Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
Hundreds of Minnesota farmers make their way to Mankato every January for MN Ag EXPO because they know this is where they can stay ahead of the curve, and keep their edge in a very competitive business. MN Ag EXPO 2016 kicks off on Jan. 27 and runs through Jan. 28 at the Verizon Wireless Center.
Among the educational opportunities not to be missed: two dozen scientists and researchers can be found in the concourse of Verizon Center, ready to talk about the research they are undertaking, thanks to farmer-funded check-off funds. The scientists will set up poster displays midafternoon on Wednesday, Jan. 27, and be ready for chatting for several hours, and they will return again Thursday, Jan. 28, and be available until 4 p.m.
“I would encourage all of our farmers to interact with these scientists while they are at EXPO and find out what this research is all about,” said Dr, Paul Meints, research director for Minnesota Corn. “Our growers should step right up and ask them, ‘How does this matter to me down on my farm?’”
Meints reports Minnesota Corn’s research priorities break down into two basic categories, which are overseen by two teams of grower leaders from Minnesota’s corn organizations — the Production & Stewardship team and the Expanded Uses team.
For Production & Stewardship, the main focus is on nitrogen and nitrate loss reduction, nitrogen management and water quality.
“All of the research that we solicited really does stem from that focus,” Meints said. “We want to help our growers keep that nitrogen in the soil, and we are going to continue to improve water quality through continued research into best management practices.”
For example, Dr. Fabian Fernandez will discuss research aimed at understanding and assessing the available nitrogen in the soil, in order to help farmers add the precise amount of additional fertilizer needed to get maximum yield, without using excess nitrogen.
The Expanded Uses team directs check-off funds to a broader scope of research, all aimed at finding new markets for corn and its related value-added products. These can include livestock research, ethanol fuel, emissions research, and new products like bioplastics.
Dr. Ken Valentas is conducting a research project that bridges both stewardship and expanded uses — he is looking into the use of a form of distillers grains as an ingredient in fertilizer formulations that could act as a ‘slow-release’ mechanism, or a means of holding the nutrient phosphorous in place.
“All of the researchers at EXPO are working on things that will have direct applicability to how growers operate,” Meints said. “So our farmers should stop and talk to them and ask, ‘How does this research relate to my agricultural practice? What is this outcome going to do for me as an active farmer?’”