News & Events

On April 5, the U of M's Sand Plan Research Farm (SPRF) near Monticello hosted supporters for a ribbon cutting ceremony at their new building. The SPRF is leased from and in cooperation with Xcel Energy with the primary mission to conduct research on agronomic and horticultural crops under both irrigated and non-irrigated conditions.

University of Minnesota Extension invites you to a free field day at the Sand Plain Research Farm (SPRF) in Big Lake on Thursday, August 10th from 4pm to 7pm. The field day will highlight U of M research on advanced irrigation and nutrient management practices, and includes a complimentary dinner.

RSVPs are requested and can be found at z.umn.edu/IrrigationRegistration

East African immigrant farmers grow culturally relevant crops in Minnesota; U of M researchers share agricultural management expertise.

The University of Minnesota has released a new hard red spring wheat variety called ‘MN-Rothsay.’ MN-Rothsay features a good combination of yield, protein, and disease resistance and exceptional straw strength.

The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) have published the 2021 Minnesota Field Crop Trials. Visit varietytrials.umn.edu/2021 to see variety trials for 10 different Minnesota crops.

Since we weren't able to host a traditional field day in 2020, a virtual field day highlighted ongoing research projects at the SPRF. Researchers provided overviews of research projects that are improving soil health, irrigation and nutrient management techniques to sustain profitable crop production and protect water quality. Watch the Irrigation & Nutrient Management Virtual Field Day:

Vasu Sharma's precision irrigation research here at the SPRF is featured in this MPR News article Minnesota farmers tap technology to conserve water in drought.

Vasudha Sharma, an irrigation specialist in the CFANS Department of Soil, Water and Climate, is studying the optimum rates to apply water and nitrogen to improve crop production and reduce nitrate leaching here at the SPRF. She is also evaluating different types of sensors, comparing low-cost varieties with newer electronic models that do a better job of measuring water in the soil.