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Organic Garden Mulches To Conserve Moisture and Prevent Weeds
If you want to reduce time spent in your vegetable and flower gardens watering or pulling weeds, consider mulching the soil surface with an organic material to improve plant health and your enjoyment of the garden.
Wheat Stem Sawfly: An Overview
In recent years, the northwestern and north central regions of South Dakota have struggled with the presence of sawfly populations in wheat fields. Learn some tips for identifying and managing them in wheat.
Comparing Yield Goal and Maximum Return to Nitrogen Prediction Methods for Determining Corn Economic Optimal Nitrogen Rates
Fact sheet evaluating the accuracy of different corn nitrogen recommendation approaches with their advantages and disadvantages.
Creating a Sensory Garden
A sensory garden is a garden that has a collection of plants that are appealing to one or more of the five senses; sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. Sensory gardens should be accessible for all people to enjoy - disabled and non-disabled. Sensory gardens are typically geared towards young children, but are enjoyed by people of all ages.
Overwintering S.D. Bean Leaf Beetles: 2017 predicted mortality
The overwintering generation of bean leaf beetle adults emerge in the spring and can cause serious defoliation injury to seedling soybean plants. However, the abundance of overwintering bean leaf beetles is negatively affected when the air temperatures get too cold. Therefore, an estimate of the emerging populations can be made based on how cold the winter was.
Storing Wet and Modified Distillers Grains
One of the primary challenges for livestock producers in the coming months could very well be feedstuff cost and availability due to the fact that the corn planted acreage and crop progress are both well behind normal benchmarks. One opportunity that might help cattle feeders proactively secure feed supplies would be storing wet or modified distiller’s grains now to be fed at a later date.
Other Crops
South Dakota’s fertile landscape is home to a variety of crops.
Army Cutworm Moths Among the Recently Reported Western Bean Cutworm Moths
Last week, we published an article about the presence of western bean cutworm moths being very abundant throughout Central and Western South Dakota. However, when talking with an entomologist from a neighboring state, they suggested the moths could also be army cutworm moths.
Black Grass Bug Activity Expected in Coming Weeks
Spring green-up is the time to be watching for black grass bug activity. Large populations of this early-season pest can cause severe damage to pasture (up to 90% forage reduction) and infest the edges of wheat fields.
Be on the Lookout for Black Grass Bugs
It’s time to begin scouting pasture and wheat for the presence of black grass bugs. Last year, we saw the highest populations in areas of Central and Southwestern South Dakota. If left untreated, black grass bug populations tend to increase year after year.