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blue backpack with fruits and canned goods in the top

Bountiful Backpack

Use this program to help participants develop cooking, food safety, and recipe preparation skills for its participants.

Farmer calibrating a yield monitor insde a combine cab.

Calibrate Your Combine Yield Monitors!

The equipment associated with precision farming is a considerable investment and is a great tool for gaining knowledge about your farming operation. The yield monitor is often overlooked as the critical piece of equipment when the crops are ready for harvest.

A map of South Dakota counties shaded to indicate the year for which the soybean cyst nematode was detected.

HG Type Testing: A Management Strategy for Soybean Cyst Nematode Control

Have you noticed lower soybean yielding areas in your field? Soybean cyst nematode may be to blame. Fall, and especially after soybean harvest, is the best time to sample soil and have it tested for soybean cyst nematode.

A pasture containing a mixture of grasses and alfalfa.

An identification guide for Alfalfa Insect Pests in South Dakota

Pictorial guide for common insect pests of alfalfa in South Dakota

A group of red angus cattle.

The Bovine Estrous Cycle

Fact sheet on the bovine estrous cycle. Available in English and Spanish.

A small herd of black angus cattle at pasture.

Understanding Estrous Synchronization of Cattle

Fact sheet on the use of estrus synchronization of cattle. Available in English and Spanish.

ripe and unripe tomatoes tipping a cage over

Wet Weather Leads to Tomato Problems

Most of the questions that have been coming in lately, and also earlier this summer, relate to tomato problems. Despite early predictions that this summer was going to be dry, many areas have received above average rainfall with many parts of South Dakota far exceeding typical rainfall amounts in the month of August. Many gardeners received 5 to 8” of rain or more in the first three weeks of August alone.

Male and female rancher reviewing clipboard in a cattle barn.

COVID-19 Tips for Farms and Ranches

Continuing to keep employees and family members healthy through the COVID-19 pandemic will require extra effort as you enter the busy time of fall harvest.

Left: A corn ear showing Gibberella ear rot symptoms. Right: A prematurely dried corn stalk split to reveal pith disintegration due to stalk rot.

Corn Ear Rots and Stalk Rots: The Last Issues To Check for in Corn Before Combining

Before combining corn, it is recommended to scout your field for corn ear rots and stalk rots. It is important to scout corn fields for these two issues in order to make timely decisions on corn combining.

A green combine that has caught fire in the field.

Avoiding Field Fires During Fall Harvest

With dry and drought conditions in the late summer and fall, crops dry down rapidly and harvest starts early. The climate outlook may be favorable for an uninterrupted run at harvest. However, the risk of fires during harvest is always a concern for farmers.