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South-facing view of a dry, rolling field at the Oacoma station.

SDSU Extension to host 2023 South Dakota Climate Summit

July 14, 2023

South Dakota State University Extension will host a South Dakota Climate Summit on Aug. 1-2, 2023, at the Arrowwood Resort in Oacoma, South Dakota.

Former cropland replanted with a variety of grasses and broadleaf plants.

Replanting Cropland Back to Grassland

Planting cropland back to grassland takes some planning regarding previous herbicide use, soil fertility and seed bed preparation. The first step is to identify what resources are currently available to help you reach your objectives and what problems may need to be addressed.

Left: Soil from long-term no-till field, exhibiting good soil aggregation through clumping and smaller pieces of soil. Right: Soil from conventionally managed field that included tillage and crop residue removal. Notice the soil is lighter brown, indicating lower organic matter, and the pieces of soil are in larger chunks with no visible indication of clumping or structure.

Organic Agronomy Starting to Impact

For decades scientists have known that a handful of soil contained more micro-biological organisms than the number of humans on earth. Science is just beginning to discover these organisms and learn about their functions and contribution to their soil ecosystem.

Marker indicating the boundary of conservation easement area.

Understanding Conservation Easements

Conservation easements are a common, yet often misunderstood, real estate transaction tool. This article is intended to provide factual information regarding the rules and regulations that govern the use of conservation easements in South Dakota.

Herd of cattle swath grazing hay in a winter pasture.

Swath/Bale Grazing

Swath grazing and bale grazing are harvest systems that mesh haying and grazing techniques. Generally, the objective is to reduce labor and equipment expenses by allowing livestock to consume the hay crop in the field.

A color-coded map indicating the average date of 32 degree temperatures across various Midwestern states.

Fall Frost and September Climate Outlook for 2019

This year’s struggles with weather and climate are continuing this fall. Late planting of corn and soybeans in the spring have now combined with near average or cooler than average summertime temperatures. This combination has led to slow crop growth and the need for an extended frost-free season to ensure these crops reach maturity.

Earthworms on the soil surface inside a white hard-plastic ring, after mustard-vinegar solution was drained down through the soil profile forcing earthworms out onto the surface in order to be counted.

How’s Life in the Soil? Ask (Count) the Earthworms.

Earthworms are ‘very special’ creatures on earth, and their contribution in soil nutrient cycling and fertility management has been acknowledged from the beginning of agriculture. So, the question needs to be asked, how can we help improve earthworm populations?

Three grassland insects. From left: white grub, dung beetles and Dakota Skipper Butterfly.

Rangeland Insects Are Critical Indicators of System Health

Insects, in general, may offer more indication of rangeland health than any other type of organism. They serve as key building blocks that other organisms depend on.

Tanks of anhydrous ammonia being pulled to a field for fertilizer application.

Determining an Economically Optimal Nitrogen Rate for Corn in 2022

While we can't know what the prices of corn and nitrogen fertilizer will be next year, it is very important to understand how the level of both prices will influence corn profitability for 2022.

A vast, rolling, well-managed rangeland.

Range Beef Cow Research: Rangeland Soil Health

For rangelands to maintain productivity and produce adequate levels of forage, soil health must be sustained and function properly.