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Two producers and a conservation agent moving cattle in a grassland area.

Drought Assistance From USDA: CRP Haying and Grazing

As this year’s drought intensifies, folks are quickly running short of forage. Due to the D2 Drought Monitor classification, most South Dakota counties qualify for Conservation Reserve Program haying and grazing for emergency and non-emergency use.

A green cut alfalfa field dries as the sun sets.

Forage Inventory and Demand Calculator

Calculator for inventorying livestock and forage on hand to determine additional forage purchase needs, or livestock sales.

Green beetles feeding on the tip of a corn ear.

Northern and Western Corn Rootworm in South Dakota

Fact sheet on Northern and Western Corn Rootworm in South Dakota

sunflower field

Best Management Practices for Sunflower Production

This is your unbiased, research-based guide to sunflower production, providing the latest recommendations to help increase yield, reduce input costs and protect your investment.

Rolling, drought-stressed pasture with new, green growth emerging in early fall.

Be Careful Grazing the Green this Fall

With fall grazing on the horizon, nearly all of South Dakota is still experiencing drought conditions. Regardless of where your ranch is located, a rancher must be very careful when grazing the fall green-up of cool-season grasses.

A reddish brown calf with a white face grazing in a snow covered pasture

Opportunities for Swath Grazing in South Dakota

Fact sheet on the opportunities for Swath Grazing in South Dakota

Color-coded map of South Dakota indicating the fiftieth percentile, for first fall occurrence of 32 degrees Fahrenheit. For assistance reading this graphic and data set, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.

First Fall Frost Dates

The first fall frost often marks the end of the growing season, and many garden plants may not survive the freezing temperatures. Learn about some available tools we can use to predict the first fall frost dates around the state.

A cow at the Cottonwood Field Station with her head in the green colored chamber of the GreenFeeder

Range Roundup: Precision Technology to Measure Cattle Methane Emissions and Intake on Western S.D. Rangelands

In a recent research project, our precision livestock team deployed technology to measure individual cattle methane emissions and feed intake by disappearance. Learn how this data can be used to help improve day-to-day management decisions on the ranch.

A group of three people pruning a tree.

Garden Clubs & Associations

Novice gardeners and master gardeners share a love of and respect for nature, which is one of the many reasons why they naturally seek out like-minded individuals to organize clubs or associations.

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.