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Two white, newborn lambs under a red heat lamp in a barn.

Sheep Facilities and Moisture

Fact sheet for keeping a barn comfortable and dry to increase lamb survival.

Color-coded temperature outlook map of the United States for February through April 2023. For an in-depth description of this graphic, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-6729.

La Niña’s Third Year Concludes With Cold Temperatures

A rare, third consecutive year with La Niña conditions is coming to an end, but not without bringing cold temperatures in early February. See what to expect for the rest of winter and early spring with an analysis of the NOAA's latest climate outlook.

a graphic image showing drought in South Dakota

Water Conservation and Efficiency During Times of Drought

As drought conditions continue to expand across the state this year, more thought is given towards South Dakota’s limited water resources. We live in a state where weather conditions and rain patterns seem to comfortably exist at the extremes; we either have way too much or nearly not enough. While this isn’t always the case, it is important to keep in mind that our water resources are finite and all of us should be thinking about doing what we can to protect them.

Youth being fitted with a bike helmet.

4-H Bike Rodeo and Safety

Overview document including complete lesson plans for a 4-H Bike Rodeo and Safety program to make youth aware of the importance of riding their bike.

Dry, winter rangeland with minimal snow cover.

Can You Break the Hydro-illogical Cycle?

Regardless of the time of year, it is critical to start thinking about the next drought before we are in it. Learn some key strategies for breaking the Hydro-Illogical Cycle by leveraging drought motioning resources and creating a plan for your operation.

Infographic with steps that say 4 hours in a refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer, and 24 hours in a half-full freezer.

Power Outages and Your Cold Foods

South Dakota is no stranger to power outages and power surges from weather events. Learn some key actions to take before, during and after power outages to keep your cold foods safe.

snow plow clearing a highway

The Challenges of Farming and Ranching: Identifying the signs of depression

When weather conditions impact farming and ranching, producers can experience large amounts of stress. A normal amount of stress can be productive; however, abnormal amounts of stress can be harmful both physically and emotionally. With the drought that is currently impacting producers, it is important to understand the signs and symptoms of depression.

A herd of cattle grazing near a pond on an open range.

Nitrates and Livestock Water Quality

Nitrate poisoning is something we think about with forages such as millet, oats, corn, sorghum, sudan, kochia and others that have been fertilized or if there is a drought, but water can also be a contributing factor.

A stock pond with noticable blue-green algae bloom throughout.

Blue-Green Algae and Livestock

With warmer temperatures, the conditions are right for blue-green algae blooms. Different species of blue-green algae contain various toxins, which can poison livestock, resulting in rapid death.

A middle portion of a corn leaf enlarged to show tan-brownish lesions with dark brown wavy margins.

Bacterial Leaf Streak of Corn: A New Corn Disease in South Dakota

Bacterial leaf streak, caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum (Xvv), is a recently discovered disease of corn in South Dakota. The disease was first identified in Nebraska in 2016 but now has been found in the majority of the Corn Belt states. Under favorable weather conditions bacterial leaf streak can develop to reach yield reducing levels. Like any other bacterial disease, once symptoms develop there is little that can be done to control it in the field. However, it is important to correctly diagnose this as a bacterial disease because it can be confused with gray leaf spot which is a fungal disease.