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A producer loading a planter with fungicide-treated soybean seeds.

Pre-Plant Disease Management Considerations

If the forecast holds true, it looks like it is going to be another year of excessive soil moisture and possible flooding come this spring. The increased level of soil moisture has implications with regards to plant stand establishment as well as root rot and nematode infestations.

High tunnel covered with shade cloth with larkspurs growing in it.

Heat and Drought Effects on Cut Flower Production

Climate factors, such as drought and high temperatures, continue to pose serious challenges for specialty crop production, including cut flowers. With these challenges, farms need to take a hard look at both their business strategies and production decisions.

small brown spotted mites

Check Your Houseplants for Pests

Houseplants are susceptible to a variety of pests. The following article outlines some of the more common household pests, including: spider mites, mealybugs, and scale. We will discuss strategies for scouting out and managing these pests to avoid prolonged damage to your houseplants.

cranberries being loaded by an auger

Cranberries: A colorful and nutritious fruit

Fall is a busy time for farmers in the northern Great Plains, harvesting thousands of acres of corn and soybeans. Not too far away, in central and northern Wisconsin the harvest was in full swing too, but the crop they are harvesting is a small fruit called the cranberry. Wisconsin is the leading state in cranberry production, growing 60% of all of the cranberries consumed in the United States.

Young man shoveling a pile of compost.

Organic Gardening: Soil Management

Gardeners throughout South Dakota are experimenting with organic gardening. While the adoption of organic gardening methods can be daunting, learning some fundamental soil management concepts will set the foundations for success.

A group of black heifer calves in a feedlot.

Using Feedlot Manure as a Crop Nutrient Source

Factsheet that reviews the steps to obtain a manure application rate based on crop need, soil and manure testing.

Left: Large green leaves of hosta have white and yellow discoloration on the outside edge of the leaves. Right: A green pepper with a tan spot that appears mushy.

Leaf Scorch and Sunscald in the Garden

Long stretches of hot, dry weather will upset the growing habits of all plants and will lead to some unusual symptoms on leaves and produce in the garden. July and August are a prime time to watch for leaf scorch and sunscald.

Alternaria leaf spot symptoms appearing as brown, haloed cankers throughout the leaves of a cucurbit plant.

Cucurbit Diseases in South Dakota

Cucurbit crops grown in both the field and in high tunnels face disease pressure from many fungal and bacterial diseases. Learn how to identify and manage some of the most common ones.

Zucchini ready to harvest. Courtesy: Mary Roduner

Summer Squash: How to Grow It

There are many types of summer squash, including the familiar zucchini (which can be green, green-striped, or yellow), crookneck, straightneck, patty pan and more.

A grass forage blend grows in a central SD field as Red cattle graze.

Delayed Planting Challenges: Alternative Forages

With the excessively wet planting conditions much of South Dakota is now experiencing, many producers are looking for “Plan B” to meet forage needs for their livestock, or as a commodity that can be marketed to livestock producers.