Featured in this monthly newsletter are several articles to help you plan your 2026 growing season. Additionally, browse on-farm research opportunities and upcoming events. Read below and visit our website to learn more.

2026 Wisconsin Custom Rate Survey Preliminary Results - Still time to participate!

Extension is conducting its annual survey to estimate custom rates for common Wisconsin farming operations. If you are a Wisconsin farmer or a custom operator who performed or hired custom services in 2025, please complete the sections of the survey that pertain to you or browse preliminary results.

▶ Soil Health: What is it, and how do you impact it on your farm?

Emilee Gaulke, UW–Madison Extension diversified vegetable educator for the Greater Milwaukee Area, defines soil health and describes the physical, biological, and management factors that influence it. 

What Non-Nodulating Soybeans Can Teach Us About Soil Nitrogen And Biological Nitrogen Fixation

Wisconsin research shows non-nodulating soybeans averaged 37 bu/ac less than nodulating ones, proving biological nitrogen fixation is vital for maximizing yields and maintaining seed protein.

Pricing Standing Alfalfa

Pricing standing alfalfa requires buyer-seller negotiation factoring in yield, harvest costs, and weather risks. Read more about pricing alfalfa in 2026.

The Economics of Manure Testing in 2026

With commercial nitrogen prices surging, investing in a $41 manure test can optimize nutrient application rates and recoup costs within just a few acres.

SlugNet Weekly Reports

SlugNet tracks weekly slug pressure and crop damage across Wisconsin, helping conservation-tillage and cover-crop farmers manage rising pest challenges.

SlugNet: Monitor Slug Populations in Wisconsin Field Crops

Slugs are becoming an increasingly challenging pest for Wisconsin farmers, due to greater adoption of conservation cropping practices and milder winters and wetter springs. To improve our understanding of slug pressure across the state and how we can manage them, UW–Madison Extension launched SlugNet, a statewide initiative to monitor slug populations in field crops. 

Badger Crop Connect Webinar Series

April – Oct., Second and Fourth Thursdays of the month
Next webinar May 28 at 12:30 p.m. 

Get real-time expert management tips for your or your clients’ fields. Join our webinars to hear from UW–Madison corn, soybean, small grain, and forage management researchers throughout the Wisconsin growing season. Earn free CCA credits for every webinar you attend.

What Happens When We Till?

May 28 from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Kohl Farm (Milwaukee)

Tilling and plowing our soil is a powerful tool—but like any tool, it’s not right for every job. Join us for this hands-on workshop as we build a shared “know-till” mindset and discus ways to make smart tillage decisions based on soil conditions, crops, and context. Register for this free event, and take home free cover crop seeds to plant!

SnapPlus Version 3 Webinar Training Series

Continues through July
Various Dates and Locations from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Join Extension and DATCP to walk through some of the newest features in SnapPlus Version 3 (V3). Each free webinar will have a 45-60 minute tutorial on a new SnapPlus feature, followed by a 30 minute open office hour where participants will have the ability to meet one-on-one with staff to ask specific questions and get additional information. Webinar topics include adding crops, setting rotations, understanding planting and application seasons; nutrient systems and template building; annual updates; silurian bedrock plan features; winter manure applications; and grazing.

Wisconsin Climate Trends and Farmer Adaptations

June 3 from 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
Online via Zoom

Join Josh Bendorf, Climate Outreach Specialist, and Michelle Cannon, owner and farmer at Larryville Gardens to hear about trends for Wisconsin's climate, current and predicted impacts on agriculture, and how Michelle is adapting on her farm. This webinar is geared towards diversified vegetable farmers of all scales. All are welcome, but registration is required.

Save the Date: UW Agronomy and Soils Field Day

Aug. 26
Arlington Agricultural Research Station

Join UW–Madison grain agronomy, field crop pathology, weed management, soils, forage, and farm economics researchers for a half-day field-based tour of the latest ongoing trials and research updates.

Save the Date: Wisconsin Extension Weed Management Workshop

Sept. 2
Arlington Agricultural Research Station

Join Extension and the WiscWeeds team for a full day of weed management skill sharing, learning, and further understanding mechanisms of weed control in a resistant era. 

Wisconsin Vegetable Crop Update Newsletter

Veggie producers, sign up to receive tailored updates from the UW–Madison Departments of Plant Pathology, Entomology, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, and Soil and Environmental Science. 

Sign up by contacting Dr. Amanda Gevens.

Wisconsin Fruit News

Fruit producers, sign up to receive tailored updates from the UW–Madison Fruit Program. Sign up and read more here.

Field Notes - DATCP's Pest Survey Program Newsletter

Sign up to receive pest monitoring data and maps, current articles on economically important plant pests affecting Wisconsin's field crops, fruits, vegetables, nurseries, and forests. Sign up on DATCP's website or read newsletters on the web here.  

UW–Madison Division of Extension Crops and Soils Program

Find articles, resources, educational events and more at cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.

Partially supported by National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Crop Protection and Pest Management-Extension Implementation Program award number 2024-70006-43559.