Quad County Crops Newsletter
Did Your Forage Stand Up to Winter?
There are two things that growers can look for to estimate the potential productivity of an alfalfa stand. They are the number of plants--or stems if they’re up--and the health of those plants. Fall stand assessments allow more time to adjust management, should it be needed, but spring assessments offer an opportunity to respond to winterkill.
Begin by digging a random sample of alfalfa plants to 6” deep and examine the crowns and roots. Variation in stem height might indicate injury to the buds over the winter, while asymmetrical patches of stems could indicate injury to parts of the plant. Healthy plants will be firm and white on the inside with minimal discoloration. If you sample early in the season, winter-killed roots may appear gray or water-soaked and feel soft or mushy. Plants victim to root rot with more than 50% of the root dark-colored are likely to succumb within the growing season. Stands with 4-5 healthy plants per square foot are likely to be productive, although counting stems is the most reliable way to assess productivity potential.
Any number of stems greater than 55 per square foot is considered a healthy alfalfa stand. Stem counts between 40 and 55 indicate reduced yield but sufficient productivity to keep. To encourage productivity of challenged stands, consider managing weeds and pests or taking a soil test to inform nutrient management. Allowing the plants to mature before cutting will help them build their reserves of carbohydrates. Especially avoid late-fall cutting of already compromised stands.
Stem counts below 40 should be considered for rotation. Old stands should not be interseeded with alfalfa, as autotoxicity will likely kill the majority of alfalfa seedlings. Cool-season grasses or red clover can be interseeded with any age of alfalfa. If disease or pest pressure is high, rotating to a grain crop, such as corn, or a warm season forage, such as teff, would likely be the best use of the field, and the planted crop would be able to use some of the nitrogen left behind in the alfalfa.
Strategic Farming: Field Notes
Wednesdays | 8 to 8:30 | May 13th - August 12th | Zoom
Crop producers and agricultural professionals face many challenges, including pest issues, agronomic concerns, and soil fertility questions. The U of MN Extension Strategic Farming program addresses crop-related concerns through information-packed, research-based, informal discussions with specialists in the field. Participants can ask questions directly to Extension faculty and staff during this program. Register once for the season at z.umn.edu/FN2026 to attend any or all of the Zoom sessions.
Strip-Till Expo
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Lamberton
Minnesota farmers are facing tight margins, rising input costs, and more unpredictable weather. In this environment, every pass counts.
Hosted by University of Minnesota Extension at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center, the Strip-Till Expo delivers practical, research-based insights to help you:
- Reduce input costs
- Improve soil health
- Make informed equipment and management decisions
Strip-till offers both economic and environmental advantages, helping reduce costs while maintaining yield and improving resilience to weather extremes. Switching systems is a big decision. This event is designed to help you evaluate strip-till with confidence.
For more information and to register, visit z.umn.edu/STexpo
Cover Crop Academy
Register now to reserve your spot with the University of Minnesota Cover Crop Academy! This innovative program is a year-long, hybrid course. The academy kicks off with a meeting at Lamberton, Waseca, or Westport (attend one of your choice) to visit cover crop research plots and develop a trial at that location. Every other month, there’s an online cover crop dive deep, and in May 2027, the program concludes with a visit to your designated trial site. Cost is $100 and registration ends June 6th, 2026. Register at z.umn.edu/CCAcademy.
Black Cutworm Reporting Network
The risk of crop loss due to black cutworm (BCW) cut plants varies greatly from year to year. Yield-limiting infestations depend on when, where, and how many moths migrate from the south where they overwinter and the timing of spring tillage and planting of susceptible crops. The Minnesota Black Cutworm Reporting Network consists of volunteers throughout the state who set pheromone traps to help monitor black cutworm migrations. These trap captures help experts locate when and where large flights of BCW migrate into Minnesota and predict areas of Minnesota where corn, sugarbeets, and other crops are at higher risk for damage, when crop injury will begin, and just as importantly, when cutting will stop, to help growers scout for cutworm more efficiently.
Detection of European Corn Borer Damage on Bt Corn in Minnesota
The European corn borer (ECB), has historically been an economically important pest of corn. Transgenic Bt traits have suppressed ECB populations for almost three decades. In 2018, ECB resistance was confirmed in Nova Scotia and since, additional incidences have occurred in other regions of Canada and Connecticut. In a 2025 survey of ECB in Minnesota, feeding was found in one field on plants expressing Cry1A and Cry2A proteins.
High input costs and tight margins are forcing Minnesota farmers to take a hard look at every pass across the field. In 2025, no-till soybeans were more profitable for Minnesota farmers than tilled soybeans, and over the past decade, minimal tillage has been the most profitable system for corn. Now is a good time to take a look at tillage costs and consider practical ways to reduce expenses this spring.
Pre-Emergence Herbicides are Essential for Soybean Weed Control
Many soybean acres across the Upper Midwest have relied heavily on POST herbicide programs. However, this approach is increasingly risky. The spread of herbicide-resistant weeds has made a one-pass POST strategy unreliable in many fields. PRE herbicides remain one of the most important, and often underutilized, tools for managing weeds and protecting soybean yield potential.
