Badger Crops and Soils Update Meetings 

Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference

Registration is open for the 2025 Badger Crop Update Meetings, Dec. 2-4

The annual UW Badger Crops & Soils Update Meetings are three regional, one-day in-person sessions and one virtual session that present the latest information on agronomic, pest, and nutrient management research coming out of the University of Wisconsin with a lens to on-farm application.

Soybean variety trials

Growing conditions across Wisconsin were generally favorable in 2025. While normal precipitation and average spring temperatures delayed planting, late-season dryness did not significantly impact crop development. These conditions supported consistent growth and maturation across trial locations, allowing for reliable performance comparisons among varieties. While we don’t have estimates from USDA due to the government shutdown, yields are likely above trend and approaching state record levels in some areas. 

SnapPlus Version 3 and the Wisconsin Nutrient Management Workbook for SnapPlus Users

SnapPlus is Wisconsin’s nutrient management software. SnapPlus 2 first came out in 2013 and was built on the technology available at the time, largely reproducing the original SnapPlus program’s 2005 look and feel. SnapPlus 3 is a web-based program that has been completely re-designed based on feedback from users around the state.

Organize your nutrient management plan in a simple and practical way with the Wisconsin Nutrient Management Workbook, available now! Designed specifically for Wisconsin farms, the workbook walks through the key information needed to develop or update a nutrient management plan. Use this tool to organize the details that matter most before you meet with your nutrient management planner or write your own plan in SnapPlus. 

Updates from the WiscWeeds Lab: Boosting weed management with cover crops and optimizing foliar herbicide savings with targeted application technologies

As the 2025 corn and soybean harvest winds down across Wisconsin, it’s a good time to reflect on this year’s weed management successes and challenges and begin planning for 2026; starting with how cereal rye cover crops may fit into your system.

Targeted herbicide application technologies are reshaping the future of precision weed management. However, their success depends on a solid foundation, using effective PRE-emergence herbicides in tandem with integrated management strategies that limit early-season weed pressure and create favorable conditions for targeted POST-emergence applications.

Feeding Dairy Cows for Milk Protein

Milk composition is a key profit-driver for dairy farms, making it a focus for producers and their advisors. Understanding and optimizing the factors influencing milk fat and protein is important for improving income as well as cow performance and overall efficiency. This article will explore the nutritional aspects that influence milk protein production by reviewing the basics of protein digestion, strategies to support milk protein, and management considerations.

Ask an Agriculture Question!

The UW-Madison Division of Extension and the Agriculture Institute address emerging issues related to Wisconsin’s agriculture and horticulture systems through research-based outreach, advancing economically sustainable, socially responsible, and environmentally sound practices. If you are in Wisconsin and you need expert advice on a dairy topic or on any agricultural issues (water, soil, livestock, farm management, or horticulture), let's talk! Ask an agriculture question, we are here to help!

Resilient Farms and Families Responding to Stress

The ongoing economic conditions in agriculture are taking a toll on farm families and their rural communities. The associated chronic stress is also impacting mental and physical well-being, relationships, and decision-making. Extension helps farmers, families, businesses, and communities remain resilient by learning how to manage stress and use planning tools to make sound decisions and create a road map for the future.

Farm Pulse: Crop Insurance, Grain Marketing, and Agricultural Contracts Online Course

Farmers today face increasingly complex decisions that directly impact their profitability and long-term sustainability. Farm Pulse: Crop Insurance, Grain Marketing, and Agricultural Contracts is an online course designed for farmers interested in learning the importance of risk management, crop insurance, grain marketing, and agricultural contracts. This course will help farmers identify production, marketing, and contractual risks in their farm business to assist them in making informed decisions that enhance farm profitability.