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South Dakota Soil and Water Conservation Society to host “Connecting Farm to Future” Virtual Conference

December 02, 2020

The South Dakota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), will host a free virtual conference.

A series of beaver dam analog structures built to limit rangeland erosion.

Range Roundup: Riparian Health Project Started in Western South Dakota

Over the last five years, federal, state, NGO and university partners and producers in Northwest S.D. were involved in a needs assessment that identified riparian health as an area of significant concern across Western S.D.

A yearling heifer grazes on Canada thistle after a mid-October snowfall.

Plan Now to Control Weeds With Grazing Next Season

Livestock will graze Canada goldenrod, Canada thistle and perennial sow thistle. At certain times of the year, these plants have crude protein, total digestible nutrients, and invitro dry matter digestibility concentrations similar to alfalfa and other common forages.

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.

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.

Field with field peas and blue sky with fluffy white clouds

Weed Control: Pulse Crops

Weed competition can cause significant yield reduction in pulse crops. Pulse crops are weak competitors with weeds, therefore planning an effective weed control program is one of the keys to profitable production.

Field with field peas and blue sky with fluffy white clouds

Production and Utilization of Field Peas in South Dakota

Guide to field pea production and utilization in South Dakota

A bare crop field ready for planting

Nitrogen Credit: The Rest of the Story

We have all been programmed to think of soybean as fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere and adding nitrogen to the soil. The SDSU lab and most other labs give nitrogen “credit” when another crop follows soybeans.