Tissue sampling is a good tool for monitoring plant health during the growing season. However, it is important to note that tissue sampling is typically not a good indicator of potential response to in-season rescue applications.
The blizzard of April 2018 was one of the most powerful low pressure systems in history for that month. Ironically, it started on Friday the 13th and didn’t wrap up until Sunday.
Due to the late planting season in 2018, growers are becoming more and more worried about potential yield losses due to planting delays. Yield reductions may become significant after about May 20, especially for full season corn hybrids, and the risk of increased drying costs and crop losses due to an early fall frost also become a concern.
With technology surrounding today’s culture, data and marketing information has become a key part of life. Farmers, especially have been targeted with large quantities of new technology created to generate more efficient farming systems promising easy real-time data access.
Utilizing sound research results to help make decisions on the farm is a wise business practice. It can be confusing, however, when you see two numbers that are clearly not the same labeled as “not significantly different.”
During the 2017 SD Legislative Session, Governor Dennis Daugaard signed into law Senate Bill 66 (SB 66), also known as the “buffer strip” bill. Essentially, the bill provides an incentive for landowners to plant perennial vegetation on land adjoining qualified lakes, rivers, or streams via a property tax adjustment in order to improve water quality.
SDSU Extension is devoted to meeting the needs of South Dakota farmers and ranchers in the state. If you are 18 years-of-age or older and farming or ranching is your occupation, please consider completing a 10-15 minute survey that would help us acquire information to design and implement future programs to serve farm and ranch families.
Se espera que en las próximas semanas haya temperaturas y humedad más altas de lo normal, lo que puede producir un golpe de calor. Esta situación, típica de los meses de verano, es especialmente crítica para todos aquellos que trabajan bajo el sol o están expuestos a condiciones menos favorables en el ambiente de trabajo.
For those whose livelihood depends upon working outdoors or in less than favorable conditions, the coming weeks look to be quite difficult with higher than normal temperatures and humidity predicted. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness."
The 2016 U.S. crop-year showed record acreage for soybeans and a large acreage for corn. The combination of more acres, warm temperatures, and adequately-timed rainfall events, resulted in also record yields. According to the NASS stocks for corn and soybeans have been increasing since 2014, a trend that’s likely to continue in 2017.
Dakotafest 2018 is less than a month away (August 21 – 23), and SDSU Extension entomologists will be there again to answer any and all insect related questions. We will be located in the SDSU Extension tent on the Northwest side of the grounds with insect displays and a lot of helpful handouts regarding major insect pests.
SDSU Extension has received calls from producers and agronomists observing possible crop damage from herbicide off-target movement. Some of these cases have been confirmed through tissue sampling.
Tissue sampling is a good tool for monitoring plant health during the growing season. However, it is important to note that tissue sampling is typically not a good indicator of potential response to in-season rescue applications.
While scouting corn fields last week we came across a few plants that had a unique pattern of holes on the leaves. The holes were all uniform in size and were in a perfectly straight horizontal line on the leaf. So what insect is capable of feeding so precisely?
Last week we noticed emergence of northern corn rootworm adults in South Dakota. Typically, the emergence of these primarily underground corn pests is simply an indicator of what population levels are and what the potential for future root injury might be.
Recent hail storms have brought crop injury to different parts of South Dakota. We always hope the old ‘white combine’ adage does not come true, but there is no stopping mother nature.
Almost every year, there is at least an occurrence of hail or high wind damage of crops in South Dakota (SD). Weather front in early morning of July 12th brought in high wind followed by pea size hail in some portion of Northeast SD.
A few corn fields scouted this week were found with eyespot and anthracnose leaf blight at low incidence and severity. These fields were corn on corn (high corn residue), the rotated corn fields were mainly disease free.
Several plant parasitic nematodes infect corn leading to reduced plant vigor, stunted growth and yield loss. Plant parasitic nematodes are microscopic worm-like organisms that live in the soil.
May 2018 was a 180-degree turn from April. South Dakota had its second coldest April on record, to something close to the tenth warmest May on record. As we are in early June, it appears as if the heat will continue.
SDSU Extension publishes the South Dakota Pest & Crop Newsletter to provide growers, producers, crop consultants, and others involved in crop production with timely news pertinent to management of pests, diseases, and weeds in South Dakota.
We have received a few reports of conventional corn fields being affected by first-generation European corn borer feeding. How do we know that European corn borer was causing the issues?
Dakotafest 2018 is less than a month away (August 21 – 23), and SDSU Extension entomologists will be there again to answer any and all insect related questions. We will be located in the SDSU Extension tent on the Northwest side of the grounds with insect displays and a lot of helpful handouts regarding major insect pests.
Tissue sampling is a good tool for monitoring plant health during the growing season. However, it is important to note that tissue sampling is typically not a good indicator of potential response to in-season rescue applications.
While scouting corn fields last week we came across a few plants that had a unique pattern of holes on the leaves. The holes were all uniform in size and were in a perfectly straight horizontal line on the leaf. So what insect is capable of feeding so precisely?
Last week we noticed emergence of northern corn rootworm adults in South Dakota. Typically, the emergence of these primarily underground corn pests is simply an indicator of what population levels are and what the potential for future root injury might be.
Every summer we get asked about a very shiny, iridescent, green beetle. This showy insect is the dogbane beetle. The scientific name for dogbane beetles is Chrysochus auratus, auratus meaning “golden.”
Recent hail storms have brought crop injury to different parts of South Dakota. We always hope the old ‘white combine’ adage does not come true, but there is no stopping mother nature.
Our early prediction of grasshopper populations was that there would be areas where outbreaks would be possible during 2018. We are just starting to receive reports of grasshopper populations that are exceeding recommended thresholds throughout central South Dakota as well as areas in northeast South Dakota that haven’t received much rain this year.
A few corn fields scouted this week were found with eyespot and anthracnose leaf blight at low incidence and severity. These fields were corn on corn (high corn residue), the rotated corn fields were mainly disease free.
Crop Producers, agronomists, gardeners, homeowners and anyone else who is thinking about taking soil samples this fall or next spring need to be aware that South Dakota State University no longer offers commercial testing. (Effective Oct, 2011). Below is a list of nearby state or private laboratories that can be used for crop production fields, gardens and lawns. The private laboratories are not necessarily recommended or endorsed, however many will give university recommendations when asked. Crop producers, agronomists, gardeners, and home owners with questions on sample submissions, analysis charges and recommendations should contact the laboratory of interest.
Tissue sampling is a good tool for monitoring plant health during the growing season. However, it is important to note that tissue sampling is typically not a good indicator of potential response to in-season rescue applications.
Heavy rains have occurred in Southeast South Dakota, Southwest Minnesota and Northwest Iowa in the past two weeks. Soil nitrogen in these fields should have had adequate time to convert to nitrate-N and therefore be vulnerable to leaching with water movement through the soil profile.
In recent years’ soil health has become a popular subject for many farmers and ranchers across South Dakota. Producers are interested in increasing soil health through methods that increase diversity, retain covers and residue on the soil surface, utilize low soil disturbance, and integrate livestock into cropping systems.
Research performed in 2016-17 by the NRCS in cooperation with Cronin Farms was designed to evaluate the impacts of nitrogen rates and application methods on corn yields seeded into full-season cover-crop residue.
Soil degradation has become one of the most pressing global issues, because of its adverse effects on world food security, environment and quality of life. Farm management practices such as conventional tillage and monoculture cropping systems can directly damage soil health by causing erosion, carbon loss and nutrient depletion.
I recently came across an article from the Associated Press addressing road salt and the nation's waterways. Many of you may have seen the article too as a number of local media outlets elected to carry it. While road salt is almost a necessity in our part of the country, it can come at a cost.
In an effort to educate today’s youth about sustainable agriculture, SDSU Extension field specialists teamed up with educators from University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) and presented a four-hour training session for South Dakota high school teachers on January 5, 2018 at the SDSU Student Union.
The discussion of grain yields and different tillage practices needs to start in producers’ fields. Grain yield comparisons and results from un-biased research are very important for making agronomic decisions that include tillage; however, producers need to put these practices to work in everyday situations across large acres to consider a practice worthy in modern agriculture.
Do you believe the highest yields return the greatest profit? Are you managing for maximum yields? Do you attempt to manage your corn crop for the highest yields as a result of what yield contest winner’s say?
Dicamba off target movement created disagreements between many. This occurred in South Dakota between farmers, farmers and companies, farmers and university weed scientists and companies with regulatory agencies.
In an effort to educate today’s youth about sustainable agriculture, SDSU Extension field specialists teamed up with educators from University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) and presented a four-hour training session for South Dakota high school teachers on January 5, 2018 at the SDSU Student Union.
Crop performance testing results are released annually through the activities of SDSU Extension and the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station at SDSU.
With technology surrounding today’s culture, data and marketing information has become a key part of life. Farmers, especially have been targeted with large quantities of new technology created to generate more efficient farming systems promising easy real-time data access.
Utilizing sound research results to help make decisions on the farm is a wise business practice. It can be confusing, however, when you see two numbers that are clearly not the same labeled as “not significantly different.”
During the 2017 SD Legislative Session, Governor Dennis Daugaard signed into law Senate Bill 66 (SB 66), also known as the “buffer strip” bill. Essentially, the bill provides an incentive for landowners to plant perennial vegetation on land adjoining qualified lakes, rivers, or streams via a property tax adjustment in order to improve water quality.
SDSU Extension is devoted to meeting the needs of South Dakota farmers and ranchers in the state. If you are 18 years-of-age or older and farming or ranching is your occupation, please consider completing a 10-15 minute survey that would help us acquire information to design and implement future programs to serve farm and ranch families.
The first step in setting up an on-farm trial is to choose a topic-of-interest. While this may seem simple, one important factor that must be considered is that the topic cannot be too complex.
The season is upon us and producers are heading out to the field to get their crops planted and established. Producers are interested in knowing what works best, yields the most, and especially what is most profitable during these tight economic times. Some may want to compare products or practices on their own farm or look at information from other farms or industry studies.
According to 2015 UN estimations by 2050 the U.S. will have a population of 402 million, 25% greater than today. In order to feed this population and sustain the country’s economy through commodities’ exports, agricultural output needs to increase by a similar amount by that year. These figures are projections based on current population and food production dynamics. One critical component of this equation is going to be the presence of enough pollinator activity. Pollinators are crucial to maintain global food production and a healthy ecosystem.
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