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Purple-brown caterpillar with orange head on a green corn leaf.

Common Stalk Borer Activity Estimate: June 5, 2025

In the southern counties of South Dakota, degree day estimates indicate that common stalk borer caterpillars are beginning to move from weedy hosts along field edges into corn fields.

Landowner viewing information on a laptop computer in a farm office.

South Dakota Ag Land Income Tracker

The South Dakota Ag Land Income Tracker is designed to estimate and display changes to the annual revenue per acre derived from standard agricultural practices on an average, unimproved cropland acre in South Dakota counties.

Redlegged, differential, and twostriped grasshopper nymphs.

Various Grasshopper Species Are Active Across South Dakota

While scouting, we have noticed increased grasshopper nymph activity and in some areas these populations are close to threshold levels. Crops in areas that have had high populations should be regularly scouted to ensure that extensive defoliation doesn’t go unnoticed.

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.

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

Dectes Stem Borer Adults Detected in South Dakota Soybean

Dectes stem borer adults have been collected from soybean in Southeastern South Dakota this week. As a reminder, the larvae of insect pest are capable of reducing soybean yields from 0-17% due to its feeding activity inside of the main stem.

Three chokecherry trees exhibiting various x-disease symptoms on their foliage.

X-Disease in Chokecherries

X-disease is the name given to a set of diseases caused by a strain of the bacteria “Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni” that primarily affects stone fruits. Infected plants will typically display yellowing or reddening of their leaves by mid summer.

Coneflower with Aster yellows disease.

Aster Yellows Phytoplasma

Aster yellows is a phytoplasmal disease carried and introduced by aster leafhopper. It is known to infect over 80 different plant families, as the aster leafhopper has extremely broad feeding habits.

Rye growing in in a no-till field.

Effects of Different Cereal Rye and Winter Camelina Seeding Rates on Biomass Production and Soil Properties When Broadcast Seeded

Benefits to soil health generally increase as cover crop biomass production increases. Recent research sought to determine how the seeding rate of two cover crop species and mixtures affected biomass production and some soil health indicators.

A hand holding a brownish gray moth with a valley of green grass and trees in the background.

Army Cutworm Migration Swarms Detected in Western South Dakota

Mass populations of army cutworm moths are being reported to entomologists at South Dakota State University. Thus far, these migratory swarms have only been observed in far western South Dakota, particularly within the Black Hills.

A green Palmer amaranth weed surrounded by various other green plants.

Palmer Amaranth Confirmed in Turner County: Is this weed in your fields?

Palmer amaranth has recently been confirmed in Turner County. Currently, the estimation of Palmer amaranth infestations has been confirmed in 18 counties across South Dakota