Grassland

All Grassland Content

Yellow toadflax in the reproductive-flowering stage.

Yellow Toadflax Control

Yellow toadflax is a short-lived perennial plant that infests pasture and rangeland. If not controlled, it can displace native plant species and increase the potential for soil erosion. Learn some tactics for managing it.

Variety of South Dakota native plants.

A Guide to Collecting, Pressing, and Mounting Plants

Fact sheet on collecting, pressing and mounting plants

Small group of cattle grazing a vast, well-managed rangeland.

Holistic Ranch Management Helps With Economic and Climate Resilience

Holistic ranch management offers ways to think about ranching as part of a diverse ecological system. Learn how two South Dakota operations have leveraged it to generate multiple income streams from shared resources.

Members of the Burke County Fire Department assisting with a prescribed burn.

Why Should Fire Departments Help With Prescribed Burns?

From establishing fuel breaks that can contain future wildfires to providing valuable training for fire department volunteers, learn some of the many benefits of involving your local fire department in a prescribed burn.

A pasture containing a mixture of grasses and alfalfa.

Grasshopper Activity Is Ramping Up

We have already observed increased grasshopper activity in many areas of the state and, depending on the 2022 season, they may become problematic in crops.

A small black bug with tan margins on its wings resting on a grass seed head.

Black Grass Bugs May Cause Issues if Drought Persists

In western South Dakota, black grass bugs are a common spring forage pest that can cause considerable damage during periods of drought. Learn how to monitor and manage this pest to protect your forages this spring.

Map of South Dakota with green (zero to three grasshoppers), orange (four to seven grasshoppers), and red (8 or more grasshoppers) dots indicating grasshopper populations that were sampled in 2021. The north central region, west of the Missouri River, has the highest concentration of red and orange dots.

South Dakota Grasshopper Prediction for 2022

Data from the 2021 USDA Adult Grasshopper Survey of South Dakota suggests that grasshopper populations may continue to be problem in parts of central and western South Dakota during the spring of 2022.

Satellite image of a well-planned prescribed burn unit.

Utilize Targeted Grazing for Firebreaks

Targeted grazing incorporated into an overall rotational grazing plan can be an excellent strategy to reduce an area's available fuel load and create a soft, or green, firebreak.

Ventenata grass aggresively spreading throughout rangeland.

Be on the Lookout: Ventenata

Ventenata is an invasive annual grass that's an emerging threat to South Dakota rangelands due to its ability to exclude desired native species. Learn how to identify, report, and manage it before it becomes a problem in your area.

Mottled brown grasshopper nymph sitting on a green leaf. Wing pads are easily observed in the image.

Grasshoppers Continue to Be an Issue During 2023

We have received numerous reports of very large populations of grasshopper nymphs in June. Before management action is taken, it is important to determine what stage observed grasshoppers are at.