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A woman safely placing a can of salsa into a water bath canner.

A Guide To Water Bath Canning

Water bath canners have fitted lids and removable wire racks. While they come in many sizes, the canner must be deep enough to allow a minimum of 1-2 inches of briskly boiling water that covers the top of jars during processing.

dial on a pressure canner

A Guide To Pressure Canning

Pressure canners may have a weighted-gauge or dial-gauge, for indicating and regulating the pressure during processing.

grass with field bindweed, a viny green weed with white flowers

Lawn Weed Control

Cultural weed control practices must be included in weed management programs to optimize control and inhibit re-infestation. A healthy, dense turf cover is the best overall defense against weed invasion. Some common cultural weed control practices include planting the most adapted turfgrass species for your environment (i.e. shade, full sun, or hot, dry conditions), maintaining a mowing height of 2.5–3.5 inches, watering deeply but less frequently, and proper soil maintenance including fertilization and core aerification.

A field divided into two planting areas. The left area has young corn plants emerging from the soil. The right has no visible corn emergence yet.

Grassy Weeds

Grassy weeds are a problem in all field crops. They must be identified at early stages of growth so they can be controlled before crop yields are seriously threatened. Control measures are not the same for all grassy weeds, so accurate seedling identification is important.

A herd of cattle gather around a stock pond on a vast, lush grassland. Courtesy: USDA [CC BY 2.0]

2017 Weed Control: Pasture and Range

There are 24 million acres of native and tame pasture and range as well as 1.4 million acres of grass hayland in South Dakota.

A green cover crop mixture grows on a calm day; mainly consisting of oats and peas.

Buying or Selling Oats for a Cover Crop? Be Sure to Follow the Rules

As a challenging 2019 row crop planting season wraps up in South Dakota, many producers are looking to plant cover crops on unplanted acres. One popular cool-season grass cover crop is oats. Most oats in South Dakota are grown as certified varieties, and it is important to be aware of the legal ramifications behind purchasing oat seed for use as a cover crop.

A grilled tri-tip steak on a cutting board. Courtesy: Mark Miller [CC BY-SA 3.0]

How to Grill Amazing Beef Tri-Tip

The beef tri-tip is a newer cut that has become increasingly popular in the recent years due to its excellent flavor characteristics. We have put together a list of tips that will you get started to making a great tri-tip on the grill.

grass with field bindweed, a viny green weed with white flowers

2018 Weed Control Noxious Weeds

Noxious Weed Recommendations: Herbicides for pasture, range, and non-crop areas, including roadside and other right-of-way that may be harvested for hay or grazed, are given a priority.

oats

2017-2018 Multi-State Organic Oat Variety Trial Results

The tight production margins currently present in agriculture have increased interest in growing organic oats.

South Dakota corn late plant date map. View pdf map: https://legacy.rma.usda.gov/fields/mt_rso/2018/final/sdcorn_grain_nonirrigated.pdf  View text in Excel: https://legacy.rma.usda.gov/fields/mt_rso/2018/final/sdcorn_grain_nonirrigatedtext.xlsx

Late Plant Crop Insurance Dates

Crop insurance late plant dates are fast approaching for planting small grains in South Dakota. Late plant dates for corn, soybean, and sunflower are nearing as well. Producers will want to work with their crop insurance agent to explore planting options and reporting of prevent plant areas.