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Gardener inspecting soil in a backyard garden plot.

Are Cheap Home Garden Soil Test Kits Accurate?

Inexpensive soil test kits are a method available for gardeners available to estimate soil pH and the level of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium present in the soil.

Base of soybean stem with orange larvae present under the epidermis.

Soybean Gall Midge Larvae Detected in South Dakota

Soybean gall midge larvae have been detected in soybean in southeastern South Dakota. Scouting for fields with infestations may explain wilting or dying soybean along field edges.

Green waterhemp plant next to a black, ink pen. Green soybeans in the background with brown soil in the foreground.

Waterhemp is flowering. No seeds present yet.

Waterhemp is one of the most-difficult weeds to manage in South Dakota row crops. While herbicide resistance is a great factor in the difficulty of managing this weed, the biology of the species plays an important role as well.

Blue container with lid visible that has a label indicating it is only for pesticide contaminated clothing/PPE.

How to Properly Launder Pesticide Contaminated Clothing

Many types of personal protective equipment are intended for single use only and should be discarded after use, but how do you wash reusable equipment and clothing contaminated with pesticide residue?

Cream colored larvae on white and green soybean stem on brown dirt.

Dectes Stem Borer Adults Are Active in Soybean: 2025 Management Recommendations

Dectes stem borer adults have been collected from soybean in Southeastern South Dakota. The larvae of this pest are capable of reducing soybean yields by 10-15% due to tunneling activity in the main stem. Learn some tips for scouting and managing them this season.

A woman works in the soil inside a high tunnel; a man in the background drags equipment down a row

SDSU Extension to host event showcasing vegetable production at Cherry Rock Farms

July 15, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to announce an event highlighting how to grow vegetables in a high tunnel at a Brandon-area farm on July 23, 2025.

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.