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Purple-brown caterpillar with orange head on a green corn leaf.

Common Stalk Borer Activity Estimate: May 29, 2024

Common stalk borer caterpillars are still present in grass and alternative weed hosts along field edges at this time.

Group of fresh vegetables on wooden table

Dakota Food Rx Recipes

Recipes for Dakota Food Rx patients

Young woman holding an older woman’s hands.

SDSU Extension to host disease management workshops

May 29, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension will continue its 10th anniversary celebration of Better Choices, Better Health-South Dakota with a series of virtual workshops on disease, pain and cancer self-management.

Small white maggot next to a brown pill shaped pupa.

Monitor for Seedcorn Maggots in Wet Planted Fields

Current spring conditions, including wet soil and cool temperatures, could result in seedcorn maggot issues in South Dakota.

Producer with tablet observing a field in late autumn.

Critical Period of Weed Control: A good, but not perfect guideline

The critical period of weed control is the period during a crop lifecycle when weeds need to be managed to avoid a significant yield loss.

Green aphid with red eyes and cornicles with black tips.

Monitor Alfalfa for Pea Aphid Activity

Pea aphids can cause yield reductions to alfalfa when large populations are present. Prolonged feeding by these populations can even cause the alfalfa fields to take on a “golden” color.

A dairy cow at the front of a small heard looking straight forward.

Public Perception and Animal Well-Being

So you ask why is public perception and animal well-being important? Well, did you know that there is just a little over 1% of the population involved in production agriculture, today? Did you know that 98% of the people have no direct connection with how their food is produced?

Small black fly with dusky colored wings.

Wet Conditions Make Crop Fields Suitable for Fungus Gnats

An insect that we don’t normally receive reports about in crop fields are fungus gnats. However, the wet, cool spring here in South Dakota has led to favorable conditions in crop fields.

Small black and yellow beetle feeding on the green leaf of a canola plant.

Don’t Forget to Scout Canola for Flea Beetles

Canola emergence is well underway and ahead of emergence at this time in 2023. There are three species of flea beetles that commonly infest canola and feed on the leaves.

Two pictures of bright, green plants with yellow flowers.

Leafy Spurge or an Imposter?

Leafy spurge is a statewide noxious weed that can be difficult to manage. However, are the recent yellow flowers appearing throughout South Dakota landscapes leafy spurge or another species?