Crop Performance Testing

View archived reports including data from 2003 - 2017 (when available) in the SDSU Extension Publications Archive.

All Crop Performance Testing Content

A sprawling green field of field pea plantings

Field Pea Variety Trial Results

In 2023, field pea trials were planted at different locations in South Dakota.

Bright-yellow sunflowers growing in a field.

Sunflower Hybrid Variety Trial Results

In 2023, sunflower trials were planted at two locations in South Dakota.

Rows of vegetables are shown with netting protection over them

SDSU Extension to host virtual training series on vegetable production

January 16, 2024

The second annual South Dakota Virtual Vegetable Short Course topics will include cover crop integration, soil health improvement, weed management and integrated pest management for field and high tunnel production. The four-part educational series will take place via Zoom from 6 to 7:30 p.m. MT/7 to 8:30 p.m. CST on Jan. 22, 24, 29 and 31, 2024.

Seven people stand at a distance in a green field. The sky is blue with a large cloud stretching across most of the horizon

The South Dakota State University West River Research Farm to host Field Day on July 11

July 07, 2023

The South Dakota State University West River Research Farm Tour will be held on July 11 near Sturgis, South Dakota, running from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Kristine Lang and Rhoda Burrows look at some plants with two men inside a high tunnel

The South Dakota State University Southeast Research Farm to host Field Day on July 11

June 30, 2023

The South Dakota State University Southeast Research Farm Field Day will be held on July 11 near Beresford, South Dakota.

A group of people stand in a field with a combine in the background

South Dakota State University Northeast Research Farm to host Field Day on July 13

June 21, 2023

The South Dakota State University Northeast Research Farm Field Day will be held on July 13 at 4 p.m. and will run until dusk.

A man with a microphone speaks to a small group of people standing in a field under a blue tent.

South Dakota State University’s Dakota Lakes Research Farm hosts Field Day on June 29

June 16, 2023

South Dakota State University’s Dakota Lakes Research Farm (DLRF) will host its annual field day on June 29, 2023. The field day will begin at 3:00 PM (CST) and run until dark.

A combine harvesting soybeans at dusk.

Field Studies: Blowing the Whistle on Marketing Claims

With technology surrounding today’s culture, data and marketing information has become a key part of life. The best way to determine if a product or practice is effective is to ask for the data and research backing a company’s claims. However, before a producer makes a decision, understanding the data and statistics is key.

Two side-by-side field plots. The left field has corn planted, and the right has soybeans.

Field Studies: Replicated Comparisons vs. Side-by-Side Comparisons

How should a basic study be set up or laid out in the field? One very common approach is to divide a field in half and compare the halves or possibly compare two fields in close proximity and see which variety or practice yields highest. This approach can end with very misleading results because of the variability that exists across a field or fields due to many factors.

a bare, freshly tilled field awaiting planting.

Field Studies: What do You Mean 5 Bushels Per Acre is Not Significant?

Utilizing sound research results to help make decisions on the farm is a wise business practice. It can be confusing, however, when you see two numbers that are clearly not the same labeled as “not significantly different.”