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Hello to Spring’s Possibilities

I’m delighted to say it’s February! January flies by in a snowstorm of trade shows, meetings and face to face visits with real people. When I turn the calendar to February, spring seems on a not-quite-as-distant horizon. Though it’s still the quiet of winter, I can already feel the earliest hints of the upcoming season percolating. Trade show season has come and gone, a few lucky people have gone on real holidays to a sunny warm climate and the days are getting longer. The season is still a ways away, but it’s coming. Are you feeling the possibilities of the season ahead?

February is the perfect time to start thinking about what’s going to happen next for your farm business. With the major work of the growing season on seasonal pause, now is the time to dream and scheme, plan and prepare. What do you need for a successful season ahead? What might you like to change up, throw away or try out this year? What can you plan for now to be as prepared as possible? Perhaps most importantly, what would make you excited and energized for the season ahead?

I won’t tell you that seed selection is the silver bullet to farm success and blissful life happiness. But, I really do think trying new things – be they new varieties, new techniques, new technologies – keeps farming fresh and engaging. The farmers I know who have the biggest pep in their step about farming tend to be the guys and gals who show up for spring farmer meetings, who call me up to chat about new variety options, who approach farming with a spirit of possibility and lifetime learning.

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Dr. Fei Yang Discusses Corn Rootworm, European Corn Borer, and Pest Monitoring

Video: Dr. Fei Yang Discusses Corn Rootworm, European Corn Borer, and Pest Monitoring

What insect threats are Minnesota corn growers facing, and what research is helping farmers stay ahead of them?

At the 2026 MN Ag Expo, University of Minnesota entomologist Fei Yang shared updates on three Minnesota Corn-supported research projects focused on insect monitoring, seed treatments, and pest resistance.

Current work includes statewide monitoring programs that use pheromone, light, and sticky traps to track key pests such as black cutworm, true armyworm, corn earworm, European corn borer, and corn rootworm. Researchers are also evaluating whether high-rate seed treatments provide effective corn rootworm control and studying the development of resistance in European corn borer populations to Bt corn traits.

These projects help researchers better understand pest pressures across Minnesota and provide farmers with practical information to support informed management decisions.