Content by Hans Klopp

Producer holding soil in cupped hands over a bare field in early spring.

80 South Dakota farmers needed for nationwide soil health project: Enroll today

April 03, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension is inviting South Dakota farmers to participate in a new soil health survey.

Cropland illustrating soil surface cover in instances where there is and is not rye cover crops planted.

Conserving Soil Moisture During Dry Conditions

Dry conditions can create difficulties for agricultural producers. Using soil health principles can improve the resilience of agricultural systems to dry conditions.

Salts accumulate on the soil surface of a field with salinity issues.

Soil Salinity, Sodicity, and Alkalinity in South Dakota Soils

Salinity and sodicity are issues that negatively affect crop production and soil health in South Dakota.

A plot of soil with large cracks developing throughout.

Fall Tillage: Please Don’t Think About It

Conducting fall tillage results in lost topsoil, soil nutrients, and soil moisture. This ultimately leads to reduced soil productivity and profitability. An easy way to conserve topsoil and water resources is to skip fall tillage.

Left: Drill-planted cereal rye cover crop. Right: Pre-harvest broadcast cereal rye cover crop.

Choosing Whether to Preharvest Broadcast Vs. Post-Harvest Drill Cover Crops

Cover crops are frequently planted following the harvest of the grain commodity crops. A decision for producers to make is to whether to preharvest broadcast or postharvest drill the cover crop.

Cover crops growing between two wide rows of corn.

Inter-Seeding Cover Crops into Corn

Many producers are interested in incorporating cover crops into their cropping systems. Recent research investigated the effects of inter-seeding cover crops into corn on biomass production, grain yields, and other ecosystem services.

Interseeded cover crops growing between rows of mature soybeans.

Inter-Seeding Cover Crops into Soybean

Recent studies have investigated the soil health and yield impacts of inter-seeding various cover crops into soybean plantings.

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.

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.