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Spring wheat field nearing harvest in June.

SDSU Extension to host spring wheat field tours

July 01, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to host tours of spring wheat variety field plots at SDSU Extension Crop Performance Testing program locations.

A group of cattle grazing on crop residue.

Farm Practices That Improve Soil Health: Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems

An integrated crop-livestock system can provide an alternative management strategy that benefits producer’s income, soil health, and the environment—all while increasing production.

male 4-H youth standing with a white meat goat

4-H Meat Goat Project

Join this fast paced growing sector of the agriculture industry—market goats! Learn about breeds, husbandry, showmanship, nutrition, reproduction and much more!

An aerial view of the town of Mobridge with the Missouri River in the background.

A Strategic Community-Based Survey of Water Resource Management in South Dakota

Understanding how residents value water is critical for effective resource management, and your insights can help us better understand community values and inform future strategies for sustainable water management across the state.

Herd of young pigs inside a wean-to-finish facility.

Wean-To-Finish Production Systems Evolve for Healthy Pigs

An important foundation of the efficiency of modern pork production is the industry emphasis on biosecurity. Wean-to-finish barns may provide better biosecurity than separate nursery and grow-finish facilities.

Small herd of mixed cattle grazing rangeland in late fall.

Producer Views on Patch Burn Grazing vs. Winter Patch Grazing in S.D.

Traditional rangeland management promotes uniform forage utilization, yet causes detrimental effects on the richness of plant species and wildlife habitat. Therefore, management practices that increase heterogeneity in vegetation play an important role in developing habitat types and preserving grassland wildlife species.

A black angus calf in standing in a pasture between two cows.

Calving Season Benchmarks

Reproductive performance of an operation is important to the overall success and bottom line of that operation. Benchmarking may be beneficial as it can help focus limited management time on critical areas of an individual’s beef cow business.

Two black cattle being isolated in a pen.

Cull Cows and Trichomoniasis

With increasing amounts of cows being sold at the sale barn with reproductive years left, there are some precautions to be aware of prior to bringing females home to re-breed.

An orange plastic hoop placed around a portion of tall grass on a range to provide a measurement.

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Range Record Keeping

Range record keeping helps detect and demonstrate landscape changes that have a direct impact on your ability to maintain or grow your herd.

Black beef cattle grazing forages in summer pasture.

High Nitrates and Pregnant Cows

Drought poses many challenges to the beef cow herd. When considering grazing pregnant females, it’s important to understand that grazing management is critical to avoid nitrate toxicity and potential abortions.