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Left: Blade of sweetgrass. Right: Patch of white sagebrush.

Sweetgrass and White Sagebrush: Native Plants with Medicinal Uses

Many native prairie plants have been used medicinally for generations by the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Great Plains. Sweetgrass and white sagebrush are hardy perennials that have a variety of uses and deep historical significance.

Top: Green cloverworm caterpillar. Bottom: Cabbage looper caterpillar.

Green Caterpillars Causing Defoliation in Soybean

This week we observed several species of caterpillars in soybean fields. The most common species were the green cloverworm and the cabbage looper.

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

Soybean Aphids Detected in South Dakota

While scouting soybean aphids this week we observed small colonies of 5 to 10 soybean aphid nymphs. This indicates that the soybean aphids are just starting to arrive in South Dakota soybeans and weekly scouting for them should be occurring.

Corn and soybean fields with abundant weeds growing throughout.

Inexpensive and Simple Herbicide Programs in Corn and Soybean Will Not Be Effective

While selecting an inexpensive program with only one active ingredient in each application may be tempting due to the current agricultural economy, the result will likely be a more expensive problem in the future.

A green absinth wormwood plant surrounded by other green vegetation.

Absinth Wormwood Spray Window Passed: Mow now and plan to treat the regrowth in the fall

Absinth wormwood is a statewide noxious weed that inhabits cropland, pasture, rangeland, right-of-ways, and waste sites. If not effectively managed, the species can displace desirable vegetation, reduce crop yield and decrease land value.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offices in Washington, D.C.

Update on Chlorpyrifos Use in South Dakota

As of June 30, 2025, the labeled uses for chlorpyrifos products for food and feed are limited to alfalfa, soybean, and wheat in South Dakota. Chlorpyrifos can no longer be used to treat sunflowers.

Many green soybean plants within a field that has brown grass and residute.

Burnt Soybeans Look a Lot Better Than Weedy Beans!

Prior to the introduction of Roundup-Ready soybean, growers were accustomed to soybeans exhibiting short-lived herbicide injury. While soybean plants may look unsightly from a PPO-inhibiting herbicide application, a more unsightly view is a soybean field full of weeds.

Older man writing on a notepad and looking at a computer screen.

Sep 06