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Three bees on a wooden box.

Backyard Biodiversity: Nest boxes for native bees

Many of our native bee species are solitary. In order to ensure that these kinds of bees spend more time in our yards and gardens, it is important to make sure we include places for them to nest.

A field of yellow sweet clover in bloom.

Yellow Sweet Clover: Information and Management

Sweet clover is an opportunistic plant that is going to be abundant in pastures and hay fields when growing conditions are favorable, ideally for two consecutive years. Although it can cause problems, it is valuable to wildlife and pollinators and is a nutritious forage source.

A lush, native South Dakota pasture with a variety of grasses, flowers, and plants growing throughout.

SDSU Extension Releases Guide for Landowners Involved in Wind or Energy Development

September 18, 2020

Recent energy development projects have impacted several regions of South Dakota with disturbance to native soils.

A bare crop field ready for planting

Nitrogen Credit: The Rest of the Story

We have all been programmed to think of soybean as fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere and adding nitrogen to the soil. The SDSU lab and most other labs give nitrogen “credit” when another crop follows soybeans.

patch of reed canary grass in pasture

Reed Canary Grass: Possible Prussic Acid & Alkaloid Issues

Prussic acid issues with reed canary grass are poorly understood and may go unrecognized if they occur. This article addresses a little-known but interesting aspect of the biology of reed canary grass.

open rangeland with smooth bromegrass growing throughout

Smooth Bromegrass Grazing Management

Smooth bromegrass is a cool-season introduced grass with an advanced root system that tolerates temperature extremes and drought exceptionally well.

grassland recovering from wildfire. grass on the right side is greening up.

Management for Recovery of Rangeland After Wildfire

Because fire is a natural component of Northern Great Plains grassland ecosystems, prairie vegetation is very well adapted to recover following a fire.

Ventenata grass aggresively spreading throughout rangeland.

Be on the Lookout: Ventenata

Ventenata is an invasive annual grass that's an emerging threat to South Dakota rangelands due to its ability to exclude desired native species. Learn how to identify, report, and manage it before it becomes a problem in your area.

Rancher standing in a vast, rolling grassland.

Grassland Fertilization: Terminology and Economics

This article is the first in a series of six focused on helping producers understand the pros and cons of grassland fertilization. We begin by learning some of the basic terminology and information related to fertilization.