Skip to main content

Search

A green tractor, pulling a red, high-clearance planter through a field of emerging corn.

Cover Crops in Modern Agriculture

Fact sheet on cover crops in modern agriculture.

A yellow beetle with a black head, and square black markings on its back standing on a soybean leaf.

South Dakota Overwintering Bean Leaf Beetle Predicted Mortality: 2023-2024

Every year we evaluate the overwintering success of bean leaf beetles in South Dakota. At emergence, the overwintering population of bean leaf beetle adults will move into soybean fields and begin feeding on the seedlings.

A green pasture with patches of bare soil under a blue sky containing several wispy white clouds.

Dying Patches in Your Pasture? Make Sure You Don’t Have White Grubs.

There have been an increasing number of reports of pastures with dead areas showing up this spring. A little digging into these areas has revealed that part of the problem is the presence of true white grubs, which are the larva of June beetles.

Canada thistle growing in a pasture.

Current State of Noxious Weed Management in South Dakota

Results of an online survey to determine how South Dakota stakeholders are currently managing noxious weeds.

Top: Field pennycress leaves and seeds. Bottom: Shepherd’s purse leaves and seeds.

Early Season Prevalence of Field Pennycress and Shepherd’s Purse

Many fields that are planted to winter wheat or have yet to be tilled may have a healthy infestation of field pennycress or shepherd’s purse. Learn some expert tips for identifying and managing these weeds before they become a problem this growing season.

Green corn leaf with ragged holes through-out caused by common stalk borer feeding.

Common Stalk Borers and Why They Matter in Early Season Corn

Based on current degree day accumulations, the common stalk borer caterpillars are developing within weeds and grass hosts. Once the caterpillars outgrow these hosts they will begin moving into corn fields.

Various weeds emerging from a research plot in some rows, while other rows are weed-free.

Weeds Are Starting to Emerge: Even After a Preemergence Herbicide Application

During recent scouting, weeds were noticed in plots treated with preemergence herbicides. Learn some troubleshooting considerations to help determine why some weeds emerge following preemergence treatments.

A picture of a absinth wormwood plant that has white colored leaves.

Absinth Wormwood Control in the Spring

Absinth wormwood is a difficult-to-control, noxious weed that can produce great amounts of seed (50,000 seeds per-stem) and spreads only by seed, illustrating the importance of management prior to seed production.

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.

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?