Overview of Minnesota Agriculture D.J. Mulla Dept. Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota
Minnesota Pre-Settlement Vegetation Classification Aspen-Birch (trending to Conifers) Aspen-Birch (trending to Hardwoods) Aspen-Oak Land Big Woods - Hardwoods (Oak, Maple, Basswood, Hickory) Brush Prairie Conifer Bogs and Swamps Jack Pine Barrens and Openings Lakes (open water) Mixed Hardwood and Pine (Maple, White Pine, Basswood) Mixed White Pine and Red Pine Oak openings and barrens Open Muskeg Pine Flats (Hemlock, Spruce, Fir, White Pine, Aspen) Prairie River Bottom Forest Wet Prairie White Pine N 20 0 20 40 Kilometers
Minnesota Land Use and Land Cover Classification Urban or Built-Up Land Agricultural Land Rangeland Forest Land Water Wetland Barren Land N 40 0 40 80 Kilometers
Introduction Minnesota has a wide range of soil types, climatic variables, and agricultural systems Minnesota has 39 agroecoregions representing unique combinations of soil, landscape, climatic, and crop production characteristics
Agroecoregions with County Boundaries Alluvium and Outwash Anoka Sand Plains Blufflands Central Till Coteau Drift and Bedrock Complex Drumlins Dryer Blue Earth Till Dryer Clays and Silts Dryer Till Forested Lake Sediments Forested Moraine Inner Coteau Inter-Beach Sand Bars Level Plains Mahnomen Lake Sediments Mesabi Range Northern Till Northshore Moraine Peatlands Poorly Drained Blue Earth Till Poorly Drained Lake Sediments Red Lake Loams Rochester Plateau Rolling Moraine Somewhat Poorly Drained Lake Sediments Steep Dryer Moraine Steep Poorly Drained Moraine Steep Stream Banks Steep Valley Walls Steep Wetter Moraine Steeper Alluvium Steeper Till Stream Banks Swelling Clay Lake Sediments Undulating Plains Very Poorly Drained Lake Sediments Wetter Blue Earth Till Wetter Clays and Silts
Agroecoregions with Major Watershed Boundaries Alluvium and Outwash Anoka Sand Plains Blufflands Central Till Coteau Drift and Bedrock Complex Drumlins Dryer Blue Earth Till Dryer Clays and Silts Dryer Till Forested Lake Sediments Forested Moraine Inner Coteau Inter-Beach Sand Bars Level Plains Mahnomen Lake Sediments Mesabi Range Northern Till Northshore Moraine Peatlands Poorly Drained Blue Earth Till Poorly Drained Lake Sediments Red Lake Loams Rochester Plateau Rolling Moraine Somewhat Poorly Drained Lake Sediments Steep Dryer Moraine Steep Poorly Drained Moraine Steep Stream Banks Steep Valley Walls Steep Wetter Moraine Steeper Alluvium Steeper Till Stream Banks Swelling Clay Lake Sediments Undulating Plains Very Poorly Drained Lake Sediments Wetter Blue Earth Till Wetter Clays and Silts
Minnesota Crop Production Ranks Crop Rank Nationally (2004) Sugarbeets Spring Wheat Hay/Alfalfa Corn Ethanol Soybean Oats Barley Beans Potatoes (22,729,158 ac cropland) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 4th 4th 4th 6th 6th 8th
Minnesota Farm Size Distribution Size Range (ac) 1-9 ac 10-49 ac 50-179 ac 180-499 ac 500-999 ac 1000 or more ac Percent of Farms 4% 21% 30% 26% 11% 8%
Minnesota Corn Yield Trends 1970-2005
Long-Term Trends in "Legume" Crops (All Hay and Soybeans) during 1921-2004 8000 Acres in 1,000 Increments 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 Soybeans Hay 0 1921 1929 1937 1945 1953 1961 1969 1977 1985 1993 2001 Year
Phosphate (P2O5) Sales in Minnesota from 1990 to 2004 340000 320000 300000 280000 260000 240000 220000 200000 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Tons of P2O5
Agroecoregion Land Use Classifications Classification Agriculture/Forest Forest/Wetland/Agriculture Agriculture Forest Forest/Barren Wetland/Forest Wetland/Forest/Water/Agriculture Forest/Water/Agriculture Agriculture/Urban N 40 0 40 80 Kilometers
Agroecoregion Cropping System Classifications Classification Corn/Soybean Corn/Hay Corn/Soybean/Hay Hay Wheat/Soybean/Mixed Wheat/Hay/Mixed N 40 0 40 80 Kilometers
Lake Pepin Watershed Landuse in the Lake Pepin Watershed Cultivated Land Hay/ Pasture/ Grassland Forested/ Brushland Water/ Bog/ Marsh/ Fen Urban and Rural Development Upper Mississippi Metro Area St. Croix River Minnesota River Cannon River Vermillion River Local tributaries Lake Pepin Minnesota Pollution Controal Agency
Minnesota Animal Product Production Ranks Type of Production Turkeys raised, 2002 Hogs Marketed, 2002 Total Cheese Produced, 1999 Milk Production, 1999 Red Meat Production, 1999 Eggs produced, 1999 Cattle/calves on Feed, 2002 Rank Nationally 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th 11th
Minnesota Registered Animal Feedlots (23,912 total) Size Range (AUs( AUs) 10-50 AU 50-100 AU 100-299 AU 300-499 AU 500-999 AU 1000 or more AU Percent of Feedlots 16% 26% 40% 7% 7% 4%
Proportion of Statewide Animal Units per Agroecoregion Percent 0-2 3-5 6-7 8-10 N 40 0 40 80 Kilometers
Agroecoregion Animal System Classifications Classification Sparse Cattle Cattle/Hog Cattle/Hog/Turkey Hog/Cattle Cattle/Turkey N 40 0 40 80 Kilometers
Conclusions Minnesota is a top agricultural producing state Dairy production is decreasing, while hog production is increasing Soybean acreage is increasing, and corn productivity is increasing Agroecoregions are useful for delineating broad patterns in land use, cropping systems, and animal production