Attend the Southeast Research Farm field day and family evening on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the Southeast Research Farm (29974 University Road, Beresford, SD 57004). The farm is located six miles west and three miles south of Beresford.
SDSU Extension, the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station at SDSU and the Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Corporation co-host this event.
The field day will begin at 1:30 p.m., followed by an evening of fun for the whole family, beginning at 4:30 p.m. and concluding at 8:00 p.m. Featured topics will include agritourism, conservation, crop rotation, food preservation, horticulture, nutrient management, precision agriculture, small grains, climate, and weed management.
Schedule
Field Day
- 1:30 p.m. – Agronomy field tours of (corn, soybeans, rye, oats, forages)
- 3:00 p.m. – Break, SDSU ice cream will be provided
- 3:30 p.m. – Repeat of agronomy tours, horticulture tour, and indoor session
- 5:00 p.m. – Food trucks on-site will provide supper
- 6:00 p.m. – Repeat of horticulture tour, Q&A session for agronomic crops
- 7:30 p.m. – Program concludes
Field Tours
- Small Grains and Forages (1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.)
- Soft White Winter Wheat and Forage Wheat: Sunish Sehgal, Professor & Winter Wheat Breeder
- Crop Sequence After Grazed Rye: Pete Sexton, Associate Professor, SDSU Extension Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist and Southeast Research Farm Supervisor
- Wildlife on Production Fields: Ashley Fazekas, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
- N in No-Till Transition: Matheus Costa, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
- Oat Varieties: Melanie Caffee, SDSU Oat Breeder
- Yellow Field Peas: Potential New Market/Outlet: Brian Dawson and Mark Macrander, Ingredion Incorporated
- Corn and Soybeans (1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.)
- Nutrient Management in Corn: Peter Kovacs, Associate Professor of Precision Agriculture Cropping Systems
- Rotation and Soil Health: Sierra Mesman, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant, and Matheus Costa, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
- Weed Control with Spring Cover Crops in Corn and Soybeans: Sachin Dhanda, Assistant Professor of Weed Ecology
- Corn & Soy Diseases: Madalyn Shires, Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Specialist
- Corn Insect Pests: Adam Varenhorst, Associate Professor & SDSU Extension Field Crop Entomologist
- Tile Drainage - Automated Control: Sushant Mehan, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Water Resource Engineer Specialist
- Weed Management (1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.)
- Corn and Soybean Herbicides: Eric Jones, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Weed Management Specialist
- Horticulture (3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.)
- Warm Season Cover Crops and Grafted Cucumbers: Kristine Lang, Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist
- Tillage and Mulch for Watermelon Production: Bret Lang, SDSU Postdoctoral Researcher Organic Systems
- Perennial Elderberry Polyculture: Robin Buterbaugh, SDSU Extension Horticulture Field Specialis
- Heat Tolerant Lettuce for High Tunnels: Joslyn Fousert, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
- Soil Amendments for Horticulture Production: Bret Lang, SDSU Postdoctoral Researcher Organic Systems
- Bees in Your Bonnet: Phil Breed, Birdsong Bees
Indoor Session Schedule
- 3:30 p.m. – Dectes Stem Borer: Adam Varenhorst, Associate Professor & SDSU Extension Field Crop Entomologist
- 3:45 p.m. – 2025 Weather Outlook: Grace White, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
- 4:00 p.m. – Break
- 4:10 p.m. – Full-fat Soybean in Cattle Rations: Zach Smith, Associate Professor of Feedlot Nutrition and Management
- 4:25 p.m. – Grain Market Trends: Sarah Sellars, Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Sustainable Farm & Food Systems Specialist
- 4:40 p.m. – Drone vs. Satellite Imaging: Skye Brugler, SDSU Research Associate
Family Evening
- 4:30 - 8:00 p.m. – Food trucks, kid activities, informational booths, and SDSU ice cream
Registration
Registration is encouraged and can be completed using the blue register button above. This event is free of charge and includes a meal and hands-on activities.
