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 ...
Jun 09, 2025•42 min•Ep. 49
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 p...
May 27, 2025•33 min•Ep. 48
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 Minnes...
May 05, 2025•40 min•Ep. 47
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 input...
Apr 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 46
Curtis Mahnken, Agricultural Economist with the University of Minnesota Center for Farm Financial Management was a recent guest with the University of Minnesota CropCast podcast with co-hosts Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve. Curtis reviewed the results of a recent analysis study concerning Minnesota 2024 Farm income. This analysis includes data representing approximately 13% of Minnesota’s farms with gross incomes over $250,000 annually. It was compiled from 2,198 participants in the Minnesota State...
Apr 09, 2025•33 min•Ep. 45
Ed Usset, Grain Marketing Economist at the Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota was the guest for the March 19th podcast, Minnesota CropCast. Since 2001, Ed has been writing and executing marketing plans for his mythical farms; a corn and soybean operation in Southwestern Minnesota and a wheat farm in the Red River Valley of Northwestern Minnesota. During the podcast Ed emphasized the economic importance for grain growers to complete the final marketing of their 2024 cro...
Mar 21, 2025•41 min•Ep. 44
In the episode, Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Bob Koch, Director of the Institute for Ag Professionals at the University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Extension Entomologist. In this podcast Bob discussed the Institute for Ag Professionals 2025 educational offerings, highlighting the January Field Crop Research Updates for Ag Professionals as the first educational event for 2025. The University of Minnesota Field School (St. Paul Campus) will be held on July 29-30 followed by ...
Dec 31, 2024•29 min•Ep. 43
In this week’s CropCast, Seth Naeve and David Nicolai welcomed Dr. Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension plant pathologist for corn and soybeans. Dean discussed the selection and Corn Tar Spot management criteria for growers to consider when choosing their 2025 corn seed inputs and crop inputs. While crop yield data from multiple sites in 2024 is extremely important, yield stability over time as affected by disease resistance for corn tar spot is essential in the selection process. Dr....
Oct 22, 2024•34 min•Ep. 42
Curt Burns, a farmer and independent crop consultant from South Central Minnesota joins Dave and Seth for a chat about the 2024 crop and soybean harvest. Curt farms in the Steward area and supports other farming operations as an independent crop consultant with C.B. Agronomics in Sibley, Renville, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Kandihohyi Counties. Dave and Seth chat with Curt about the soybean harvest progress and yields. The exceptionally dry and warm fall conditions have left Minnesota soybeans in...
Oct 15, 2024•28 min•Ep. 41
This week’s University of Minnesota Extension "Minnesota CropCast” host Dave Nicolai has as his guest Dr. Tom Peters, Extension Sugarbeet weed specialist for the University of Minnesota and North Dakota State University. Tom provided an update on sugarbeet harvest progress and challenges this growing season for both the Red River Valley and southern Minnesota sugarbeet growing areas. In addition, Tom reviewed the major weed problems, herbicide options and what the future may hold in terms of new...
Oct 03, 2024•22 min•Ep. 40
Ed Usset, Grain Marketing Economist Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota was the guest for episode 39 of Minnesota CropCast. Since 2001, Ed has been writing and executing marketing plans for his mythical farms; a corn and soybean operation in Southwestern Minnesota and a wheat farm in the Red River Valley of Northwestern Minnesota. Throughout the discussion, Ed emphasizes the importance for grain growers to forward price their grain based on understanding seasonal market...
Sep 16, 2024•33 min•Ep. 39
This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Dr. Robert Koch, an Extension Entomologist in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota. Bob provided a comprehensive review and status of the Soybean Aphid infestations currently affecting commercial soybean acreage in Minnesota. Bob reviewed the basic biology and movement of soybean aphid over the years in Minnesota as well as the current economic thresholds for treatment. Bob emphasized that wh...
Aug 21, 2024•35 min•Ep. 38
This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Dr. Roger Becker, an Extension Weed Scientist in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. Roger grew up in southwest Iowa on a beef and grain farm. It was while he was attending Iowa State University (ISU) that he became interested in field research. This led him to an internship at Monsanto with a weed scientist and then to graduate school at ISU in Weed Science. Dr. Becker cam...
Aug 08, 2024•35 min•Ep. 37
This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Dr. Kenneth Blumenfeld, Senior Climatologist, Minnesota State Climate Office. Kenny provides an update about this season’s unusually excessive precipitation and its effect on the state’s field crops. In addition, Kenny discusses in detail that this winter and spring’s weather represents some unusual extremes not only in precipitation but also in atmospheric temperatures. Kenny also reviews how the warm but very dry...
Jun 06, 2024•39 min•Ep. 36
In episode 35 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Dr. Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist about early season precipitation, soil crusting and plant assessment of the 2024 corn crop in Minnesota. In addition, Seth, U of MN Extension Soybean Specialist, discussed how these same factors can affect soybean fields this spring. Jeff discussed delayed corn planting dates, desired soil conditions, corn planting populations and when to change corn maturity hybrid planting da...
May 22, 2024•27 min•Ep. 35
This week’s CropCast from University of Minnesota Extension has as its guests, Liz Stahl, Extension educator - crops, and Dr. Bob Koch, Extension soybean entomologist and Director of Extension’s Institute for Agricultural Professionals. Liz provided an overview of the online U of MN Extension’s Strategic Farming program which is designed to address crop-related concerns in a weekly, research-based webinar with specialists in the field. Liz described how Strategic Farming's summer program, Field ...
May 09, 2024•34 min•Ep. 34
This week’s University of Minnesota Extension Minnesota CropCast has as its guest Tom Hoverstad, Researcher at the Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN. Tom provides an update about this season’s weather and its effect so far on the growth of the area’s corn and soybean crops. In addition, Tom discusses in detail that this winter at the Waseca Research and Outreach Center was the mildest recorded since 1931; a full 10 degrees warmer than normal. The snowfall total was only 15.5 inch...
Apr 23, 2024•32 min•Ep. 33
In episode #32 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Dr. Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist about planting the 2024 corn crop in Minnesota. In addition, Seth, U of MN Extension soybean Specialist, discusses the outlook for soybean planting this spring. Jeff talks about optimal corn planting dates, desired soil conditions, corn planting populations and corn maturity hybrid planting dates. Seth also discusses in detail the results of early soybean planting date researc...
Apr 05, 2024•40 min•Ep. 32
In episode #31 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Mitch Hunter, Associate Director of the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. In this podcast Mitch discussed the Forever Green Initiative (FGI) which is developing Kernza as the first commercially viable perennial grain crop. Mitch is a native of Minnesota, and his parents continue to raise organic grass-fed beef in southeast Minnesota. His pos...
Mar 20, 2024•36 min•Ep. 31
In episode #30 David Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Matt Pfarr. Matt is a Field Solutions Manager for Lallemand Plant Care and a graduate of the Applied Plant Sciences graduate degree at the University of Minnesota. We invited Matt into the studio to talk about his own history, his time at the University of Minnesota and Lallemand, and the biologicals business. We had a great time. Matt talked about his family’s strong ties to the University of Minnesota. Not only did his father attend the U, ...
Feb 29, 2024•35 min•Ep. 30
In episode #29 Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Dennis Todey, Director of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, Iowa. In this podcast Dennis discussed and reviewed the major factors involved with this winter’s above-average temperatures and lower than average snowfall/precipitation. Dennis also reviewed the effects of warmer than average El Niño and anticipated La Niña and its possible effects on upper Midwest agricultural weather events for the 2024 cropping season. Dennis is a native Iowa...
Feb 13, 2024•35 min•Ep. 29
In episode #28 David Nicolai and Seth Naeve chat with Gary Muehlbauer, head of the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. Although Gary no longer has an official research appointment, he continues a very active research program with a large lab and significant outputs. His research position is focused on wheat and barley molecular genetics. One research area is directed towards Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat and barley. Another is focused on developing and...
Feb 01, 2024•36 min•Ep. 28
In episode #27 of Minnesota CropCast, David Nicolai and Seth Naeve sit down with Jim Anderson from the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. Jim is the Spring Wheat Breeder at the UofMN and has released at least 19 cultivars and has been co-developer of 8 others. Jim is well known in all of the small grains communities. He speaks regularly with farmers and commodity organizations, and he is a leader in the wheat breeding community. Jim is a pioneer in breeding...
Jan 24, 2024•37 min•Ep. 27
In episode #26 of Minnesota Crop Cast, David Nicolai and Seth Naeve sit down for a chat with Tom Slunecka, Chief Executive Officer of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council ( MSPR&PC ) https://mnsoybean.org/msrpc Tom grew up on a beef ranch in central South Dakota, received his degree from SDSU, and went on to serve in a number of roles in the ag sector. Tom led important contemporary farmer focused programs with both public and private organizations. Tom is a true servant to...
Jan 16, 2024•34 min•Ep. 26
David Nicolai and Seth Naeve were fortunate to have an opportunity to chat with Dr Rex Bernardo early in the new year. Dr Rex Bernardo is Professor and Endowed Chair in Corn Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. Rex is a futurist and a lifelong learner. His accomplishments are a testament to his knowledge, drive, and foresight. Rex’s work has focused around marker assisted selection in corn for nearly thirty years. He has been work...
Jan 04, 2024•38 min•Ep. 25
More than 90% of soybeans produced in the US and globally are first processed into soybean meal for animal feed and oil for human consumption and for industrial uses. However, 5-10% of soybeans are consumed more or less directly by humans. Soybeans are used to produce tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, miso, natto, yuba, sprouts, and many other food products. Production of these foods requires specific soybeans with a narrow set of physical and chemical traits. The quality of these food products depends...
Dec 19, 2023•42 min•Ep. 24
It is easy to deliver soybeans to a local elevator, receive a check, and not put another thought into where those soybeans go. But, the demand for those soybeans is what creates the price. Understanding who buys our soybeans and what they are used for helps us all better understand what direction prices may go in the future. Gordon Denny has been a farm kid from southern Indiana, a Marine, and a long-term employee with Bunge. Today he is a knowledge center for the radical changes occurring in th...
Dec 05, 2023•37 min•Ep. 23
In this episode, CropCast hosts Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve visit with Tom Hoverstad, Researcher at the Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, MN. Tom is one of the authors and researchers of the 2023 Corn Grain Field Crops Trial Results. The Minnesota Corn Evaluation Program is conducted by the University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station to provide unbiased information for corn growers when they choose which brand of corn to purchase and grow. The program is financed in part...
Nov 29, 2023•36 min•Ep. 22
In this week’s CropCast, David Nicolai and Seth Naeve welcome Dr. Candice (Candy) Hirsch. Dr. Hirsch is a Corn Geneticist in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. She is truly a superstar in a department long known for preeminence in the areas of maize breeding and genetics and has recently been awarded the University of Minnesota McKnight Presidential Professorship in Plant Genomics. While her work is extremely sophisticated and cutting-edge, Candy is foc...
Nov 15, 2023•37 min•Ep. 21
In this special cross-over episode, CropCast hosts Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve visit with three talented graduate students who work on Soybean Research Center related projects. Mary Jane (Mjay) Espina is a PhD student with Aaron Lorenz and Bob Stupar. Mjay is focused on Iron Deficiency Chlorosis (IDC). She is primarily interested in identifying the source(s) of resistance to IDC within soybean’s genome. She hopes that understanding the genetics behind IDC will help her and us learn more about th...
Nov 08, 2023•40 min•Ep. 20
