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A field of standing corn covered in snow.

Standing Corn Considerations

The January 2020 South Dakota Crop Progress Report indicated four percent of S.D. corn acres remain in the field. Given the record rainfall of 2019, current snow pack levels and the 3-to-6-month precipitation forecasts, farmers will likely be dealing with a wet spring in 2020, thus making the removal of those acres important but hard to accomplish.

Green and brown grasshoppers on the leaves of a sunflower plant.

Grasshoppers Already Moving Into Sunflower Fields

With grassland food sources being depleted earlier than usual due to drought, grasshoppers are moving into nearby crops in search of vegetation. In parts of western South Dakota, grasshopper nymphs have already been observed feeding on young sunflower plants.

Farmer sitting inside the cab of a green tractor parked inside a machine shed.

Bookwork, The Missing Management Component: Depreciation Determination and Use

Another component of determining net income is depreciation. This is one component of the Schedule F that many understand the least. Typically, the most use it gets is to minimize income tax through accelerated tax depreciation under section 179.

Fall Grain Storage Tips

As the temperature drops, don’t forget to check on your stored grain. Although most of the South Dakota grain harvest was sufficiently dry this year, we still need to watch grain storage temperatures and conditions.

Woman using a grazing stick to measure forage status.

Using the ‘Grazing Stick’ To Assess Pasture Forage

Assessing pasture forage is a key step in planning grazing strategies. A grazing stick is a tool that uses simple math and measurements to determine herd size, stocking rates and available grazing days. We will address how to use a grazing stick in this article.

Grazing stick being used to assess current grassland status.

Measuring Grassland Production

Assessing pasture forage production is a key step in planning harvest strategies and can also inform the manager on the status of wildlife habitat or other grassland values.

Sealed packages of ground beef stacked inside a meat cooler at a grocery store.

Looking for Foodborne Germs and Their Resistance to Antibiotics: Ground Beef

This report analyzes the NARMS results for ground beef for the period of June 2018 through May 2019.

Two beef calves standing in a dry, fall pasture.

Combatting Drought Conditions With Early Weaning

Producers experiencing drought conditions should consider early weaning to reduce fall grazing pressure and facilitate some pasture recovery before dormancy.

Cattle HQ

SDSU Extension's beef team provides valuable insights to improve the health, productivity and profitability of your herd through the Cattle HQ podcast and monthly webinars.

Green beetle larvae with a white stripe running down its body.

Alfalfa Weevil Activity Prediction Update: June 3, 2021

It has been a busy week for alfalfa weevils. Throughout the state, alfalfa weevils have been causing significant feeding damage. We recommend scouting alfalfa fields for the next week and treating when necessary.