By Scout Nelson
South Dakota State University will host seven Agricultural Experiment Station field days across South Dakota during the 2026 growing season. The SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences invites producers, researchers, and community members to attend these educational events focused on agriculture, livestock, conservation, and technology.
The field days will take place from June through September at several research stations across the state. Each event will focus on topics important to local agriculture, including livestock systems, weed management, drought monitoring, soil health, crop breeding programs, conservation practices, and precision agriculture technologies. University researchers and SDSU Extension staff will guide tours and educational sessions throughout the events.
“Our goal for each Agricultural Experiment Station field day is to create a meaningful opportunity for producers and citizens to learn about new technologies, explore the value of emerging management practices, compare different production and input strategies and ask questions directly related to production agriculture,” said John Blanton, director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. “Just as importantly, field days give our scientists and staff the opportunity to hear from producers and communities across South Dakota, because the experiment station works for the people of this state, and their challenges must guide the research projects and programs we develop in the years ahead.”
The first field day will be held June 12 at the Cottonwood Field Station near Philip and will focus on cattle research, drought management, and virtual fencing technology. On June 26, the Dakota Lakes Research Farm near Pierre will feature integrated livestock systems, no-till cropping systems, and wheat and oat breeding updates.
Additional events are scheduled July 7 in Beresford for grain and horticulture crops, July 9 in Astoria for conservation topics, and July 9 near South Shore for agronomy research, disease updates, and weed management. The West River Research Farm field day in Sturgis will take place Sept. 9 and highlight drones, livestock monitoring, and precision feeding technology. The final event will be Sept. 10 in Beresford and will focus on forage and livestock systems.
All field days are free to attend, and registration is encouraged for meals and educational materials.
Registration for all the field days can be found at Field Day Registration – SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
Photo Credit: istock-alenamozhjer
Categories: South Dakota, Crops, Livestock