Today on the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series, Brad and Dan tell us how the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) approach to N rate recommendations is calculated. What does the MRTN actually measure for farmers? What's the reason the MRTN recommendations were created? What kind of / how many rate trials are used to build the dataset? Does the MRTN rate recommendation approach work well in all Minnesota regions? Brad and Dan cover this and more on today's show.

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• Corn Rate Calculator
• What to know about the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) approach to corn N rate guidelines
• The history of N rate recommendations in Minnesota: What farmers should know
• Nitrogen Smart

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart 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.

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 the Nutrient Management Podcast we discuss on-farm research. On-farm research has been here for decades - so what's new about it? What are management practices that might be easier to evaluate and which might be more difficult? What are the design criteria that farmers need to have in place in order to be successful? What kinds of problems have the panelists encountered while conducting on-farm research, and how might those problems have been avoided? How can farmers participate in University of Minnesota on-farm research projects, and how might it benefit them? All of this and lots more on today's show.

Guests:

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato)
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Fabian Fernandez, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Matt Pfarr, Extension educator (Mankato)

Additional Resources:

• On-farm research
• How to do research on your farm
• On-farm research (YouTube)
• Nutrient Management

Click here to 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.

On this episode of Advancing Nitrogen Smart we discuss methods and tools to account for soil and weather conditions as you execute your nitrogen management strategy. Which tissue and nitrate testing options are the most beneficial, and when should you test? How does understanding the nitrogen cycle help you interpret these results? How do drought and /or saturated conditions affect available nitrogen? What can be reasonably achieved with rescue treatments? Why is it important to end your season with the right amount of residual nitrogen in the field? Brad and Dan discuss this - and much more - on today's show.

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• Corn supplemental N rate calculator
• Soil Testing Laboratory: Farm / Field and Commercial Horticulture Crops
• Research Analytical Laboratory - tissue testing
• The nitrogen cycle - YouTube video
• Why understanding the nitrogen cycle is key to managing soil fertility

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart 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.

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’re talking about the nitrogen cycle and managing soil fertility. What does 'the nitrogen cycle' mean, and how does it affect your management strategy? In what ways do temperature and moisture slow down or speed up nitrogen's window of usability? What are nitrification, denitrification, volatilization, mineralization and immobilization? How well do inhibitors work, when should they be applied? How does organic matter affect the nitrogen cycle? All these answers and more on today's episode.

Guests

• Brad Carlson, Extension educator
• Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist

Additional Resources

• Understanding nitrogen in soils
• Nitrogen smart fundamentals
• The nitrogen cycle
• The nitrogen cycle (YouTube)

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart 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.

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

Cation exchange capacity and cation balancing are the topics of the day in this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast. What are the definitions of cation exchange capacity and cation balancing? How is CEC measured, and are those estimates reliable? What does the research say about CEC and CB and their role in a nutrient management strategy? What should farmers remember about cation exchange capacity and cation balancing for their own operations?

Guests:

• Fabian Fernandez, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)
• Carl Rosen, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul)

Additional Resources:

• Timing of K application for corn and soybean production
• Chloride and soybean: What to know about potash fertilizer management
• Impact of cation exchange on corn K guidelines
• Four soil test myths that farmers should know
• Corn planting and nitrogen management: 5 things to consider
• Fall K fertilizer decisions: How should corn growers prioritize applying potassium?
• Potassium management: Maps showing soil clay type could help Minnesota farmers

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Click here to 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.

Today on the Advancing Nitrogen Smart Podcast we discuss nitrogen fertilizer management and surface water issues. When did we first become aware of nitrates appearing in surface water? What are some of the effects, and who is being affected? What are Minnesota's current nitrate-reduction strategy benchmarks - and are we on target to meet them? What are some of the challenges and success stories Minnesotans should know about? Which organizations can I contact if I'd like to become more involved?

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• MPCA Nutrient Reduction Strategy
• Nitrogen Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• HUC-8 Watersheds
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) in Minnesota

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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 the end of March, which means it's time for the annual Spring Fertilizer Outlook. What are field conditions like throughout Minnesota? What early fertilizer application options might MN growers want to consider? Which early fertilizer application practices might MN growers want to avoid, and why? What are growers excited - or hesitant - about? What about N carryover credits in this more typical season? Our four panelists weigh in.

Guests:

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

Additional Resources:

• Are you overspending on fertilizer?
• FINBIN
• Don't apply commercial fertilizers to snow-covered frozen soils
• Nutrient Management

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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.

A lot of the conversation about nitrogen management centers around environmental issues, and in particular, nitrate levels in groundwater and surface water in Minnesota. Today we’ll discuss N management and nitrate levels in groundwater. What are some effects of elevated nitrate levels in both infants and adults? When were elevated levels first discovered in Minnesota? How do different soil types factor into nitrogen loss to goundwater? What's being done to address this issue at state, county and municipal levels? How do changing climate conditions affect how we proceed? All this and more on today's episode.

Guests:

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

Additional resources:

• Nitrate in community water systems
• Drinking water in Minnesota
• How to interpret a water test for nitrate
• Minnesota Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan

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Click here to listen to all Advancing Nitrogen Smart 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.

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