The planting season will be upon us in another month or two,so now is a good time to remind producers and planters to be aware of herbicide carryover. Every year we have a few new tree belts fail or do poorly because of high residue concentrations of herbicides in the soil. The most common herbicide carryover issues in South Dakota are from Atrazine (Atrazine) and Picloram (TordonR).

One of the leading reasons why shelterbelts fail is inadequate weed and grass control. Weed and grass control are very critical from the time the trees are planted until they are three to five years old. Weeds and grass that are not controlled compete with the trees for the moisture, nutrients and light. Even during years when there is lots of moisture, the shelterbelts do best when the weeds and grass are controlled. It is best to control the weeds and grass for as many years as you can. Weed and grass control is required on all trees that are cost shared through the Farm Service Agency or the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Once your new trees are planted, there are some things that can be done to improve their chances of survival. The first thing is to pack the trees immediately after they are planted. This removes the pockets from the soil and establishes good soil/root contact.

The District will be spraying Treflan and Round Up this spring in the plots for newly planted trees. Treflan is a pre-emergent herbicide that gives about 2-3 months of weed control, but will not last an entire growing season.

With the start of the absentee voting period on April 22nd, another election cycle in South Dakota has begun. I want to use this opportunity to share important information regarding the upcoming primary election which will be held June 7th.

South Dakota Farmers Union is hosting a “Community of Cooperation” day camp for ages 8-10. Camp will be held at the Gregory City Park from 8:00 a.m.