Nitrogen Smart is going digital! Podcasts, videos will help more farmers improve N fertilizer practices

Understanding how nitrogen behaves in the environment is more important than ever. Having access to unbiased, research-based information is crucial for growers as they try to make the most efficient input decisions for their farms, maximizing profits while at the same time minimizing nitrogen loss to the environment.

For the last decade, the Nitrogen Smart curriculum at University of Minnesota Extension has been examining and unpacking the latest in nitrogen research. This program is now being presented in short, topic-specific podcasts and easy-to-watch videos. The new program, Advancing Nitrogen Smart, will feature timely topics for Minnesota farmers and agricultural professionals.

The defining principle of Nitrogen Smart has always been that participants are not told what to do; instead, they are given the information necessary to make their own best decisions.

In this short episode, U of M Extension educator Brad Carlson introduces the Advancing Nitrogen Smart series and some of the topics to be discussed in future episodes, such as nitrogen fundamentals and how N behaves in the environment, nitrogen recommendations and the research that went into them, adapting management practices, and more. 

Sign up to receive the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series here at the U of M Extension Nutrient Management Podcast station. Watch our videos on YouTube at @UMNcrops. Have a question? Email us at [e-mail]. 

To find additional resources and our past curriculum, please visit our Nitrogen Smart webpage at: z.umn.edu/NitrogenSmart. 

Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

What is UMN Extension Nutrient Management Podcast?

Welcome to University of Minnesota Extension's Nutrient Management Podcast. Each month we bring you the latest research in nutrient management for crops and how you can incorporate the latest tips and best management practices to your farm.

University of Minnesota Extension Podcast Episode: “Introducing Advancing Nitrogen Smart: Timely, research-based nitrogen information for Minnesota corn growers”
May 14, 2024

Written transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before referencing content in print.

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Jack Wilcox:
Welcome to our new podcast series, Advancing Nitrogen Smart from University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

Understanding how nitrogen behaves in the environment is more important than ever. When growers have access to unbiased, research-based information, they’re better equipped to make their own, farm-specific nitrogen management decisions.

Brad Carlson, Extension educator, MN farmers might know you already. Tell us where Advancing Nitrogen Smart comes from, and why the practice of nitrogen management is so important.

Brad Carlson:
Well, Jack, I think a lot of, at least Minnesota farmers are familiar with the Nitrogen Smart Education Program. We've been going on for about eight or nine years now. It's been a joint initiative between the University of Minnesota and Minnesota Corn.

What we've strived to do over these years is talk about nitrogen as far as its fundamentals on how it behaves in the environment, what the recommendations are and what the research is that went into them. And then how do we adapt our management to do the best job we can, both for profitability and by reducing loss to the environment.

Jack Wilcox:
What kinds of topics are we going to cover for growers across MN?

Brad Carlson:
For instance, we can look forward to talking about nitrogen placement when it's the time of year when we're going to actually be applying nitrogen. We'll talk a little bit about side dressing early in the year and so forth. Maybe times of the year when it's a little less activity going on on the nitrogen management front. It's a good time to talk about the nitrogen cycle and some other basic science that doesn't really change.

Jack Wilcox:
Is this data only for MN Farmers? Or does it apply more broadly?

Brad Carlson:
There's certain things related to nitrogen and the environment that really are applicable anywhere. The nitrogen cycle, for instance. And there's other parts of what we'll be talking about that are applicable in Minnesota and in the upper Midwest as far as what the weather is like, and how nitrogen fertilizer behaves and so forth.

And then there's going to be other elements that really are very Minnesota specific. And so some of that related to our recommendations and the research that we're going to present and so forth, really are Minnesota based. For instance, if you're in South Carolina and listening to this, this may not be the way it is in your state. We hope that you find this informative. As always, we encourage you to follow up with us with questions, comments, whatever you may have.

Jack Wilcox:
Who’s going to join us?

Brad Carlson:
Myself and Dan Kaiser, our Nutrient Management Specialist here at University of Minnesota, have done the lion's share of development and presentation of these materials. But we're not alone. We've had other folks at the university and elsewhere have assisted us with these. And so, while Dan and I will be the primary voices of this podcast series, we anticipate bringing in guests.

Jack Wilcox:
So you're taking Advancing Nitrogen Smart digital.

Brad Carlson:
We know that there's people who it doesn't work to make it to in-person meetings. And there's people who like this form of communications. And frankly, I like it too. So we thought we would branch out and do a podcast series.

In addition to these podcasts, we also hope to be putting out a series of very short videos that will also have little nuggets of information in them.

Jack Wilcox:
The Advancing Nitrogen Smart series is part of U of MN Extension Nutrient Management Podcast: nutrientmanagement.transistor.fm. Watch our videos on YouTube at umncrops.

Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.

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