Plants or Crops

All Plants or Crops Content

Modern grain bin exterior with built-in staircase.

Grain Bin Safety Improvements

One major area of concern during fall harvest is producer safety in and around grain bins. Let’s examine some of the changes that producers could make to their current bins, which will help make them safer.

Green tractor driving down a road with low-hanging powerlines across it.

Agricultural Safety Around Overhead Lines

Every year farmers are injured or killed in electricity-related accidents. Assessing the electrocution hazards around your farm and fields and developing a safety plan for your operation can save lives.

Two photos of yellow soybeans, one with green and yellow weeds in between the rows and the other with a clearing in-between soybean rows.

Order of Fields Harvested Can Improve Weed Management

Weeds at harvest time are hard to avoid, and their severity in fields can range from “clean” to a “weedy mess.” Harvesting weedier fields last can help limit the movement of weed seeds and reduce future weed pressure.

Bacterial soft rot on tomato fruit.

Bacterial Soft Rot

Bacterial soft rot is a common disease that can occur in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Learn how to identify and manage it before it impacts your harvest.

a man in a suit and tie smiles for the camera

SDSU Extension welcomes new soil health expert to Watertown office

September 18, 2023

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Hans Klopp as a new Soil Health Field Specialist.

Fall pasture with cool-season grass greening up throughout.

Fall Grazing: A Cautionary Tale

It is very tempting to graze new, green cool-season grasses when pastures are dry most of the summer. However, caution should be taken to not overgraze this green-up.

a metal structure with white tarps wrapped over it, resembling a hoop shape

SDSU Extension to feature Beadle Conservation District at High Tunnel Field Day

September 13, 2023

Perfect for farmers, technical service providers, gardeners and anyone curious about high tunnels, the field day is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT on Sept. 21, 2023, at the Beadle Conservation District site, 1174 Lincoln Ave. SW, Huron, South Dakota. It is free to attend.

Waterhemp growing at the edge of a soybean field nearing harvest.

Row Crop and Noxious Weed Surveys

Controlling noxious weeds and weeds in row crops is a challenge every year. SDSU Extension has created two online surveys to capture the current climate of weed control in South Dakota.

Four green caterpillars feeding on a leaf of green kale.

What’s chewing on my kale?

Cabbage white caterpillars can be a nuisance in kale and other cold crops, leaving behind ragged-looking leaves and a significant amount of droppings. Learn some expert tips for identifying and manage them before they take a bite out of your harvest.

Pepper plant with frost injury.

Fall Frost Tolerance of Common Vegetables

Vegetables vary widely in how much cold they can tolerate as they reach maturity. Learn which ones can tolerate light and heavy frosts and which ones can't.