Natural Resources
All Natural Resources Content
Fall Frost and September Climate Outlook for 2019
This year’s struggles with weather and climate are continuing this fall. Late planting of corn and soybeans in the spring have now combined with near average or cooler than average summertime temperatures. This combination has led to slow crop growth and the need for an extended frost-free season to ensure these crops reach maturity.
May 2019 Climate Outlook: April Showers Bring May Showers?
The precipitation outlook for May does not show much promise of relief from moisture, as wetter than average conditions are slightly more favored than drier conditions. In addition, cooler than average temperatures are more likely for the first half of May and could continue for much of the month.
Planting Into Wet Soils
It is evident that there are high chances of planting into wet soils this spring. This is not a good decision when normal soil conditions appear to be attainable, but this year we may not have a choice.
Floods Continue With a Wet Outlook
As April unfolds, major flooding continues along the Eastern rivers. The James River is at crest in Brown county the first week of April and will slowly recede while maintaining flood level for much of April.
South Dakota Land Use Trends (2012-2017)
Significant education efforts for natural resource conservation have occurred in South Dakota during the last five years. Many stakeholder groups have brought awareness for soil health and water quality to the forefront.
2019 South Dakota Grasshopper Forecast
The USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service conducts an annual survey to monitor grasshopper populations in Western South Dakota. In 2018, SDSU conducted a survey to monitor populations in Eastern South Dakota. These previous-year surveys can be used as a prediction tool for where grasshoppers may be an issue during the upcoming season.
Cover Crops & Livestock Integration: A Profit Opportunity for S.D. Farms
Cover crops have been gaining a reemerging acceptance over the last decade, with very few producers disagreeing about the potential soil health benefits of adding cover crops to their farming operation.
Managing Soil and Soil Fertility After Flooding
During floods, your fields will experience different amounts of erosion, sediment deposition, and crop residue accumulation. To avoid compaction of these soils it is crucial to let soils drain and dry out sufficiently before removing any large debris from fields or working the soil.
Nitrogen Credit: The Rest of the Story
We have all been programmed to think of soybean as fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere and adding nitrogen to the soil. The SDSU lab and most other labs give nitrogen “credit” when another crop follows soybeans.
Be on the Lookout for Black Grass Bugs
It’s time to begin scouting pasture and wheat for the presence of black grass bugs. Last year, we saw the highest populations in areas of Central and Southwestern South Dakota. If left untreated, black grass bug populations tend to increase year after year.