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Content by Cody Molnar

a wilted pepper plant in a garden plot.

Handling Herbicide Injury in Specialty Crops

Learn how to handle specialty crops that have inadvertently been affected by herbicides.

Overhead view of State Fair 4-H exhibits
Sep 02

State Fair

The 2026 South Dakota State Fair will take place Wednesday, September 2, through Monday, September 7, at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds in Huron, South Dakota.

Two coneflowers with distorted heads due to Aster yellows phytoplasma.

Aster Yellows - Plant Pest on the Plains: How you can get involved in this important research

Aster yellows phytoplasma, best known as Aster Yellows disease or Onion Yellows disease, is commonly observed in purple coneflowers across the Great Plains. SDSU Extension is monitoring and modeling its distribution in the region, and you can help!

close up of a broccoli leaf with blackrot.

Black Rot of Brassica Crops

Overview and management of Black Rot for Brassica Crops.

Horticulture research plot with rows of tarp-covered crops and living mulch between them.

Research Report: Warm-Season Living Mulch Impacts on Cucumber Yield and Disease Symptoms

A 2025 trial in Brookings, South Dakota aimed to detect the influences of various warm-season cover crop living mulches on pest pressure in tomatoes and cucumbers and the interactions between both grafted and nongrafted tomatoes and cucumbers and the living mulch.

External and internal ring rot symptoms on two potato samples.

Bacterial Ring Rot: Yet another devastating disease of potato

Ring rot is primarily a disease of stored tubers and seed potatoes, where it produces black or brown lines just below the surface of the potato.

Variety of pepper samples split open to reveal internal rot symptoms.

Pepper Internal Rot: Disease information and research updates

A new disease has been found in South Dakota pepper plants. While plants appear healthy and produce peppers that appear normal, many peppers will have a black mold growing inside. So, what’s going on with these plants?

Two broccoli plants exhibiting early black rot symptoms.

Black Rot of Brassica Crops

Black rot is an uncommon, but devastating bacterial disease in South Dakota that can develop during extended periods of hot and wet weather, leading to rapid and widespread crop loss.

Dark-green gelatinous masses on a patch of grass.

Nostoc in Lawns

Nostoc is a genus of cyanobacteria that form colonies in gelatinous masses. In South Dakota, it commonly appears in home lawns, notably in patches where grass is not growing, especially after periods of rain.

Person carving a pumpkin on an outdoor picnic bench.

Pumpkin Carving Preservation

Pumpkin carvers can use several techniques to slow or prevent the spread of pathogens and help their jack-o’-lanterns last longer. Learn some expert tips for getting the most out of your pumpkin carvings this fall.