Search
![black cow drinking from a nearly empty stock pond.](/sites/default/files/2019-03/W-M11554-00-cattle-water-concerns.jpg)
Feed & Water Testing Laboratories
A partial listing of available feed testing laboratories.
![3-D rendering of proposed low-head dam project above Lake Mitchell.](/sites/default/files/2020-05/W-00618-00-water-quality-rendering-dam-project-lake.jpg)
Senior Design Project Has Potential to Become Lake Mitchell Water Quality Project
SDSU Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering students, as a senior design project, recommended constructing a retention structure on a property near Lake Mitchell in order to reduce the phosphorus content entering the lake.
![Country road with a thunderstorm approaching in the distance.](/sites/default/files/2020-07/W-00707-00-weather-severe-storm-climate-rain-thunder-clouds.jpg)
Summer Severe Weather Safety
Hail, high winds, heavy rain, lightning, tornadoes. These weather phenomena are common during South Dakota summers. Stormy weather can be beautiful to see, especially in our evening skies, but it can also be dangerous or life-threatening.
![Field of mixed cover crops containing oats.](/sites/default/files/2020-07/W-00720-00-cover-crop-mixture-oats-forage.jpg)
Cover Crop Considerations for 2020
Producers across South Dakota are harvesting small grains. These crops provide an excellent window for adding a cover crop into your rotation.
![One-month precipitation outlook map for September 2020. South Dakota has a 40-50% chance of below-normal precipitation.](/sites/default/files/2020-09/W-00772-01-Climate-Update-2020-09-03.jpg)
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.
![Two men walking near a drainage water recycling pond](/sites/default/files/2021-07/PC-00001-S01E001-Drainage-Water-Recycling-Pond.jpg)
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.”
![Sample USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey output. Orange boundaries mark different soil zones on a satellite photo.](/sites/default/files/2021-10/W-01234-00-Web-Soil-Survey-Zone-Precision-Agriculture.png)
Precision Agriculture and Zone Management
Precision agriculture tools can address the variations in a production system to enhance plant growth and crop yield. Zone management controls the variable rate of inputs for optimal performance within a defined field zone.
![Small group of producers in a field where cattle are grazing crop residue.](/sites/default/files/2021-10/MC-02368-00-Managing-Soil-Maximizing-Profit-Fertility-Integration-Crop-Livestock-Grazing-Cattle.jpg)
Managing Soil: Maximizing Profit Conference Set for Dec. 7
November 19, 2021
South Dakota State University Extension and the SDSU Southeast Research Farm will host a seminar for growers interested in soil health, regenerative agriculture and livestock inclusion in these systems.
![Aerial photo of a field revealing crop productivity within a specified management zone.](/sites/default/files/2021-10/W-01237-00-Precision_Agriculture-Management-Zones.jpg)
Creating Management Zones Using Electrical Conductivity
The first step to practicing zone management is to identify the variations that control yield. There are various methods for characterizing soil variations within a field, and among them, electrical conductivity measurement is one of the most-reliable.
![A red tractor and seed drill planting in a no-till field.](/sites/default/files/2018-12/W-M12681-01-no-till-field-planting.jpg)
Project to Study Soil Health Economics in South Dakota
Soil degradation has become one of the most pressing global issues, because of its adverse effects on world food security, environment and quality of life.