Soil Health

All Soil Health Content

Photo showing a wildfire recovery on native rangelands.

Range Roundup: Dormant Season Wildfire Project in Northwestern South Dakota

Two of the main environmental conditions that drive post-wildfire rangeland recovery include health of the rangeland ecosystem prior to the wildfire and climatic variables, such as precipitation or drought after the fire event.

A series of beaver dam analog structures built to limit rangeland erosion.

Range Roundup: Riparian Health Project Started in Western South Dakota

Over the last five years, federal, state, NGO and university partners and producers in Northwest S.D. were involved in a needs assessment that identified riparian health as an area of significant concern across Western S.D.

A group of children stands in front of a display with plants and simulated rainfall

2024 Rangeland and Soils Days hosts more than 100 youth

June 28, 2024

More than 100 youth participated in the 40th annual Rangeland and 19th annual Soils Days on June 12-13, 2024, in Watertown.

Field with severely scoured crops due to blowing soil.

Soil Only Blows During Droughts?

What causes soil to blow during periods of adequate moisure? High winds can rapidly dry soil close to the surface. If the winds are high enough, even soil at intermediate water contents can blow.

Pigs in a feeding facility

SDSU Extension invites CAFO operators to environmental training on June 26

June 04, 2024

There will be an environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on June 26, 2024, at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron.

A team of four people in matching blue button-down shirts stands on stage with their awards, with two people off to the right side

SD 4-H team wins national land and range judging contest

May 29, 2024

The Haakon/Bennett County 4-H range judging team won first place at the 2024 National Land and Range Judging Contest held from April 30 to May 2, 2024, in El Reno, Oklahoma. Team members include Bennett County’s Emily Zickrick and Haakon County’s Colden Kramer, Ashley Schriever and Tara Schofield.

Rain falls on a sample of conventional tilled in a rainfall simulator.

How Soil Holds Water

Water retention is an important soil property and is related to soil texture, organic matter content, and density.

Various chemical symbols for common nutrients found in garden soil over a selection of young plants emerging from garden soil.

Interpreting Soil Tests for Gardening

There are many different chemicals that make up plants. These chemicals include hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, boron, zinc, molybdenum, cobalt, and chlorine.

A screenshot of the website shows a map of the United States with green squares indicating where soil fertility trials have been conducted

New digital Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool launches nationwide

April 11, 2024

South Dakota State University Extension and project partners are proud to announce the nationwide release of the Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool (FRST), a decision aid that provides an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization.

Tractor planting seed in a no-till field.

Conservation Practices Increasing in South Dakota

The recently released Agricultural Census data of 2022 shows that the share of cropland acres under conservation practices has continued to increase in South Dakota.