New research: Irrigation combined with conservation practices in Central Minnesota

Vasu Sharma, University of Minnesota irrigation specialist, talks to Linder Farm Network about her research on irrigation in combination with conservation practices, like cover crops and reduced tillage.

TRANSCRIPT

Linder Farm Network: It’s time for the AFREC update, the Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council. Today, Dr. Vasu Sharma, University of Minnesota professor, talks about the research on cover crops and reduced tillage.

Vasu Sharma: We are focusing on looking at some conservation practices like, no tillage cover cropping in corn soybean systems under irrigation, and trying to understand, the water management aspects of these conservation practices. So in the past, there’s a lot of research that has been done on cover cropping and their nutrient reduction or nutrient management aspect. But this study specifically focusing on how it alters water management or looking at the nitrate leaching, drainage, and soil water dynamics. So we are doing this research at two locations in Central Sands region. One is Sand Plain Research Farm at Becker, and other is the Westport a Rosholt Research Farm in Westport.

So this study is funded by AFREC. So one part is funded by AFREC, the other part is funded by Minnesota Corn Growers. We got some good results in in 2025. Although it was very wet year in terms of irrigation management, we did not see many significant results that we were expecting, but we are hoping for a better season this year and see how we can manage these systems efficiently. The other main aspect of the study is is the different water scenarios or or the irrigation management.

So we are kind of mimicking some climate scenarios such as over-irrigation or over-rain, very wet conditions, dry conditions, optimum water conditions, and rain fed conditions. So those can be altered by the variable rate irrigation systems we have on both research sites.

LFN: For more information, MNSoilFertility.com.