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Green soybean plant with epidermis peeled back revealing numerous orange larvae

Soybean Gall Midge: What We Know So Far

In 2018, South Dakota soybean farmers were faced with a new soybean insect pest. What started with dying field borders ultimately ended with yield losses throughout many fields on the Eastern side of the state. We determined that the pest in question was the soybean gall midge.

Producers inspecting soil in a harvested wheat field.

Managing Cover Crops in Moisture Deficits

Planting cover crops after small grain harvest can be risky in central South Dakota. The decision to incorporate them into an annual cropping system should consider historical precipitation, soil water holding capacity, and soil moisture at time of planting.

Ants on a sidewalk next to some green grass.

Ants Preparing for Another Busy Year

A wet growing season last year combined with a mild winter has boosted ant activity across the state, and we have already received numerous questions from both curious and concerned residents in South Dakota.

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.

A group of people rides on a trailer through the Northeast Research Farm

Summer field days showcase South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station sites

August 25, 2023

Each summer, the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station system showcases its research stations with field days. The days include guided tours of each facility and presentations from SDSU and SDSU Extension researchers. Producers, industry professionals and members of the general public can see how winter wheat varieties are tested, or take a trip through a high tunnel.

Bucket of cut Zinnia and Snapdragon flowers.

Cut Flowers on Campus: 2022 Zinnia and Snapdragon Trial Overview

The Lang Lab at South Dakota State University is currently working to increase research and support for South Dakota's cut flower farmers. Learn about their recent trial that examined popular cultivars of zinnias and snapdragons.

a bare, freshly tilled field awaiting planting.

Field Studies: What do You Mean 5 Bushels Per Acre is Not Significant?

Utilizing sound research results to help make decisions on the farm is a wise business practice. It can be confusing, however, when you see two numbers that are clearly not the same labeled as “not significantly different.”

A bee pollinating a flower.

Pollinators Party

In this lesson, participants will learn how plants reproduce and how to identify pollinators that help plants.

Winter wheat field.

Winter Wheat and Nitrogen: Decisions for 2026 Growing Season

With fertilizer representing one of the largest variable costs in wheat production, inefficient nitrogen use can quickly erode profit margins. This being said, an emphasis should be placed on how to improve nutrient management during the 2026 growing season.

Left: Kochia growing abundantly in an untreated soybean field. Right: Kochia weeds burned down in a soybean field managed with an herbicide mixture.

Glufosinate + lactofen is likely an effective mixture to manage kochia postemergence in soybean

Kochia is a difficult to manage weed that infests crops across South Dakota. Mixing effective herbicides is a tactic that can reduce selection pressure on resistant weeds and increase the effectiveness of weed management.