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measuring honey using a tablespoon and filling a glass liquid measuring cup

iCook

Curriculum intended for out-of-school settings with the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles for 9- and 10-year-old youth and the adult who prepares their meals

a field with plots of soybeans

SDSU Extension’s Soybean Week Dives into Pest Management, Soil Health and 2021 Outlook

January 07, 2021

Want to know more about weed control, research, planting dates, and fungicide? Join us on January 19 - 22.

man holding a small pile of soil in his hands

An Introduction to Salt-Impacted Soils in South Dakota

Introduction of salt-impacted soils in South Dakota for landowners.

Two rows of corn at V5 leaf growth stage looking down from above. Between the corn rows there are 3 separate cotton strips placed on the soil surface just before burial in a 2-inch-deep trench. The cotton strips are numbered for their identification after recovery at three different dates.

Cotton Strip Soil Test: Rapid Assessment of Soil Microbial Activity and Diversity in the Field

Soil has always been considered as a living system due to its biological components: fungi, bacteria and plant roots. Under several ongoing research projects, we started researching how we can use ‘cotton strip assay’ to compare different cover crop mixes to optimize field soil activity and build up better soil health.

Earthworms on the soil surface inside a white hard-plastic ring, after mustard-vinegar solution was drained down through the soil profile forcing earthworms out onto the surface in order to be counted.

How’s Life in the Soil? Ask (Count) the Earthworms.

Earthworms are ‘very special’ creatures on earth, and their contribution in soil nutrient cycling and fertility management has been acknowledged from the beginning of agriculture. So, the question needs to be asked, how can we help improve earthworm populations?

A farmer watching the sun rise in a bare, unplanted field.

Crop Tolerance to Soil Herbicide Residual

Some herbicides can persist in soil, especially dry soil. Herbicide carryover could be an issue in 2021 across the state depending upon last year’s moisture levels and field conditions.

Young tomato plants surrounded by organic mulch in a no-till garden.

Weed Control in No-Till Gardens

Mulch is the key to successful weed control in no-till gardening. It is best to start a no-till garden in the fall to give applied mulch the time to breakdown and suppress any weed growth.

Revegetation of Salt-Impacted Soils in South Dakota

This publication provides suggested native species suitable for the revegetation of salt-impacted soils. The suggested species are listed as native to South Dakota according to the USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Cover crops emerging from a no-till field.

Soil Organic Matter Matters: How Conservation Practices Bring Value to Farmers

Conservation management practices, such as conservation tillage, cover crops, diverse crop rotation and livestock integration, help improve soil health over time and offer producers numerous economic benefits.

man holding a small pile of soil in his hands

X-Ray Scanning Confirms Soil Health Benefits from Conservation Practices

Summary report of X-ray scanning confirms soil health benefits from conservation practices.