A conversation with Dr. Jeff Couter, Extension Corn Agronomist

In this week’s Minnesota CropCast, hosts Dave Nicolai and Seth Naeve sit down with University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist, Dr. Jeff Coulter. Together, they review the 2025 Minnesota corn crop and discuss how this year’s unique challenges should inform producer decisions for 2026.

The 2025 season was distinct: it began with a very short and early start with a long stretch of moderate weather, only to be interrupted by a cool August and significant late-season drought in West Central Minnesota. The group breaks down how these environmental swings impacted corn yields and analyzes the unusual disease pressure faced by growers—specifically the heavy hit of Southern Rust in addition to routine corn diseases.

Looking ahead, Dr. Coulter explores the trait landscape for 2026, including insect and disease resistance packages and the rising interest in "short stature" corn hybrids. Join us today for a full breakdown on Minnesota CropCast.

A conversation with Nathan Hulinsky, Agricultural Business Management Educator

In this week's CropCast, hosts Seth and Dave sit down with University of Minnesota Agriculture Business Management Educator, Nathan Hulinsky, to discuss one of the largest input costs for crop farmers: land costs. Nathan provides current examples of typical cash rent and land costs in Minnesota and gives an overview of Extension Farmland Rental workshops scheduled for 2025 and 2026. These workshops cover local historic and projected farmland rental rate trends, current farmland values and sales, and include a worksheet Nathan utilizes to help participants create a fair rental agreement. Landlords, farmers, and agri-business professionals should plan to attend one of these informative meetings being held across Minnesota and online. A list of workshop locations and times can be viewed online at https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/farmland-rental-workshop.

In this week's CropCast, hosts Seth Naeve and David Nicolai welcome Dr. Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension Plant Pathologist for corn and soybeans. Dr. Malvick dives into the 2025 growing season to discuss the development and yield impact of key crop diseases. He provides a timely review of Southern Corn Rust and Corn Tar Spot disease biology, detailing their spread across Minnesota and adjoining states this year. Dean also outlines the knowns and unknowns regarding the progression of these corn diseases in relation to weather, wind, and crop rotation. Finally, the discussion covers the complex management strategies, including hybrid selection and the critical timing of foliar fungicides. We didn’t forget to ask about soybeans. Dean touches on the widespread presence of White Mold in Minnesota fields and the discovery of Red Cown Rot.