Crop Management

All Crop Management 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!

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.

Lush, green forage growing in a field.

SDSU Extension releases updated crop budgets tool

February 28, 2025

Producers and financial advisors can use the spreadsheets as a template to input their own costs and get an estimate on profits. The spreadsheet includes tabs for fertilizer and pesticide and commodity estimates for different regions of the state, including high- and low-production areas.

Close-up of a plant with broad, lobed green leaves with serrated edges. The stems and veins of the leaves are a reddish-purple color and possess dark spots.

Identification and management of common cocklebur

Fact sheet to help identify and manage common cocklebur.

Patch of green giant ragweed plants growing among corn plants.

Identification and management of common ragweed and giant ragweed

Fact sheet to help identify and manage common ragweed and giant ragweed.

Beef cattle in a snow covered feedlot

SDSU Extension to provide educational sessions during 2025 Dakota Farm Show

December 19, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension will provide a day of educational sessions for crop and cattle producers during the 2025 Dakota Farm Show in Vermillion.

Tractor with sprayer applying postemergence herbicide to soybeans.

Current State of Row Crop Weed Management in South Dakota

Results of an online survey to determine how South Dakota stakeholders are currently managing row crop weeds.

A plot of soil with large cracks developing throughout.

Fall Tillage: Please Don’t Think About It

Conducting fall tillage results in lost topsoil, soil nutrients, and soil moisture. This ultimately leads to reduced soil productivity and profitability. An easy way to conserve topsoil and water resources is to skip fall tillage.

A group of people stands inside a high tunnel

SDSU Extension to host 4th annual Specialty Crop Field Day

August 28, 2024

This free, family-friendly event will feature a series of presentations and field tours related to small- to mid-scale commercial vegetable production research trials. Field tours will feature SDSU Extension research plots of cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, onions, peppers and broccolini.

Left: Drill-planted cereal rye cover crop. Right: Pre-harvest broadcast cereal rye cover crop.

Choosing Whether to Preharvest Broadcast Vs. Post-Harvest Drill Cover Crops

Cover crops are frequently planted following the harvest of the grain commodity crops. A decision for producers to make is to whether to preharvest broadcast or postharvest drill the cover crop.