2026 MSU Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series to begin on March 26

Steve Whittington<whitti34@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - February 25, 2026

The 2026 MSU Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast series will kick off the growing season series on March 26. The series runs every Thursday from 7–8 a.m. through September 17.

Spring is approaching and with that comes renewed enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming growing season for Michigan farmers. During winter months, farmers carefully plan and set goals, fix and maintain valuable equipment, and focus on ways to maximize their 2026 production season. In anticipation of the upcoming growing season, farmers should look for resources to prepare for the inevitable challenges, issues and concerns that each season brings.

The 2026 Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series is a weekly webinar for farmers, agribusiness professionals and anyone interested in agriculture. Now in its ninth year, this series is conducted to assist farmers as they prepare for potential issues and navigate any concerns during the growing season. Michigan State University Extension will host the Virtual Breakfast Series beginning Thursday, March 26 through Sept. 17, 2026, from 7–8 a.m. ET.

Michigan State University (MSU) Extension educators, specialists and guest speakers provide a short presentation related to field crop agriculture from 7–7:20 a.m. The topic is carefully selected to align with the current stage of the season that producers are in and address specific challenges they are facing at that time.

Immediately following the topic of the day, the series moves into a detailed weather report led by Jeff Andresen, PhD, Michigan State University agriculture climatologist, from 7:20–7:35 a.m.

Each Virtual Breakfast session concludes with a 25-minute Q&A segment that follows the topic and weather report from 7:35–8 a.m. During this Q&A, participants can interact with MSU Extension specialists and educators to get answers to their questions.

An additional benefit of this webinar series is the restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits offered to Michigan pesticide applicators for most sessions in the series. Applicators who hold a license can easily accumulate enough RUP credits over the summer to recertify their credentials by attending the correct amount of sessions. Licensed applicators will earn one RUP credit (1A, Comm or Priv Core) and certified crop advisors (CCA) can receive one continuing education unit (CEU).

Weekly schedule

7–7:20 a.m. Scheduled topic by MSU Educators and Specialists
7:20–7:35 a.m. Weather with Dr. Jeff Andresen
7:35 a.m. RUP & CCA credits
7:37–8 a.m. Q&A with MSU Specialists and Educators

Scheduled topics and dates

March 26 – Spring Field Management: Can Soil Management get you in the Fields Earlier? with Dr. Anna Cates, Associate Extension Professor – University of Minnesota
April 2 – Early Weed Control with Dr. Christy Sprague
April 9 – Corn and Soybean Planting Considerations with Dr. Manni Singh
April 16 – Soil Fertility Considerations in a Down Market with Dr. Kurt Steinke
April 23 – Optimizing Alfalfa Harvesting Schedules with Dr. Kim Cassida
April 30 – Early Season Pest Control: Seed Corn Maggot & more with Dr. Anders Huseth
May 7 – Disease Management in Wheat: Head Scab & Fungicide Timing with Dr. Martin Chilvers
May 14 – Post Weed Control with Dr. Erin Burns
May 21 – Wheat Scouting and Management Considerations with Dennis Pennington
May 28 – Michigan Dry Bean Update with Scott Bales
June 4 – IPM in Sugar Beets: Cercospora Management with Dr. Jaime Willbur
June 11 – Herbicide Resistance Update with Dr. Erin Hill
June 18 – Hot Topics! Featuring all MSUE Educators and Specialists
June 25 – Corn and Soybean Disease Management with Dr. Martin Chilvers
July 2 Off – July 4^th Holiday
July 9 – Irrigation Management Considerations with Dr. Younsuk Dong
July 16 – Insect Management with Dr. Christina DiFonzo
July 23 – Field Drainage and Water Management with Dr. Ehsan Ghane
July 30 – Late Summer and Fall Cover Crops with Dr. Brook Wilke
Aug 6 – Hot Topics! Featuring all MSU Extension Educators and Specialists
Aug 13 – Nematode Management with Dr. Marisol Quintanilla
Aug 20 – Best Management Practices for Establishing New Hayfields with Dr. Kim Cassida
Aug 27 – Irrigation Investment Economics with Lyndon Kelley
Sept 3 – Farmland Valuations: Data Centers, Solar and more with Dr. Tor Tolhurst
Sept 10 – Precision Agriculture with Rich Price
Sept 17 – Late Season Weed Control with Dr. Christy Sprague

Participating is easy and free! You can join the live meeting via Zoom using a computer, tablet, mobile device or regular phone line. If you are new to Zoom, simply download the Zoom app and you will be ready to join online every week to see visuals shared by presenters. A call-in-by-phone option is also available but note that you will only hear the audio portion.

Participants must sign up to receive an email notification with instructions for joining the Virtual Breakfast Series. You only need to do this once and you will receive the Zoom link and call-in phone number, as well as weekly reminders every Wednesday and Thursday. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.

If you cannot participate in the live session at 7 a.m., you can view the recorded version at any time. However, only the live session will be eligible for RUP and CCA credits. Recordings will be closed-captioned and available at the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast webpage and the MSU Extension Field Crops Team social media platforms: Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter/X.

If you are unable to sign up online, call the Montcalm County MSU Extension office at 989-831-7500.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).