Plants or Crops
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Fall Grain Storage Tips
As the temperature drops, don’t forget to check on your stored grain. Although most of the South Dakota grain harvest was sufficiently dry this year, we still need to watch grain storage temperatures and conditions.

Managing Production Costs To Boost Soybean Profitability
Soybeans are one of the major crops in South Dakota in terms of both acres planted and sales values. To determine the potential to increase net profit from soybean production, individual producers are encouraged to compare their own yields and input costs with benchmark levels.

Best Management Practices for Wheat Production
The Wheat Best Management Practices manual offers a comprehensive guide for optimizing yields, maximizing profits and ensuring long-term sustainability in wheat production.

How’s Life in the Soil? Ask (Count) the Earthworms.
Earthworms are ‘very special’ creatures on earth, and their contribution in soil nutrient cycling and fertility management has been acknowledged from the beginning of agriculture. So, the question needs to be asked, how can we help improve earthworm populations?

SDSU Extension Professionals Honored for Accomplishments
November 10, 2020
SDSU Extension professionals were recognized for a variety of achievements at the annual Fall Conference held virtually October 28-29.

How Do I Keep Insects From Destroying My Garden Produce?
It is not unusual to see insects in a garden during the fall, but it can be frustrating to watch nearly ripe produce be destroyed by insects before it can be picked.

Roadway Safety During Harvest
If you have been on the roads lately, you have probably noticed that harvest has started. Producers and non-agricultural drivers have a shared responsibility to travel safely and share the road during this busy time of the year.

Calibrate Your Combine Yield Monitors!
The equipment associated with precision farming is a considerable investment and is a great tool for gaining knowledge about your farming operation. The yield monitor is often overlooked as the critical piece of equipment when the crops are ready for harvest.

Lawn Weed Control
Cultural weed control practices must be included in weed management programs to optimize control and inhibit re-infestation. A healthy, dense turf cover is the best overall defense against weed invasion. Some common cultural weed control practices include planting the most adapted turfgrass species for your environment (i.e. shade, full sun, or hot, dry conditions), maintaining a mowing height of 2.5–3.5 inches, watering deeply but less frequently, and proper soil maintenance including fertilization and core aerification.

Fire Blight
Fire blight is a disease that can infect apples, pears, and certain ornamental species including crabapples, cotoneaster, and mountain ash. Occasionally it may also appear on cherries, plums, Juneberry (also called Serviceberry or Saskatoon), and raspberry. This disease, caused by the bacteria Erwinia amylovora, can damage blossoms, fruit, leaves, shoots, and branches. If it is not controlled, fire blight may kill the entire tree or shrub. Infected tissue cannot be cured, but will need to be removed from the tree to prevent further spread.