Nutrient Management Conference fills producers in on ways to reduce nutrient pollution, improve nutrient efficiency

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center and the University of Minnesota Extension along with their sponsors hosted their annual Nutrient Management Conference, filling producers in on efforts to reduce nutrient pollution and improve efficiency.

“My cover crops been working out really well and I’m just trying to find new ways to implement them and just different covers to try between each crop. I’ve also had really good lock with my strip-tilling, I’m trying to look at ways to reduce that a little bit, get less aggressive with that and try to shave a little bit more cost out of that,” said Bryan Biegler of Biegler Farms.

A University of Minnesota researcher conducted more than three years of research regarding how to make cover crops a successful and affordable venture.

“The primary focus was to look at the water quality benefits of cover crops in a corn, soybean rotation, which is the dominant crops here in southern Minnesota, so we wanted to see if including a cover crop in a corn/soybean rotation, which is the dominant crop here in southern Minnesota, so we wanted to see if including a cover crop in a corn/soybean rotation would help reduce the amount of nitrate and nitrogen that leaves the field in tile drainage water,” said Jeff Vetsch, researcher with the University of Minnesota.

In 2017, the study found a 70% reduction in nitrate concentration after letting cereal rye grow from fall to spring, unfortunately the last two growing seasons, weather prevented good establishment of the cereal rye cover crop, which is recommended by those with experience in the practice.

“It’s pretty easy to get into, especially when you’re planting beans into it, planting corn after covers can be tricky with termination times and what you got planted, but with beans you can plant the beans right into it,” said Biegler.

Also suggested for use is any winter-hardy cover crop and making sure all questions are answered and research is conducted before incorporating cover crops.

“Are the water quality benefits, do they outweigh the cost of doing this especially in our tough economic and agronomic times,” said Vetsch.

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