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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.
2022 Fall and Early Winter Climate Outlook
The warmth of September is likely to continue into October with odds leaning towards drier than average conditions according to the latest climate outlook released on September 15, 2022.
Sheep Facilities and Moisture
Fact sheet for keeping a barn comfortable and dry to increase lamb survival.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fungicide Resistance: Risk and Management
What is fungicide resistance?
Fungicide resistance can be defined as when a pathogen population is no longer sensitive or has reduced sensitivity to the fungicide that used to control the same pathogen.