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A white, four-dimensional 4-H clover sits next to votive candles as a table centerpiece

SDSU Extension welcomes new 4-H field specialists

July 28, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension 4-H is pleased to welcome two new field specialists.

Small, green teardrop shaped insects on a green, soybean stem with pink flower.

It’s Time To Scout for Soybean Aphids

While scouting soybeans last week, we observed small populations of soybean aphids. These populations suggest that the infestation was recent. In 2025, we observed similar small infestations that took a long time to increase.

Small beetle with elongated black snout. Beetle is red-orange in color.

Aug 14

Red Sunflower Seed Weevil Management Webinar

SDSU Extension will host an informational sunflower webinar focusing on red sunflower seed weevil management on August 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Bright green, smooth Hosta leaves, and ferny foliage with bright red peony flowers in a garden.

Garden and Yard Newsletter Archive

View an archive of the articles featured in the Garden and Yard Newsletter.

small business owner talking to a group of people

Newsletters

Monarch butterfly visiting a blanket flower near a backyard garden.

SDSU Extension to host Greatest Gardens contest

July 08, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension will celebrate gardens of all kinds with its inaugural South Dakota’s Greatest Gardens contest.

Corn earlobe being stored in a bunker for later use as cattle feed.

Valuing High-Moisture Corn and Earlage

A key advantage to using commodities that meet standard specifications and are frequently traded is that it is very easy to establish an economic value that is accepted by most users. The marketplace sets the value of corn, and other feedstuffs on a daily basis, provided those products meet some set of standard specifications.

A group of brown cattle foraging in a green field.

Prussic Acid Poisoning

As the first frost date approaches, producers often have concerns about the risk of prussic acid poisoning in livestock. Certain forage plants, especially sorghums and related species are associated with an increased risk of death loss because of prussic acid poisoning.

A soybean field in early fall. Plants are nearing maturity.

Low Temperatures During Soybean Maturity

This year, we had a slow soybean planting due to high rainfall in spring. This was followed by below normal temperatures for most of the growing season, which delayed soybean growth and development. This brings up a question about what these low temperatures will do to soybeans that are in the field.

sun rising over a cornfield. several grain bins are in the background.

Corn Grain Moisture Discount: Why and How Much?

Corn marketed at the standard moisture content of 15.5% and 56 pounds per bushel typically contains 47.3 pounds of dry matter and 8.7 pounds of water. At harvest, a producer has to decide whether to sell (or even store) his corn at ‘as is’ moisture content or mechanically dry it before taking it to the buyer.