: Knowns and unknowns

Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist, Bob Koch, Extension soybean entomologist and Gloria Melotto, graduate research assistant

• March 9: Getting ready for corn insects in 2022

Bruce Potter, Extension IPM specialist

• March 16: Can we store C in a production ag system (and to what benefit)?

Anna Cates, State soil health specialist, and Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator – water quality

• March 23: Biocontrol strategies to manage pests

George Heimpel, Extension entomologist

• March 30: Taming your fertility and soil amendment input costs

U of MN Extension Nutrient management specialists and researchers

For more details and to register, go to https://z.umn.edu/strategic-farming. You need only register once for the program series. At registration, please take a moment to let us know what questions you would like highlighted. There is no charge to participate, thanks to generous sponsorship from the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Not able to attend a day? No problem. Sessions will be recorded and posted for viewing later at your convenience.

If you are not familiar with Zoom, details will be included at registration on how to access the sessions on your computer (all you need is the link) or mobile device.

We hope you will take this opportunity to join with U of MN Extension in discussing crop topics at our “Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops!” program in 2022!