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Crop Residue, Cover Crops Impact on Soil Health Parameters

Interest in no-till and cover crops has been on the rise among South Dakota crop producers. In 2019, half of South Dakota crop ground was under no-till management and about 900,000 acres were planted to cover crops.

Harvested tomatillos in a brown paper bag.

Tomatillos: Harvest and Storage

Tomatillos are an annual, warm-season crop with requirements similar to tomatoes. Learn how to select, grow, harvest and store them with this helpful guide!

Green cereal rye crop growing throughout a harvested corn field.

Thinking Cover Crops? Winter Rye Between Corn and Soybean

Although the 2021 growing season in has been impacted by widespread drought and record-high temperatures, recent rain events have brought planting cover crops back into the conversation.

e-cigarette kit with bottles of vaping liquid. Courtesy: U.S. Department of Defense

The Truth About Vaping

The use of e-cigarettes, more commonly known as vaping, is a trend that continues to rise in America. Contrary to what most young adults and adolescents may believe, e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless water vapor.

Group of students eating lunch at school

Farm to School

Farm to school provides an opportunity for youth in early childcare, educational settings, after-school programs and other settings to experience local foods.

How the Veterinary Lab Diagnoses Anthrax in a Beef Herd

Anthrax is a serious disease of cattle that pops up somewhere almost every year in South Dakota. It’s caused by a bacteria that survives as a very tough spore form in the soil. Knowing whether a death on pasture has been caused by anthrax is important for several reasons.

Herd of black-beef cattle being moved in drought-stressed rangeland.

Trigger Dates: Critical Decisions for Drought Management

Having a drought plan in place ensures that you can overcome the inhibitions surrounding a drought response, the basis of which is figuring out trigger dates.

A mean in a red button-up shirt smiles for the camera

Nebraska entrepreneur announced as 2026 Energize conference keynote

March 06, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to announce Nebraska Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame member Craig Schroeder as the 2026 Energize conference keynote speaker.

plastic container with lid removed. several earwigs are floating in the oil inside.

Earwigs in the Garden: Less-Toxic Control Alternative

Since earwigs provide some ecological service as natural enemies, I hesitate to recommend a pesticide application to control it. As an alternative least-toxic solution, bait trapping the earwigs should work to reduce the insect’s population to the non-threatening levels.

Glory of the Snow, Daffodil, and Allium blooming in three gardens.

Bulbs to Plant in the Fall

Fall is the time to plant cold-hardy bulbs in South Dakota gardens. This will ensure that your landscape will have a variety of color, size, and bloom types the following season.