This project expands our ability to understand crop conditions and pest activity to tailor educational outreach to crop producers through radio, digital newsletters, podcasts, webinars and in print. Without a real-time understanding of crop conditions throughout western Minnesota, we would lack data to drive in-season, producer-focused programming regarding pests and diseases and associated best management practices to assist producers in making economical pest management decisions.

Soybean gall midge and soybean tentiform leafminer were found for the first time in Minnesota in recent years. Past years’ survey efforts funded by the council have helped us to notify farmers of these finds.

In 2024, scouts again observed Phyllosticta leaf spot in west-central Minnesota and Cercospora leaf blight in northwest Minnesota. Without having “boots on the ground” trained to look for both current and invasive pests and diseases, Minnesota soybean producers would not be alerted to potential current or emerging management challenges and Extension personnel would not be alerted to new or emerging threats to soybean yield potential in need of their focus for educational or research purposes.

For example: In 2024, threshold-level soybean aphids were observed in some fields, as was the fact that there was not a concurrent detection of natural enemies of the soybean aphid that could have helped to keep aphid population densities in check. Therefore, we were able to communicate how best to scout for and manage soybean aphid infestations when natural enemies aren’t present.

1. GOAL: Conduct field surveys to report soybean crop stage and pest conditions in NW and WC MN.
OBJECTIVE: Partner with the NDSU IPM program in conducting and reporting field and pest conditions across a region that includes NW and WC MN and eastern ND.
OBJECTIVE: Deliver timely crop updates based on field observations with an emphasis on soybean pests and diseases as they develop.

This project will deliver real-time, in-season information regarding the incidence and severity of pest populations and diseases in soybean fields in western Minnesota through the development of data summaries and the presentation of maps of data from recent survey findings. This information will be shared through multiple means to reach western Minnesota soybean producers, including through online webinars, podcasts, blog and newsletter articles distributed through email list-servs, ag radio programs and press releases sent to print media venues.

Pests and diseases of note will also be shared during the winter meetings season at county soybean and corn growers association meetings, at the Prairie Grains Conference soybean research reporting session, through the print publication, “On-farm Cropping Trials Northwest & West Central Minnesota and Minnesota Wheat Research Review” distributed to farmers and ag service providers at the Prairie Grains Conference, and (if invited to do so) at the six Small Grains Update meetings in northwest Minnesota.

This project will have scouts on the ground feeding data to the primary investigators on this project. When an economically important soybean pest issue is encountered, Extension’s network of contacts at radio stations, digital newsletter mailing lists (MN Crop News & Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota), webinars, podcasts and print media can get this vital and timely information quickly to the soybean producers whose check-off dollars have been invested for this purpose and to the crop advisors that assist them.

An agricultural workforce with practical, on-the-ground, and hands-on experience is a critical ingredient for service providers to be effective. Another benefit to the soybean producers funding this project will be three experienced crop scouts that can ‘hit the ground running’, working to assist soybean producers in managing economically important soybean pests and diseases.