Badger Crop Connect

Corn seedlings growing in farm field

Badger Crop Connect

Live webinars with UW–Madison experts to help Wisconsin farmers and consultants manage corn, soybean, small grain, and forage crops

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Timely Wisconsin Crop Updates for Corn, Soybean, and Forage Growers and Consultants

Get real-time expert management tips for your or your clients’ fields. Join our webinars to hear from UW–Madison corn, soybean, small grain, and forage management researchers throughout the Wisconsin growing season. Earn free CCA credits for every webinar you attend.

Recordings for on-demand viewing are available on the Division of Extension’s YouTube channel or by expanding the Recordings tab below. To receive emails about upcoming webinar topics, recorded video availability, and other training opportunities and resources, sign up below.

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Our Next Webinar

Agronomic Pivot Points for Mid-May Corn and Soybean Plantings

Thurs., May 14 at 12:30 p.m.

Dr. Shawn Conley, Extension soybean and small grain specialist and professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences, and Dr. Harkirat Kaur, Extension corn agronomy specialist and assistant professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences, will present agronomic pivot points for mid-May corn and soybean plantings.

When the calendar hits mid-May, the standard planting playbook may need a rewrite to protect your yield potential. Here we discuss the critical “pivot points” for corn and soybean, focusing on how to adjust management decisions as the growing season begins to tighten.

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These free webinars are held at 12:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays each month from April to October. Registration is required.

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2026 Topics and Recordings

Focus on Insects

Thurs., April 23

Dr. Emily Bick, UW–Madison Extension field and forage crop entomology specialist and assistant professor of entomology, reviews key pest issues from 2025 and what to watch for in the upcoming 2026 season. Topics include slugs, alfalfa weevil, true armyworm, corn earworm resistance, and the potential arrival of soybean gall midge. The presentation also explains scouting tips, treatment timing, and how to stay informed using pest alerts and Wisconsin trapping networks.

▶ Watch Recording

Alyssa Foss, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection pesticide programs manager, explains new pesticide label requirements related to the Endangered Species Act and how they affect pesticide use in Wisconsin. Alyssa reviews why labels are changing, what new label sections mean, and how to comply. Topics include spray drift buffers, runoff and erosion mitigation points, and how to check geographic restrictions using the Bulletins Live! Two website before applying pesticides.

▶ Watch Recording

2026 Spring Ag Outlooks

Thurs., April 9

Josh Bendorf, UW–Madison Extension climate outreach specialist, provides a spring weather outlook for Wisconsin agriculture. He reviews winter temperature and snowfall trends, recent precipitation and soil moisture conditions, and current drought status. The presentation explains near‑term and seasonal forecasts for temperature and precipitation, flooding risks, and soil temperature timing relevant to spring planting decisions.

▶ Watch Recording

Dr. Paul Mitchell, UW–Madison Extension agricultural economics specialist and agricultural and applied economics professor, presents a spring agricultural economics outlook focused on crop producers in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. Paul reviews current farm financial conditions, including rising input costs, crop prices, government payments, and crop insurance changes. Topics include fertilizer and fuel price trends, break‑even costs for corn and soybeans, farm income stress, loan repayment trends, and management strategies to reduce risk and improve farm resilience. 

▶ Watch Recording

2025 Recordings

November 6: Fall Marketing Special

Corn and Soybean Market Outlook with Dr. Brenda Boetel

Brenda will provide an update on the corn and soybean market outlook as harvest continues.

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Ag Policy Update with Dr. Paul Mitchell

Lots has been happening in ag policy lately – the One Big Beautiful Bill, tariffs and trade wars, talk of additional commodity support, and the government shutdown. This brief talk will give a high-level summary of what these changes mean as harvest finishes and farmers begin planning for next year as a prelude to the more extensive ag policy updates Extension plans for this fall and winter.

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Financial Assistance for Producers with Silva Gaku

Producers are navigating an increasingly challenging landscape as they grapple with trade disruptions and rising input costs. Silva will outline a range of government programs and policies designed to support American agricultural producers during these uncertain times. 

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October 23: Fall Nitrogen Special

Unlocking the Potential of Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Corn with Rubens Diogo

Rubens Diogo, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Bacteriology (Jean-Michel Ané Lab), University of Wisconsin–Madison, will introduce the main concepts and factors involved in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in corn. Diogo will provide an explanation of the applicability of N fixing corn, both concerning understanding genetic control involving the formation of aerial roots and mucilage secretion (two traits necessary for FBN to occur) and the development of maize cultivars that have these and other important agronomic traits, to ensure that they can be adopted by corn growers in the Midwest.

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Nitrogen Leaching: Trends, Risks, and Regional Insights with Lindsey Hartfiel

Lindsey Hartfiel, research program manager for the Discovery Farms program, UW–Madison Extension, will provide an overview of nitrogen leaching in the Midwest, highlighting the trends in the timing and magnitude of the leaching. A Wisconsin-specific case study from the UW Discovery Farms program will be presented, showcasing local data.

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October 9: AI in Agriculture

Large Language Model (LLM) Application for Farm Management Insight with Dr. Shawn Conley and Jason Lo

Discussion of the development of a chatbot for farmers in the Midwest to use to assist with disease and product use.

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AI in Agriculture with Dr. John Shutske

What is Generative AI? How does it work? What are a few examples and highly approachable “use cases” that anyone can tinker with? John will discuss all of those questions and some caveats, safety cautions, and prompting basics to get the most from what’s out there. Finally, John will answer “What’s NEXT on the horizon?”

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September 25: Seed Selection and Nitrogen Response

Considerations for 2026 Seed Selection with Josh Kamps

Join a discussion on seed selection, including variety, agronomic characteristics, transgenic traits, and seed treatment options. 

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What We Can and Can’t Learn From a Nitrogen Response Curve with Dr. Matt Ruark

When conducting your own on-farm nitrogen rate trials, there are many things to consider, especially when working with the data at the end of the year. This presentation will review the many ways you can work with your on-farm data.

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September 11: Focus on Nutrient Management

Manure Management, Spill Response, and Safety with Kevin Erb

Kevin Erb, Conservation Professional Training Program program manager, will discuss manure management application techniques, spill response, and safety.

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Implications of Manure on Water, Hydrology, and Soil Organic Matter with Dr. Francisco Arriaga

Dr. Francisco Arriaga will discuss different manure application methods to cover crop and also how cover biomass affects runoff.

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Manure Application Restrictions in SnapPlus and Using the Runoff Risk Advisory with Hava Blair

Hava Blair will describe how to read manure restriction maps and flags in the SnapPlus V3 software for nutrient management planning. It will also demonstrate how to use the Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast to understand the potential for runoff when planning manure applications.

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August 28: Focus on the Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program

How Does Nitrate Leaching Respond to Nitrogen Inputs from Fertilizer and Manure? with Steven Hall

Dr. Steven Hall will share water quality information and nitrate leaching estimates from lysimeters.

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Evaluating MRTN Rates for Corn Grain and Silage After Manure Application with Jerry Clark

Jerry Clark will lead a discussion on a statewide NOPP project investigating the effect of commercial nitrogen application rates with and without manure applied on corn yield.

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NOPP Program Updates with Lindsey Rushford

Lindsey Rushford will give a brief overview of the Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, provide details of the 2026 NOPP grant cycle, and highlight upcoming NOPP events.

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August 14: Focus on Corn Silage

Exploring the Agronomic Fit of Short Corn as a BMR Alternative with Harkirat Kaur

Dr. Harkirat Kaur focuses on the yield potential and forage quality of short corn and its potential to fit into forage programs as BMR corn is phased out.

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Check Out the New Corn Silage Moisture Tool with Liz Gartman

Liz Gartman gives an introduction to the new Corn Silage Dry Down Monitoring tool and how to get involved with the process.

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Practices to Optimize the Nutritive Value of Corn Silage with Luiz Ferraretto

Dr. Luiz Ferraretto’s presentation discusses harvesting practices and their implications on nutritive value of corn silage.

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July 24: Mid-Season Weather, On-Farm Research, and Forage Updates

Growing Season Weather Recap and Fall Weather Outlook with Josh Bendorf

Josh Bendorf will present on ag weather notables from the growing season thus far and summarize the current outlooks for the end of summer into fall.

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NOPP Annual Report Highlights with Lindsey Rushford

Lindsey will highlight key points from the 2024 Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program Report and provide details of the upcoming NOPP funding cycle.

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Forage Planning for Mid- and Late-Summer with Kevin Jarek

Kevin will share information for mid and late summer forage management. Paying attention to details now can help maximize your forage yield and quality not only this year, but next year as well.

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July 10: Focus on Small Grains

Handling, Storage, and Nutrient Removal: Integrated Approaches to Small Grain Management with Dan H. Smith

Dive into storing small grains, straw nutrient removal, and handling small grains for seed.

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Swheat: Finding the Right Sulfur Rate on Wheat with Scott Reuss

Scott will share details on sulfur management in winter wheat. He will share research data conducted in northeast Wisconsin aimed at helping farms achieve optimal return to sulfur inputs. Learn when winter wheat responds to sulfur applications and when it does not.

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Malting Barley Update with Jerry Clark

Jerry provides an update on malting barley research conducted in northwestern Wisconsin. The presentation covers variety trials, nitrogen and fungicide management, and quality testing for malting barley to meet craft brewing standards.

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Camelina On-Farm Research Update with Sam Bibby

Hear an update on what the UW Crops and Soils team has learned and what we are planning to do with this on-farm research project moving forward.

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June 26: Focus on Phosphorus

The Zone of Interaction: Exploring phosphorus stratification with Laura Paletta and Kelsey Hyland

This presentation will explore questions about phosphorus movement in soil health systems and how P stratification impacts phosphorus losses and water quality risks. We will present aggregated data from a statewide survey exploring phosphorus stratification. 

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What you need to know about The WI Phosphorus Index with Hava Blair

The Wisconsin P Index (P Index) is a planning and assessment tool for managing runoff phosphorus losses from cropland. It uses information that is readily available to farmers and agricultural consultants to evaluate the potential for phosphorus in runoff from a specific field entering a nearby stream or lake. Hava Blair, Ph.D. will summarize the main components of the P Index calculation and describe recent updates to the P Index and the research behind it.

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June 12: Early-Season Soybean and Small Grain Management

Early In-Season Decision Cues in Soybeans and Small Grains with Shawn Conley

Dr. Shawn Conley will talk about the most recent impacts on the 2025 growth development and health of Wisconsin’s soybean crop and notable events affecting our small grains.

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Early Season Disease Update and Management Considerations with Damon Smith

Dr. Damon Smith will talk about what he is seeing in terms of diseases in field crops. He will focus on winter wheat disease and management pertinent to the time of the season.

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May 22: Spring Weeds Special

2025 Corn and Soybean Weed Management: Field Observations and Research Updates with Rodrigo Werle

In this timely session, Dr. Rodrigo Werle will share his early-season field observations, practical weed management recommendations, and the latest research findings from the WiscWeeds lab.

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Organic Weed Management: Spring Considerations with Erin Silva

In this talk, Dr. Erin Silva will discuss spring weed management considerations for organic grain systems, as well as what organic grain farmers can do in designing their rotations and cover crop strategies to allow for more effective weed management.

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May 8: Spring Forage Special

Pricing Standing Forage with Kevin Jarek

Every growing season across the state of Wisconsin, farmers purchase standing alfalfa from other farmers to bolster their forage/feed supplies. Ideally, all of this purchased alfalfa would be weighed as it is harvested to ensure both parties are treated fairly in any formal agreement, however, not all farms have access to drive-over scales. Kevin Jarek, regional crops and soils educator will share how both parties can determine a fair value for standing alfalfa whether it is a single cutting or for the entire season.

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Alfalfa Pest Updates with Emily Bick

In this talk, we will explore the latest updates on alfalfa pests, focusing on their identification, impact, and management strategies. Special attention will be given to the alfalfa weevil, whose larvae cause significant damage by defoliating new growth, thereby affecting crop yield and quality.

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Spring Grazing Checklist with Jason Cavadini

A long grazing season with pastures that remain productive deep into fall requires a few critical springtime measures. This session will cover when to begin grazing, how to take a forage inventory, and how to manage pastures for optimal forage intake.

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April 24: Spring Manure Special

Precision Manure Application Using NIR Sensors with Becky Larson

Near-Infrared (NIR) sensors for precision manure application enable real-time nutrient analysis and variable-rate spreading with the goal of optimizing crop production and reducing environmental impacts and operational burdens. Dr. Rebecca Larson’s presentation covers the technology’s sensor performance in comparison to laboratory manure analysis as well as field impacts when integrated into manure application systems when compared to traditional fixed rate application systems. This includes data from recent field trials on the impact to crop productivity in addition to the other system benefits and challenges. 

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Manure N Credits with Natasha Rayne

Dr. Natasha Rayne explores how to calculate and apply manure nitrogen credits to meet crop need while reducing the need for commercial fertilizers. Her presentation covers the factors that influence nitrogen availability from manure and explore possible gaps and opportunities to improve nitrogen availability estimates from manure. 

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Trends in WI Manure Micronutrients with Chris Clark

Is Wisconsin liquid dairy manure meeting row crop micronutrient needs? Chris Clark shares 29 Years of Manure: Micronutrient Trends and Insights.

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April 10: 2025 Outlooks and Updates

2025 Weather Outlook with Steve Vavrus

Steve Vavrus provides a retrospective description of past weather conditions leading up to the present and a weather outlook for the upcoming growing season.

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2025 Market Outlook and Update with Paul Mitchell

Dr. Paul Mitchell gives a brief update on the farm economy, including an update on expected margins for corn and soybeans and recent data on the financial status of farms, as well as a quick overview of management options farmers can still implement for the 2025 crop.  

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Soil Conditions Status and Spring Soil Management with Francisco Arriaga

Dr. Francisco Arriaga provides a status of current soil conditions in the state and management decisions to effectively navigate soil condition challenges.

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More topics to be announced. Sign up for our email list to receive updates directly to your inbox!

2024 Recordings

▶ Watch: 2025 Crop Input Cost Expectations

▶ Watch: 2025 Crop Input Cost Expectations

▶ Watch: Fall 2024 Corn and Soybean Outlook and Situation

▶ Watch: Fall 2024 Corn and Soybean Outlook and Situation

▶ Watch: Soil Health Decision Tool

▶ Watch: Soil Health Decision Tool

▶ Watch: Wisconsin Ag Climate Outlook Oct. 23

▶ Watch: Wisconsin Ag Climate Outlook Oct. 23

▶ Watch: Wisconsin Ag Climate Outlook Oct. 9

▶ Watch: Wisconsin Ag Climate Outlook Oct. 9

▶ Watch: Selecting Suitable Corn Hybrids

▶ Watch: Selecting Suitable Corn Hybrids

▶ Watch: Soybean and Winter Wheat Selection

▶ Watch: Soybean and Winter Wheat Selection

▶ Watch: Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program Overview

▶ Watch: Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program Overview

▶ Watch: Biological Nitrogen Products

▶ Watch: Biological Nitrogen Products

More 2024 recordings >>

2023 Recordings

Soil & Water Management

Crop Management

Integrated Pest Management

Nutrient Management