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A man in a suit and tie smiles for a portrait

Davis retires after 30 years with SDSU Extension

July 17, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension Crops Business Management Specialist Jack Davis is retiring after 30 years of serving South Dakota’s agricultural community.

Herd of cattle grazing a flood-impacted pasture.

Management of Flood-Damaged Pastures

Receding flood water is just the start of recovering pasture ground following a flood event. Learn some expert tips for thoroughly evaluating damaged pastures before regrazing.

A carbon dioxide mosquito trap set up on a lawn.

These mosquitoes are awful! What can I do in my backyard to manage them?

Mosquitoes are out in force across much of South Dakota. While there are steps you can take to prevent bites, there are also chemical and non-chemical options available for backyard mosquito control.

Color-coded map of South Dakota showing Fusarium Head Blight risk throughout the state. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.

Fusarium Head Blight Forecast

The warm and humid conditions prevalent in South Dakota throughout June 2024 have significantly favored Fusarium head blight disease development. As of this week, the risk for Fusarium head blight has begun to increase.

Flooded soybean field with tan, corn residue throughout.

Replanting in Flooded Soybean Fields

If you have large, flooded areas where soybeans have died this summer and herbicides are limiting your replant options, consider trying late-maturing soybeans as cattle feed this year.

Numerous nymph grasshoppers feeding on corn.

Monitor Crops for Grasshopper Activity

Abundant precipitation throughout much of South Dakota has resulted in less grasshopper observations. However, in areas where grasshoppers were an issue in 2023, they are starting to show up again.

Two pictures of green sunflower plants amongst brown dirt and tan crop residue. Taller, green corn plants can be seen in the distance.

Would you rather know or assume? A reminder to check varieties before spraying.

No matter how busy you are this growing season or in the future, you should never be too busy to stop and take a few minutes to double check herbicide types and crop varieties before spraying.

Plastic resealable bag containing larger ash gray blister beetles and smaller Dectes stem borer adults with long antennae.

Dectes Stem Borer Adults Are Active in Soybean

SDSU Extension is again surveying soybean in South Dakota for Dectes stem borer adults. After a slow start this growing season, large populations of beetles were observed in soybeans last week.

A few small, green weed plants among a background of brown dirt, tan crop residue and green soybean plants.

Excess Moisture and Heat Will Likely Increase Weed Growth and Germination

With warmer temperatures on the horizon, crop growth and development is set to rapidly increase, and so is weed growth and germination. Learn some expert tips for scouting and managing later-emerging weeds.

Blister Beetles Are Ramping Up

Within the past week, blister beetles have become a common appearance in South Dakota alfalfa. While we managed to avoid early infestations this year, fields should now be monitored prior to harvest for the remainder of the growing season.