Disease management, grazing for water quality and soil health, and field days!

Featured this month are several resources related to in-season field crop management - managing diseases, designing grazing systems that protect Wisconsin's vital soil and water resources, field days for every type of farmer, and more. Read below and visit our website to learn more.

Grazing to Protect Surface Water: Considering critical and sensitive areas

Identifying critical and sensitive areas of your farm and managing them accordingly, especially at sensitive times of year, protects surface water quality while maintaining a productive grazing system.

Hello White Mold, My Old Friend…

So far, the 2025 season has been wet with low to moderate temperatures. Weather only recently has turned off hot and less conducive for white mold in the southern portion of Wisconsin. As we approach the beginning of white mold flowering it will be important to pay attention to the weather in coming weeks.

U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Field Day – July 17

Join the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Field Day on July 17 in Prairie du Sac for walking tours of forage research plots and insights into breeding, soil health, and dairy systems.

Let’s Talk About “Spores”, Baby!

Over the last several weeks we have seen confirmed positives for tar spot in parts of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois but not yet in Wisconsin;. However, the weather has been VERY conducive in Wisconsin!

Notes from the Field: A Growers Perspective – Ben Kraus Chat #5

This week we hear about Gwenyn Hill Farm's (Waukesha) management of plum curculio and codling moth pressure, as well as some increased disease pressure with recent precipitation.

To Spray or Not to Spray a Group 15 Herbicide with Your POST Pass of Enlist One and Liberty?

A recent field update from the WiscWeeds team explores Group 15 herbicide applications and when to include them in mixtures.

Time to Brush Up on the Facts and Fiction of Fungicides

Many fungicide application decisions will be made over the next month or so. Even if you are already familiar with fungicides and how they work, a little refresher might be helpful as you make product and application decisions.

Register for Nutrient Management Regional Meetings

UW–Madison’s Nutrient and Pest Management Program, DATCP, USDA-NRCS, and WI Land and Water are hosting their annual nutrient management regional meetings again this summer. Join us in Jefferson (Aug. 20), Dodgeville (Sept. 2), Stevens Point (Sept. 3), Eau Claire (Sept. 9) or Appleton (Sept. 10)!

Custom Rates for 2024 Wisconsin Farm Operations

In this report, we present the 2024 Wisconsin custom rates to facilitate negotiations because many farms rely on custom agricultural services. These rates are based on the 2024 Wisconsin Custom Rate Survey of Wisconsin farmers, farm managers and custom operators.

Watch:  Foundational Crop Scouting Training On-Demand

Missed our Foundational Crop Scouting Training webinars? No fear, watch recordings here:

- Introduction to Crop Scouting
- Crop Staging, Stand Counts and Soil and Tissue Sampling
- Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms
- Basic Insect ID
- Basic Weed ID
- Introduction to Common Crop Diseases

Field Notes

Will Fulwider, Regional Crops Educator, hosts Field Notes, where specialist guests, farmers, and industry reps collaborate with them to combine their skills, knowledge, and experience to help farmers and agronomists develop research-based solutions to issues facing agriculture in Wisconsin. Subscribe where you listen to podcasts or check out the episodes here!

The Cutting Edge

Join the UW-Madison Division of Extension as they search for new crops for Wisconsin growers, processors, and consumers on The Cutting Edge. The strength of Wisconsin’s agricultural economy is its diversity…something that doesn’t just happen by chance. It is a product of the relentless drive of researchers and farmers to innovate, explore, and experiment. Join us for a glimpse into the exciting new research and development bringing new crops and diversity to Wisconsin. Subscribe where you listen to podcasts or check out the episodes here!

Badger Crop Connect Webinar Series

Second and fourth Thursdays from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. beginning April 10

The Badger Crop Connect series provides agronomists, crop consultants, and farmers with timely crop updates for Wisconsin. Webinars take place all season long, from April through October. CCA CEUs are available by topic for each presentation.

SnapPlus Version 3 Summer Training Opportunities

In-person: July 15 (Eau Claire) from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Online: July 17 (LCD webinar) and July 22 (Agronomist webinar)
from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

SnapPlus V3 is now available for nutrient management planning! Join us for a one-day training on V3 of SnapPlus. We will discuss building a plan from scratch in V3 as well as demonstrate converting a V2 plan into V3. There will also be time to work on plans, and we’ll have SnapPlus developers present to answer questions and troubleshoot.

Three nutrient management CEUs will be available. Registration is free. Please register at least one week in advance of the training you plan to attend so that we can plan for a lunch count.

UW Forage and Cover Crop Field Day

July 15, 2025
Arlington Ag Research Station

Spend a day in the field with UW–Madison Extension’s forage-focused researchers, crops educators, statewide conservation cropping specialists to uncover new strategies for crop persistence, management, and pest management in forage systems.

Organic Grains to Glass Field Day at McHugh Farms and La Crosse Distilling Co.

July 17, 2025 from 1:00 – 7:30 p.m.
La Crosse

Marbleseed and OGRAIN will join Patrick McHugh for a tour of his diverse farm, including gardens, grains, livestock, and a large composting system.

UW–Madison Agronomy & Soils Field Day

August 27, 2025
Arlington Ag Research Station

A day of rotating field talks from faculty experts and researchers in crop management, pest management, forage, and soils.

Save the Date: Wisconsin Extension Weed Management Workshop Sept. 11 in Arlington

September 11, 2025
Arlington Ag Research Station

A full day of the latest weed management science, technology, and take-home-tips to improve weed control and profitability.

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

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

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