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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?

Row of beets growing in a garden.

Beets: How to Grow It

Beets are commonly grown for their bulbous roots, but their tops can also be harvested for greens, and they are an excellent source of Vitamin A as well as calcium. They grow best in the cooler temperatures of spring or fall.

Zucchini ready to harvest. Courtesy: Mary Roduner

Summer Squash: How to Grow It

There are many types of summer squash, including the familiar zucchini (which can be green, green-striped, or yellow), crookneck, straightneck, patty pan and more.

A colorful variety of freshly, harvested bell peppers.

Peppers: How to Grow It

Peppers are heat-loving vegetables that require a long, frost-free season and full sun. Peppers can be sweet or hot, and range in color from green, yellow, orange, red and purple to brown.

Two rows of leafy, salad greens growing in a garden.

Salad Greens: How to Grow It

Salad greens, grown for their leaves, are cool-season crops. Most salad greens can be planted very early in the spring, and many will germinate in soil temperatures as low as 40° Fahrenheit.

Cattle feeding on supplemental forage distributed on winter range.

Winter Cow Supplementation and Cold Stress

Extreme winter weather makes it challenging to meet a cow’s nutrient requirements. With below-normal temperatures come challenges of ensuring adequate nutrition and protection for livestock, including being prepared to provide additional feed and shelter.

Three cattle feeding on supplemental forage near cornstalks.

Supplementing Cows on Crop Residue

During winter, it is a common practice to have cows graze crop residue. This helps reduce the amount of forage needed to maintain a cow for part of the year, while reducing annual feed costs. However, cows may eventually need supplementation when grazing crop residues.

Hereford calf nursing from mother cow.

Updated Guidelines for Monitoring Colostrum Consumption and Antibody Transfer in Calves

Dairy and beef producers have long understood the importance of colostrum for the short- and long-term health of their calves. Calf health experts have determined the minimum level of serum protein to categorize a calf as having received sufficient colostrum.

Group of mixed calves in a feedlot.

SDSU Extension Opens Registration for 2020-2021 Calf Value Discovery Program

October 14, 2020

SDSU Extension Opens Registration for 2020-2021 Calf Value Discovery Program