Corn

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?