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Plants or Crops

All Plants or Crops Content

Northern Corn Rootworms on sunflowers, zinnias, and dahlia flowers.

Corn Rootworm Presence in Cut Flowers

Multiple cut flower farms in Eastern South Dakota have reported corn rootworms on a variety of crops, including sunflowers, zinnias, and dahlias. Careful attention to species present, their timing, and the damage they cause can help inform integrated pest management strategies.

Examples of Wild violet, Creeping Bellflower, and Ground Ivy growing on a lawn.

Perennial Weed Control in Lawns and Turf With Fall Herbicide Applications

Early fall is great time to control perennial weeds in lawns, including Wild violet, Creeping Bellflower, Ground Ivy, and Canada Thistle. Learn some expert tips selecting the right herbicides to manage these difficult-to-control weeds this fall.

Producer loading pesticide into a sprayer tank.

SDSU Extension to host training for DOT pest control applicators

October 08, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension will host two recertification trainings in October for two categories of pesticide applicators.

Combine harvesting soybean.

Managing Farm Stress During Harvest Season

With unpredictable weather and market prices, harvest season can feel like a whirlwind with incredible pressure. Learn some expert tips for recognizing and managing stress during this critical time of the year for farm families.

Farm employee inspecting a piece of heavy machinery.

Safety & Training

Covering the range from animal handling to equipment safety, including training and certification to keep producers and their workforce productive.

Green plant with wide, oval leaves. Pink florets are arranged in a circle at the top of the stem. An orange Monarch butterfly feeds on nectar from one of the florets.

Investigate Pollinators

Lesson about the importance of pollinators and the plants they interact with.

Yellowjacket feeding on decaying produce.

Yellowjackets: Swarming decaying produce or garbage near you

Fall is here, and if you have a garden, fruit trees, or outdoor dumpsters, you are likely to encounter yellowjackets in search of food. Learn some expert tips to avoid getting stung this fall.

Swarm of mosquitoes.

West Nile Virus Update: September 26, 2025

As of September 26, 2025, the South Dakota Department of Health (SD DOH) reported 74 human cases of West Nile Virus from Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Charles Mix, Clay, Codington, Corson, Douglas, Grant, Gregory, Haakon, Hamlin, Hand, Hughes, Hutchison, Hyde, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marshall, Meade, Miner, Minnehaha, Pennington, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Stanley, Union, Walworth, and Yankton counties.

Multicolored Asian lady beetle, female mosquito, and boxelder bug.

Insects Are Being a Nuisance This Fall

The weather is changing, and many of us are noticing an uptick in the nuisance bites caused by several insects. The continued warm weather is going to increase the activity of all insects, including the ones that are causing us displeasure.

A corn leaf is shown

SDSU Extension to host corn disease scouting workshop

September 23, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension will host a scouting session for corn diseases confirmed in the state this season.