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Keeping Health at the Forefront as a Busy Parent
It’s Monday, after a busy weekend traveling to sporting and school events, family gatherings and catching up on housework, an overwhelming feeling of stress and inorganization fills your mind. Your time is stretched thin and thinking about how to keep your children’s eating and exercise habits a priority, as well as your own, is something that feels too complicated and requires too much of your time.
Ditch Hay: Harvesting, Quality, and Feeding
Using ditch hay to feed cattle is a common practice across the U.S. It provides livestock producers with a source of readily available forage, which can be very useful, particularly during feed shortages.
Soybean Gall Midge Are Emerging Around Us, But No Captures in S.D.
Last year, the soybean gall midge caused a lot of issues in soybean, including lodging and up to 50% yield loss. In an effort to determine when soybean gall midge adults are emerging in 2019, a network of emergence traps has been established in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. So far, emergence of the adult soybean gall midge have been reported from Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota.
Bacterial Blight Developing in Oats
Oats scouted in a few fields in the Eastern and South Central parts of the state were found with bacterial blight developing on the lower leaves. Plants infected have leaves with water-soaked brown longitudinal lesions in the top-half of the leaf. Severe symptoms can lead to premature leaf death.
Winter Wheat Disease Update: Leaf Diseases and FHB on the Increase
Winter wheat fields scouted last week show an increase in fungal leaf diseases and bacterial leaf streak. Among the fungal diseases, the most common leaf diseases are tan spot, Stagonospora leaf blotch, and stripe rust. The risk for Fusarium head blight has also started to increase in a number of areas in the state.
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.
Big Sioux River Flood Information System Sees Heavy Use During Spring 2019
The Big Sioux River Flood Information System is the result of a combined effort between the SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local governments, and private industry, to create a product that can be used to predict the impact of flood events in the Big Sioux River Basin.
Cover Crops 2019: What to Plant When
As many Midwest producers look to cover crops to build soil health and provide supplemental forage after a soggy spring, many questions are arising regarding management decisions, specifically, species selection and planting timing.
Watch Out For Carpenter Ants
With the continued moisture and warmer temperatures, carpenter ants have become a more common appearance in South Dakota. Similar to termites, this insect can be a structural pest, causing damage to homes and other buildings. It is important to identify and treat carpenter ants early to prevent any potential damage.
Black Vine Weevils Becoming Active
Black vine weevils are now showing up across the state. It is typical for the adult beetles to emerge in early summer and begin feeding on plant foliage. They primarily feed on lilacs and yews, both common landscape shrubs. Although the adults cause minimal damage, their larvae feed on the roots and can occasionally be a threat to ornamental plants, especially those grown in pots or containers.