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Seecorn maggot larva feeding on a seed in a field.

Seedcorn Maggot Degree Day Activity Estimates: May 29, 2024

Many of the northern counties are approaching enough degree days for a peak second-generation seedcorn maggot emergence to occur.

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 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?

A vast, rolling grassland area.

Change in South Dakota Agricultural Land, Tenure of Farm Operation, and Producer Characteristics 2012-2022

Report using the newly released data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture to provide an update on land in farms, the number of farms, tenure of farm operations, and producers’ characteristics in South Dakota for the last ten years, from 2012 to 2022.

Four rows tilled through the three clover treatments

2023 On-Farm Experiences Growing Cucurbits in Newly Established Clover Living Mulch in Eastern South Dakota

Research report determining the impact of two established clover species on weed suppression, crop growth, and yield of squash.

wheat field

Tan Spot of Wheat

Tan spot is a devastating disease of wheat in South Dakota and the rest of the wheat producing regions world over. It causes an estimated yield loss of about 5 percent in South Dakota but this loss can go up to 30 percent in individual fields.