Pasture

All Pasture Content
An orange plastic hoop placed around a portion of tall grass on a range to provide a measurement.

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Range Record Keeping

Range record keeping helps detect and demonstrate landscape changes that have a direct impact on your ability to maintain or grow your herd.

Vast, rolling rangeland near the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Pasture

Pastures and rangelands are a valuable resource for owners of equine and livestock.

Three producers observing a herd of cattle at pasture.

Cow Share Agreements

Getting started in the cattle business can be tricky for beginning cattlemen due to the amount of capital investment needed upfront. Under the right conditions, cow share agreements can bring beginning and established producers together to relieve some of that burden.

Patch of Canada thistle rosettes growing in a yard.

Is It Too Late to Spray Weeds?

There are a lot of uncertainties with spraying perennial weeds in mid-fall. Under the right weather conditions, some applications may still be worthwhile. However, expensive herbicides applied to large swaths of land may be too risky this late in the season.

Drought-stressed pasture near Ladner, South Dakota.

Pasture, Rangeland and Forage – Rainfall Index Crop Insurance Program: Overview and Guidelines for South Dakota Producers

The Pasture, Rangeland and Forage – Rainfall Index crop insurance program has been available in South Dakota since 2013, and some South Dakota producers have used its payouts to protect their operation from the risks of forage loss when rainfall falls below the local average.

Johnsongrass, Saltmarsh Arrowgrass, and Reed Canarygrass.

Hidden Dangers of Prussic Acid

Prussic acid is a herbivory defense mechanism used by numerous plant species, but is most-associated with sorghum and sudangrass hybrids. While the risk of prussic acid poisoning is greatest in sorghum species, several additional species present across South Dakota can produce prussic acid at varying levels of concern.

Herd of black beef cattle grazing a lush, green pasture.

Does Water in Grass Change How Much Cattle Drink?

Ranchers know that cattle need clean drinking water every day. But the water already inside grass is easy to overlook. As grass grows older and dries out during summer, cattle may need more water from tanks or other sources.

a grassy field where part of the field has been burned.

Prescribed Fire Timing for South Dakota USDA Conservation Programs, Native Grass Plantings, and Native Pastures

Use this publication to determine suitable times for prescribed fire burns in South Dakota.

green leafy foliage with small yellow buds.

Effectiveness of Saflufenacil (Sharpen) Mixed with Imazapic (Plateau) to Manage Leafy Spurge

Leafy spurge is a noxious weed of many pastures and rangelands in South Dakota. This research study looks at the effectiveness of Saflufenacil mixed with imazapic to manage leafy spurge.

A grass forage blend grows in a central South Dakota field as Red cattle graze.

Managing Prussic Acid Risk Following Drought

Drought creates several challenges for ranchers, from reduced forage availability to declining pasture quality. It can also create concerns about forage toxicity issues resulting from excess nitrate and prussic acid accumulation.