Conservation

All Conservation Content

A no-till and conventionally managed watershed side-by-side. The no-till field has dramatically less flooding and runoff.

Tale of Two Watersheds

See the difference that cover crops and a no-till cropping system can have on watersheds when high winds and heavy rains impact our region. The difference in the amounts of run-off water is astounding!

Farmer standing in a no-till field at sunset.

Does the GREET Carbon Model Address Soil Health Principles?

Learn how the recent Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) production model lines up with the Five Soil Health Principles.

Two researchers analyzing soil in a no-till field with cover crops growing throughout.

Does the COMET Carbon Model Address Soil Health Principles?

The COMET-Farm model, developed by USDA/NRCS and Colorado State University, is a whole farm and ranch carbon and greenhouse gas accounting system. Learn how it addresses the Five Soil Health Principles.

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 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.

Hands holding a clump of healthy soil from a no-till field.

Biological Agronomy

Biological agronomy is an adaptive soil management system used to build soil microbiology through intensive regenerative practices that increase carbon and nutrient availability for profitable crop production.

aerial view of the James River Valley

Every Acre Counts

Every Acre Counts improves production practices for greater profitability.

two black beetles rolling a ball of dung

Promoting Dung Beetles on the Range

In South Dakota, dung beetles help regulate rangeland health through dung dispersal.

A medium orange and black butterfly resting with its wings open on small green leaves in a grassy area.

Generalist Host Plants in South Dakota

Many butterflies and moths are generalists, meaning that their larva can use a variety of host plants as food. Learn about some of the best host plants you can grow in your yard to support butterflies, moths, and everything that relies on them!

Birds flying over a snow covered wetland

The Importance of Wetlands in Winter

Drive by a wetland in the dead of winter and it may look like a shut-down ecosystem, patiently waiting for spring to return. But that is simply not the case. While winter may present its own challenges, life goes on and wetlands play an important role.

A man in a yellow shirt kneels in a pasture with a group of youth and teenagers standing in a circle around him

A Guide to South Dakota's Rangeland and Soils Days

Fact sheet to provide an overview of the South Dakota Rangeland and Soils Days program.