About OFRN

Minnesota Wheat’s On-Farm Research Network (OFRN) conducts producer-funded, producer-driven research that investigates producer-selected research topics in a large plot environment. Funding is currently supplied by the Minnesota Wheat Check-off and by crop research grants awarded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Agricultural Fertilizer Research & Education Council (AFREC), and by the MN Soybean Research and Promotion Council (MSR&PC).

2023

On-Farm Research
Final Report

2022

On-Farm Research
Final Report

2021

On-Farm Research
Final Report

2020

On-Farm Research
Final Report

To request older Research Reports please contact Doug Monson, Ag Management Solutions – Phone: (507) 388-1635 | Email: dmonson@agmgmtsolutions.com

Research

General Trial Overview

  • The participant will work with a Research Coordinator to plan and implement the trial.
  • All inputs are applied by the participant using their equipment or by their local cooperative.
  • Plots must be at least 800 ft long and wide enough to allow for a full combine pass through the plot that avoids sprayer tracks (usually 100-140 ft). Harvesting with a guidance system is also easier with wider plots.
  • It is preferred that participants replicate each treatment at least four times.
  • Coordinators will be available at the time of trial implementation and harvest to assist with flagging and data collection.
  • The Research Coordinators will analyze the data from the trial and return it to the participant as quickly as possible.

2022 On-Farm Research Trials

Liquid Copper Applications in Wheat

Copper deficiencies in wheat have been observed in and around the Red River Valley. Wheat grown on lighter textured soils testing below 0.4 ppm copper is most likely to respond to copper fertilizer. This trial will take a look at foliar copper chelate applications in wheat at the 4-5 leaf growth stage.

N Rate

Optimal N rates vary with growing conditions and with the nitrogen use efficiency of modern hybrids. N rates will be applied with a variable rate prescription map, and yield will be evaluated with a yield map to evaluate modern variety response to N in various environments in northern MN.

Poly4 vs AMA as a Sulfur Source

POLY4 is a non-synthetic, granular form of polyhalite that is a naturally occurring mineral that supplies crops with K, S, Mg, and Ca. This trial will test the utility of polyhalite (0-0-14-19S-3.6Mg-11.4Ca) as an alternative source of sulfur to ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24S) in wheat and soybeans.

Reduced Tillage

For growers wondering how reducing tillage may affect their field operations or yield in the following season, this trial will test reducing tillage in wheat by 1 pass from your current regime and measuring stand establishment and yield in the following crop.

Value of Volunteer Wheat

Cover crops are at the front of many ag conversations today, and many growers wonder about the utility of leaving their volunteer wheat to grow in the fall to cover the soil over the winter. This trial will compare your usual volunteer management methods to unmanaged volunteer wheat to measure N uptake, residue biomass, and stand establishment and yield in the following crop. This trial may also coincide with the reduced tillage trial if tillage is your main tool to control volunteer wheat.

Rock-Rolling Wheat

Rock-rolling soybeans prior to emergence is common practice for growers with rocky soils, however some producers have also begun rolling their fields prior to wheat emergence also. Rolling is necessary to prevent combine damage at harvest. However rolling also pulverizes the soil surface, and leads to large soil losses through erosion in high spring and summer winds. This simple trial will measure emergence and yield in rolled vs un-rolled wheat.

Enhanced P and K Fertility in a Wheat-Soybean Rotation

As crop yield goals increase, University and other research has documented yield improvements from increased P and K fertility levels in wheat and soybeans. Some producers have been wondering if current P and K recommendations are supplying enough nutrients to support crops in higher yielding environments. The objective of this research is to evaluate elevated levels of P and K fertilizer over four years of a wheat-soybean rotation.