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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is enlisting the public’s help in the early detection efforts of tree of heaven and spotted lanternfly. Tree of heaven is an invasive weed and preferred host for the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect. These two pests have not been established in the state but are spreading towards Minnesota’s southeast border. The public in Goodhue, Houston, Fillmore, Wabasha, and Winona counties can help minimize the potential effects caused by these two pests by detecting and reporting their presence to the MDA.

If tree of heaven is present in these counties, residents will most likely spot it along roadsides and near railways. The trees look similar to staghorn sumac, ash, and walnut trees. It can reach heights of 70 feet and has compound leaves that can be 1-4 feet in length with 11-41 leaflets. The flowers are small, yellowish-green, and arranged in large clusters at the ends of the leaves. It produces winged fruit like maple trees that hang in long clusters. Tree of heaven also emits a strong, offensive odor that distinguishes it from other plants.

Residents in these five counties should be on the lookout for spotted lanternfly starting in mid to late July. The insect larvae are black with white spots, but closer to adulthood are red with spots. In the nymph stage, the pest does not fly; it is black or red with white spots. The adults are large at 1 to 1.5 inches long and are a combination of black, white, and red with spots.

“These two invasives could both be a threat to Minnesota, causing environmental and economic damage if established,” said Angie Ambourn, MDA Pest Detection Unit Supervisor. “The public’s help in early detection and reporting these invasives is key to successful early management efforts.”

If you suspect you have seen tree of heaven or spotted lanternfly, report it to the MDA utilizing their Report a Pest service, by emailing reportapest@state.mn.us or calling 1-888-545-6684. More information is available on this early detection effort on the MDA website. You can also help by taking part of a participatory science survey put on through UMN Extension and the MDA.

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Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is reminding pesticide applicators of state-specific restrictions for the use of dicamba herbicide for the 2023 growing season. Engenia by BASF, Tavium by Syngenta, and XtendiMax by Bayer are the only dicamba formulations labeled for use on dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybeans. In Minnesota, dicamba products cannot be applied on DT soybeans after June 12 south of Interstate 94 and after June 30 north of Interstate 94.

In addition to the cut-off date, these three dicamba products cannot be applied in Minnesota when the air temperature is over 85° Fahrenheit at the time of application or if the forecasted high temperature of the nearest available location exceeds 85°. Forecasted temperature must be recorded at the start of the application. This restriction is for the entire state.

When applying these products, applicators must have all applicable labels in their possession. Compliance with these Minnesota-specific restrictions and other restrictions listed on the product label is mandatory.

This year’s cut-off dates were first announced on January 10, 2023, and follow the state restrictions of the 2022 growing season. Because of those dates, the MDA saw a significant decrease in alleged drift complaints.

“We understand there have been weather challenges this spring that may have caused concerns for growers who want to use this crop management tool,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “However, delaying applications to try and control later emerging weeds may result in poor performance, and later applications present other risks. We wish to preserve this tool for farmers without impacting neighboring crops, homes, farms, and gardens.”

Dicamba is most effective early in the growing season. Product labels recommend application on small broadleaf weeds that are up to 4 inches tall.

To manage weeds after the June 12 or June 30 cut-off dates, herbicides from Group 9 (Glyphosate), Group 2 (Pursuit, Classic, FirstRate), and Group 14 (Flexstar, Cobra, Cadet, Ultra Blazer) can be used. If your soybeans contain the Enlist trait, broadleaf weeds can be controlled with Enlist One or Enlist Duo herbicides. Other 2,4-D formulations cannot be used postemergence on Enlist soybeans. If you have herbicide resistant weeds such as waterhemp, follow University of Minnesota Extension recommendations on layering of residual herbicides such as Dual, Outlook, Warrant, and Valor.

The postemergence dicamba products for use on soybeans are “Restricted Use Pesticides” for retail sale to and for use only by certified applicators.

Background Information

Since dicamba was first registered for use on dicamba-tolerant soybeans in the 2017 growing season, the MDA has fielded complaints each year of alleged off-site movement onto neighboring property. The chemical is highly volatile and can damage non-target plant species through spray drift and/or volatilization. The annual total reports for alleged drift were:

2022: 32
2021: 304
2020: 128
2019: 20
2018: 51
2017: 249

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us

Minnesota dairy farmers are encouraged to apply for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Dairy Business Planning Grant, which has recently launched a revamped application process.

This grant can be used to help cover the costs of hiring a qualified, independent third party to create a business plan for dairy operations. Dairy producers have used grant funds to evaluate the feasibility of expanding an operation, plan environmental upgrades, create strategies to transfer the operation to a family member or other new owner, and other business activities. The grant cannot cover any capital purchases.

“The Dairy Business Planning Grant is one of several tools that the MDA is proud to offer to help alleviate the ever-growing pressures that come with running a dairy operation,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “We are committed to supporting these farmers who work hard to produce high-quality dairy products for consumers in Minnesota and beyond to enjoy.”

The grant pays 50% of the cost to develop a business plan, up to $5,000. Producers must pay the other 50%.

Applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis. The MDA has $80,000 in funds per fiscal year to disperse, which resets every July 1.

To access the full eligibility requirements and access the application, visit the Dairy Business Planning Grant webpage. Questions can be directed to Kami Schoenfeld at Kami.Schoenfeld@state.mn.us or 651-201-6643.

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us

Emerging farmers looking to purchase their first farm will soon have another opportunity to apply for grant funding to support their efforts. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Rural Finance Authority (RFA) has announced that a second round of funding for the Down Payment Assistance Grant Program will open for applications on July 1, 2023.

The Minnesota Down Payment Assistance Grant offers up to $15,000 for qualified farmers to purchase farmland. To qualify, farmers must earn less than $250,000 per year in gross agricultural sales, and each award must be matched with at least $8,000 of other funding. Applications will remain valid for purchases closing within six months after award approval or until June 30, 2024, whichever is sooner.

The grant opened for its first round of funding this past January, almost instantly accumulating enough applications to meet the waitlist cap. Several changes have been adopted for the second round to ensure more equitable access, including:

• A doubling in grant funding as approved by the state Legislature, from $500,000 to $1 million. The RFA expects to award approximately 66 grants in this funding cycle, dependent on the size of grant requests.
• A guaranteed 30-day application window. Whereas the first round stopped accepting applications once a waitlist of 100 applications was formed, the second round will allow farmers to apply anytime from 9 a.m. on July 1, 2023, through 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2023. All applications received within this window will be eligible for consideration.
• After the application window closes, all eligible applications will be placed in a randomized lottery to determine the order in which grants are awarded. The lottery drawing will be held in early August, and the RFA will announce award winners in early to mid-August.

Preference for this round of awards will be given to emerging farmers. A full definition of who qualifies as an emerging farmer can be found in the grant’s request for proposals (RFP).

If funding remains after the RFA has awarded grants to all eligible emerging farmer applicants, the RFA will award as many grants as funding allows for to applicants who are not emerging farmers, based on the order of their lottery placement.

The MDA will host an informational session over Zoom on June 14 to review the grant program, explain changes for the second round of funding, and hear questions and comments from the public. Information for joining this session can be found on the program webpage.

Another round of grant funding of $1 million will be available starting July 2024.

To view the full eligibility requirements and access the RFP, visit the program webpage. Questions may be directed to Jenny Heck at Jenny.Heck@state.mn.us or 651-201-6316.

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Media Contact
Logan Schumacher, MDA Communications
651-201-6193
Logan.Schumacher@state.mn.us