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Three photos of crested wheatgrass pastures in southwest South Dakota, showing the gradual effects of crested wheatgrass die-off.

Notes From the Range: Crested Wheatgrass Die-off

Crested wheatgrass die-offs occurred in South Dakota during the summer 2023. It was a noteworthy event and previously occurred in Montana several years prior. Learn where the die-offs occurred and what likely caused them.

2021 grazing school attendees.

Eastern Grazing School to be Held July 26-28

July 12, 2022

The South Dakota Grassland Coalition, through a partnership with SDSU Extension and others, will host the Eastern South Dakota Grazing School July 26-28, 2022 near Marvin, South Dakota.

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

Common Stalk Borer Activity Estimate: May 26, 2022

Not much has changed in terms of degree day accumulation for common stalk borers since last week. Cold low temperatures prevented most of the state from accumulating very many degree days.

Storm water rushing down a street gutter.

South Dakota Water and Community Symposium to be Held July 26

July 22, 2022

SDSU Extension will host a one-day South Dakota Water and Community Symposium on Tuesday, July 26 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CDT at the Raven Precision Agriculture Center on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings.

Swarm of mosquitoes.

West Nile Virus Update: September 26, 2025

As of September 26, 2025, the South Dakota Department of Health (SD DOH) reported 74 human cases of West Nile Virus from Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Charles Mix, Clay, Codington, Corson, Douglas, Grant, Gregory, Haakon, Hamlin, Hand, Hughes, Hutchison, Hyde, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marshall, Meade, Miner, Minnehaha, Pennington, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Stanley, Union, Walworth, and Yankton counties.

Winter wheat test plots with numerous groups of green wheat plants growing throughout.

2021 Draper Winter Wheat Meeting Set for Aug. 26

August 13, 2021

The Jones County Crop Improvement Association, along with South Dakota State University Extension will be hosting the 32nd annual Winter Wheat Meeting in Draper, South Dakota on Aug. 26.

Seecorn maggot larva feeding on a seed in a field.

Seedcorn Maggot Degree Day Activity Estimates: May 26, 2022

Many areas in South Dakota have reached peak emergence for the second generation of seed corn maggots, while others are still approaching it.

A green cover crop mixture grows on a calm day; mainly consisting of oats and peas.

Buying or Selling Oats for a Cover Crop? Be Sure to Follow the Rules

As a challenging 2019 row crop planting season wraps up in South Dakota, many producers are looking to plant cover crops on unplanted acres. One popular cool-season grass cover crop is oats. Most oats in South Dakota are grown as certified varieties, and it is important to be aware of the legal ramifications behind purchasing oat seed for use as a cover crop.

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.

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

Alfalfa Weevil Activity Prediction Update: May 26, 2022

Throughout the state, all alfalfa fields should be scouted weekly to ensure that large populations of alfalfa weevils do not cause excessive defoliation like what we observed in 2021.