Soil Fertility

All Soil Fertility Content

Field showing sheet and rill erosion following a heavy rain event.

Soil Erosion Mitigation During Heavy Rainfall Events

Adopting soil health practices that minimize disturbance, increase surface cover and organic matter content, and keep roots growing in the soil can help to increase soil infiltration rates and reduce destruction of soil aggregates from heavy rain.

Gardener inspecting soil in a backyard garden plot.

Are Cheap Home Garden Soil Test Kits Accurate?

Inexpensive soil test kits are a method available for gardeners available to estimate soil pH and the level of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium present in the soil.

A hand holding a soil sample taken from a soybean field.

Soil Testing Labs

This page contains a list of nearby state or private laboratories that can be used for crop production fields, gardens and lawns.

Tractor planter seeding crops in a no-till field.

Fertilizer Placed With the Seeds in Dry Soil Conditions

Climate patterns can shift from wet to dry very quickly. A current consideration is thinking about seed injury from furrow-placed fertilizers, and there are notable differences among crops for tolerance of seed-placed fertilizers.

hand examining clump of soil organic matter

Soil: It’s Not Just Dirt

Most soils are complex ecosystems with worms, insects and microscopic organisms, which all work together in helping plants grow.

South Dakota native grassland with a variety of plants and grasses growing.

Grassland Fertilization: Ecology

In the first article in this series, we discussed basic terminology and economics. This article focuses on the ecological impacts of fertilization in various grassland plant communities, including native rangelands and prairies.

Rancher standing in a vast, rolling grassland.

Grassland Fertilization: Terminology and Economics

This article is the first in a series of six focused on helping producers understand the pros and cons of grassland fertilization. We begin by learning some of the basic terminology and information related to fertilization.

Healthy, South Dakota native grassland with a variety of plants and grasses growing.

Grassland Fertilization: Native Pasture Case Studies – McPherson, Deuel, Grant and Clark Counties

Even our best native pastures, rangelands and prairies suffer from at least some level of invasion. Within this reality lies a wide gradient of quality of native grasslands that is largely influenced by past and present management.

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.