IPM in South Dakota

Alfalfa IPM Pays Dividends in South Dakota

by Paul Johnson, extension IPM coordinator and Murdick McLeod, extension entomologist, South Dakota State University

Part of a North Central Region IPM grant was used to implement integrated pest management programs in South Dakota and to educate producers on the concepts and benefits of integrated pest management. Programs focused on the alfalfa weevil, an early-season defoliator that can reduce yield and quality of the crop, and the potato leafhopper, a serious alfalfa pest in eastern South Dakota.

Photo: field use of sweep net to determine economic thresholds.

County agents and producers were trained on proper scouting techniques for both pests so economically and environmentally-sound management decisions could be made. In-field demonstrations emphasized modern integrated pest management procedures that decrease damage from insects while reducing reliance on insecticides. On-farm trials showed that fields receiving cultural management produced high yields and quality of forage similar to chemically-treated plots.

This education effort culminated in the production of an alfalfa integrated pest management manual containing important information on managing insect, disease, and weed pests of alfalfa in South Dakota and the surrounding region. IPM coordinators from several states have requested these manuals for their own use.

[Integrated Pest Management
in the North Central States]

[National Integrated Pest Management Network]

These pages adapted from North Central Region Extension Publication NCR 586.
To order a printed copy, see our ordering information page.

Alfalfa IPM Pays Dividends in South Dakota

Last updated August 25,1997 by John VanDyk