There are two objectives addressed in this proposal: a Soybean Pest and Disease Survey and several Soybean Tech Transfer plot tour-type programs.

UMN Extension would like to continue the IPM soybean survey initiative in 2021. Since it began in 2015, this survey has been responsive to developing issues, generating timely alerts for crop managers to assist them in making sound economic decisions regarding soybean pests. One only needs to look back to 2017 to widespread reports in the Red River Valley of ineffective soybean aphid management with pyrethroid insecticides, and to 2018 to the arrival of the soybean gall midge in SW MN to see how having people in the field facilitates quick data collection and tech transfer should a new or emerging pest problem arise.

The UMN Soybean Breeding Program’s variety evaluation trials and variety trial locations managed by county Soybean & Corn Growers Associations provide ideal settings for summer plot tour-type programs where UMN Extension, MSR&PC, county Soybean & Corn Growers Association and seed company personnel can highlight both production challenges and research-based solutions in the northern production area.

Plot Tours at UMN Soybean Breeding Program and County Soybean Variety Trial Locations. (PI: A. Peltier)
a) Conduct five summer plot tour tech transfer programs.
– Provide a venue for UMN Extension, MSR&PC, county soybean & corn growers association and seed company personnel to interact with soybean farmers in NW MN.
– Provide to farmers in NW MN research-based information about management of current pest or disease threats to soybean yield potential.
– Survey soybean producers to determine whether their disease and pest management research needs are being met.

Importance: Soybean Farmers in NW Minnesota continue to face new and emerging pest management issues. The soybean IPM survey expands our ability to obtain field reports on crop conditions and pest activity to tailor educational outreach to crop managers. With soybean gall midge confirmed as far north as Traverse County, MN in 2020, it is important to monitor the range of this devastating pest. The IPM survey will also work to gather information on soybean diseases to determine whether a particular disease provides management challenges that warrants additional study or educational outreach. Sudden death syndrome (SDS) of soybean was found for the first time in SE North Dakota in 2018 and was found in Cavalier County near the Canadian Border in 2020. There is, therefore, no reason why the fungus that causes SDS would be unable to survive to cause significant yield loss in Kittson, Roseau, or Lake of the Woods counties in Minnesota and it is in the best interest of NW MN soybean producers to have this vital information.

Objective 1: Soybean Pest and Disease Survey
The Soybean IPM Survey was funded and conducted for the first time in 2015. UMN Extension would like to continue this effort in 2021. The expected outcomes of the survey are timely alerts for crop managers to assist in making sound economic management decisions. In addition, this project is coordinated with similar efforts in North Dakota. All 2019 IPM survey maps and past commentary can be found at the Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota online newsletter (http://nw-minnesota-crops.blogspot.com/).
The survey provides a weekly summary of pest and crop status from late-June through mid-August. In 2017, scouting efforts monitored general success or problems with regional spray programs. UMN Extension proposes the hiring of three summer interns. They will work out of Crookston, Moorhead and Morris. In an effort to leverage multiple funding sources and provide a more attractive summer experience to aid in recruitment, funding for early-season efforts of these three interns has been sought from the Minnesota Wheat Council. Intern time will be split among an early-season small grains commercial field survey and soybean IPM commercial field surveys. Having dedicated people in the field facilitates timely collection of data and plant material when needed and would be responsive to rapid developments.

Objective 2: Plot Tours at UMN Soybean Breeding Program and County Soybean Variety Trial Locations.
Plot Tour tech-transfer summer programs will be held at two UMN Soybean Breeding program sites on fields of long-time farmer cooperators in Clay and Norman Counties and at three variety trial locations sponsored by county soybean and corn growers associations. In past years, university or county association-sponsored variety trial locations have provided an ideal backdrop for summer tech-transfer plot tour-type programs at which to highlight current management challenges and research-based solutions. As there is a transition underway in NW MN, it is not clear at this point whether this program will have county association variety trial plots to partner with in 2021. If there are no county plots in 2021 we will pivot to partner with volunteer farmer hosts, another commodity group (wheat or corn) or public organization (SWCDs) to provide unbiased, research-based and practical information at a proposed five plot-tour-type programs timed to avoid crunch times like sugarbeet pre-pile or small grains harvest..

Please see attached PDF document for this project's final report.

Update:

View uploaded report

Update:

View uploaded report

View uploaded report 3

The 2021 western MN IPM survey program visited 285 soybeans, scouting them for insect pests and diseases. Through online newsletters (6,149 page views) and radio interviews in-season and at winter meetings post-season, the results of this survey were shared with crop producers. In-season information could be used by producers to better focus scouting efforts or make treatment decisions. Post-season meetings provided a season-long summary of survey results and additional information about the most widely observed soybean pest in 2021: two-spotted spider mite. Events were held in: Warren on Dec 2 (25 people), New York Mills on Jan 21 (29 people), Ada on Jan 26 (40 people), Roseau on Jan 31 (29 people), McIntosh on Feb 1 (17 people), Thief River Falls on Feb 15 (29 people), Ada on Feb 21 (27 people) and Crookston on Feb 25 (30 people). A summary of survey results was also included in the printed “Northwest & West Central Minnesota Research Booklet” distributed at the 2021 Prairie Grains Conference and mailed to 810 farmers and is online.
A mid-project re-budgeting and change of scope related to Objective 2 allowed us to create re-usable, collapsible banners for display at winter meetings held throughout Minnesota focused on a new or expanded geography of production challenges. We chose to highlight soybean gall midge (SGM: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ge121KK0hjJT3RwcUxcuwl_5gcIYlBPe/view?usp=sharing) and sudden death syndrome (SDS: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WgqkRQyEZZ8tYZQDTC4FOR__Sb9NVOyU/view?usp=sharing) by creating multiple copies for deployment throughout the state through large, high quality pictures.

These banners were deployed at a minimum of 18 UMN Extension winter meetings for more than 657 farmers and the SGM banner is on permanent display at the UMN Southwest Research & Outreach Center in Lamberton.

Through online newsletters and radio interviews in-season and at winter meetings post-season, the results of this survey were shared with crop producers. In-season information could be used by farmers to make scouting or treatment decisions. Post-season meetings provided a season-long summary of results and information about the most widely observed soybean pest in 2021: two-spotted spider mite.

Program names, dates, locations and (attendance) for these presentations are listed here: Marshall County Ann. Mtg, Dec. 2, Warren, MN (25); Norman County Ag Day, Ada, Jan 26 (40); Private Pesticide Applicator Workshops: New York Mills, Jan 21 (29); Roseau, Jan 31 (29); McIntosh, Feb 1 (17); Thief River Falls, Feb 15 (29); Ada, Feb 21 (27); Crookston, Feb 25 (30).

A mid-project re-budgeting and change of scope related to Objective 2 allowed us to create re-usable, collapsible banners for display at winter meetings held throughout Minnesota focused on a new or expanded geography of production challenges. We chose to highlight soybean gall midge (SGM) and sudden death syndrome by creating multiple copies for deployment throughout the state through large, high quality pictures (see banner PDFs attached).

These banners were deployed at a minimum of 18 UMN Extension winter meetings for more than 657 farmers; the SGM banner is on permanent display at the UMN Southwest Research & Outreach Center in Lamberton.