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One-month precipitation outlook map for September 2020. South Dakota has a 40-50% chance of below-normal precipitation.

September 2020 Climate & Drought Outlook

Summer has its last hurrah the first week of September before we see potential for our state’s first freeze of the fall season, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

Flowering Canada thistle distributing seed in a pasture.

Dense Seeding Can Reduce Canada Thistle in Planted Grasslands

Canada thistle is a common invader in grassland plantings. Over the past decade, researchers and land managers have experimented with controlling Canada thistle in planted grasslands through increasing competition from desirable plants.

A large wasp on a pink flower.

Giant Wasps Are Invading My Yard! No, They Still Aren’t Murder Hornets.

Every year we receive multiple reports of giant wasps that seem to invade yards and gardens. These wasps aren’t the same as the so-called "murder hornets," but are actually cicada killer wasps.

Two men walking near a drainage water recycling pond

Online Eastern South Dakota Water Conference set for Oct. 20

December 29, 2021

The theme for this year’s conference is “Ground Truth – Water Resource Management and Remote Sensing.”

Orange larvae on discolored soybean stem.

Soybean Gall Midge in South Dakota

Fact sheet about soybean gall midge in South Dakota

A red sprayer in a green field with a cloudy sky in the background.

Commercial Pesticide Applicator Training

Those who apply pesticides for hire or as a government employee that applies pesticides while performing work duties, must have a commercial applicator license.

Rows of empty white, plastic pesticide containers.

Private Pesticide Applicator Training

Private applicator certification is required before an agricultural producer can purchase or use a restricted use pesticide.

Small group of cattle near a water tank in a rangeland area.

Water Quality

While producers have long acknowledged that access to water makes the difference between a profitable or unsuccessful operation, they are beginning to understand that water quality may be as important as water quantity.

Well-managed grassland area adjacent to a wetland.

Managing Livestock Attractants Near Water

In the event that your pasture includes riparian areas, such as streams, rivers, lakes or ponds, you’ll want to take special care of these habitats. A riparian area is the space immediately adjacent to the shore, where water and land interact.

Rangeland covered with dense thickets of maturing cedar trees.

Cedar Trees and Rangeland Loss

The issue of cedar tree invasion into South Dakota’s rangelands tends to be a regional conversation. There is generally broad agreement among most resource professionals that these trees are in fact changing our landscape in a negative way.