Crop Management

All Crop Management Content

A green tractor planting seeds in a no-till field. Courtesy: United Soybean Board [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr

Farm Practices That Improve Soil Health: Crop Rotations and No-Till

Implementing crop rotations and no-till practices are common suggestions to reduce erosion, control pests, and improve yields. These practices can also improve soil health through an increase in soil carbon levels.

Rows of soybean growing in corn residue in a diverse, no-till crop rotation.

Economics of Different Crop Rotation Systems in South Dakota

Economic returns are an important factor to consider when selecting crop rotation systems.

Crop Changes in South Dakota: 2017-2022

According to the recently released 2022 Census of Agriculture, crop variety has slightly increased in South Dakota over the past five years (2017-2022).

Soybean field with volunteer corn stalks growing throughout.

Stalk Grazing to Combat Volunteer Corn

Fall aftermath grazing by livestock, particularly cows, can dramatically reduce the amount of volunteer corn in the field. Learn some key benefits that stalk grazing can bring to your operation.

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, crop rotation and livestock integration, help improve soil health over time and offer producers numerous economic benefits.

A tall, grassy warm-season cover crop blend grown in South Dakota.

Your Cash Crop Flooded Out. What’s Plan B?

With significantly higher than normal precipitation in eastern South Dakota, many producers will soon be seeking a "Plan B" for their flooded-out row crops.

Using Annual Cover Crops and Forages in Lieu of Row Crops

Although there are many factors to take into consideration, annual forages and cover crops can be an excellent tool to mitigate challenging planting seasons.

“Snirt” and How To Minimize It

Blowing soils, dust storms and “snirt” (snow with dirt on it) are frequent challenges during dry, windy winters. Learn some soil health principles to limit erosion and minimize snirt on field edges this planting season.

A tall, grassy, warm-season cover crop blend grown in Central South Dakota.

Cover Crops 2019: What to Plant When

As many Midwest producers look to cover crops to build soil health and provide supplemental forage after a soggy spring, many questions are arising regarding management decisions, specifically, species selection and planting timing.

Two producers inspect the soil in a no-till field early in the growing season.

Managing Soil for Carbon Storage

Did you know that adopting soil health principles can lead to increased soil carbon concentrations? Learn about some recent studies in South Dakota that evaluated the potential of land management activities to increase soil carbon.