Search
Impacts of Drought on Soil, Water, Forage and Livestock Grazing Systems
Grazing systems are complex, because soil, water, forage and livestock components are interconnected and affect each other. Producers can put themselves back in the driver’s seat by developing annual systems-level grazing plans for favorable and unfavorable situations.
Alfalfa Weevil Activity Prediction Update: May 20, 2021
This week we accumulated degree days for alfalfa weevils at a rapid rate. As a result, we observed many areas of the state potentially move through more than one larval life stage.
Common Stalk Borer Activity Estimate: May 20, 2021
Warmer weather is finally here. Although we have accumulated quite a few degree days for common stalk borers, nowhere in the state has reached accumulation levels for common stalk borer caterpillar movement into corn fields.
Cabbage White Butterflies Are Here!
Keep an eye out for cabbage white butterflies in your garden. These butterflies lay eggs on the underside of the vegetable leaves. Once the eggs hatch, their caterpillars feed on cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, turnips and radishes.
Seedcorn Maggot Degree Day Activity Estimates: May 20, 2021
Seedcorn maggots can be an early-season pest of corn and soybean in South Dakota, typically affecting crops that are emerging or have recently emerged. Seedcorn maggots can cause direct loss by destroying planted seeds.
Rangeland Insects Are Critical Indicators of System Health
Insects, in general, may offer more indication of rangeland health than any other type of organism. They serve as key building blocks that other organisms depend on.
Wireworms in the Garden
With warming soil temperatures, overwintering wireworms have become active throughout South Dakota. Wireworms are soil-dwelling insects that can be pests of germinating seeds, seedlings and root crops.
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zones
Winter and spring are a great time for planning new garden and landscape designs. Learn how recent updates to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones may have South Dakota gardeners feeling extra adventurous when selecting new plants for their gardens this season!
Livestock Tools for Managing Through Drought
As drought conditions continue, ranchers are faced with making some difficult decisions. South Dakota State University Extension offers multiple tools and resources that can be used to help make the best management decisions for your operation.
Discussing Food and Agriculture in South Dakota: A Guide for Community Leaders
Food production and farming are issues that operate at the complex pivot point of where ecology and nature meet the marketplace and political systems. The way agriculturalists and communities handle their resources, both individually, and collectively, depends on their collective vision for the future.