By Scout Nelson
The University of Minnesota Extension is addressing nitrate water quality challenges in southeast Minnesota, where decades of changes in agriculture have increased nitrate levels in drinking water. Once dominated by hay and pasture, the region now grows mostly corn, which contributes to higher nitrogen loss.
Many private wells show elevated nitrate levels that can harm human health. Nitrate, a form of nitrogen essential for crops, can move into groundwater and streams when fertilizers or manure are applied to fields. The state’s porous Karst geology makes the area especially vulnerable to this contamination.
The Southeast Minnesota Nitrate Strategies Collaborative Work Group, formed in 2024, recently released recommendations that include planting more living roots year-round, supporting alternative crops and land uses, and increasing best management practices for nitrogen.
“Private well users are often on their own in terms of both testing their water quality and addressing any issues that they find through those water quality tests,” said Joel Larson, associate director of the university’s Water Resources Center. His team is creating an educational program to help owners interpret test results and act. Workshops and a peer leader network will be launched by early 2026.
Extension educators also guide farmers in reducing nitrogen loss. Brad Carlson, an Extension educator, urges farmers to avoid applying excess fertilizer and to use the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator to find profitable, environmentally safe rates. “We’ve got research that shows if you put on more fertilizer than the crop needs, we’re leaving it behind pound for pound out in the field, and that often ends up in the water,” Carlson said.
The Nitrogen Smart program offers in-person and online training, podcasts, and videos. Since 2016, it has reached more than 1,200 participants and influenced over one million acres. Extension also promotes cover crops like cereal rye to keep roots in the ground longer and capture nutrients.
Officials stress that improvements take time because groundwater can reflect practices from decades past. “In reality, there’s no one thing that we’re going to do that’s going to solve this problem,” Carlson explained. “We’re going to have to do a lot of things.”
Through education, innovation, and community support, the Extension’s multifaceted approach aims to secure clean drinking water and healthier landscapes for the future.
Photo Credit:gettyimages-zms
Categories: Minnesota, Crops, Education, Energy