Tillage Methods in Grasshopper Control

In the light of the present world food situation, the control of insects assumes a role of major importance in the agricultural program. Various insects, among which grasshoppers are one of the most notorious, attack our growing groups, upon which we depend for food. Others attack grains in storage; plant and animal products of many kinds; clothing and articles of furniture; and our domestic livestock. Man himself is not immune from attack as is borne out of by the epidemics of louse transmitted typhus which are today growing in extent in certain parts of Europe. The losses sustained by mankind due to the ravages of insects runs into a staggering figure every year. This report, however, is concerned solely with the control of grasshoppers, which in South Dakota alone have destroyed millions of dollars worth of cereal, forage and truck crops in each of the past several years. Mr. G.I. Gilbertson, South Dakota Extension Entomologist, gives the loss figure of $42,303,030 for the 5-year period of 1937-1941, inclusive

Tillage Methods in Grasshopper Control

During the past 88 years of agricultural history in South Dakota, 38 have been years in which grasshoppers were present in above normal numbers. During 17 of these 38 years grasshoppers have been a serious pest of agricultural crops in South Dakota and neighboring states. Many millions of dollars worth of cereal, forage and truck crops during each of these 17 years were destroyed by hungry hordes of the insects. The impetus given soil conservation work and farm woodlot and shelterbelt plantings of trees in the past few years has brought about the realization that grasshoppers are far more than just a serious menace to growing vegetation. In areas where hoppers appear in outbreak numbers they are, through the destruction of growing plants, very definitely one of the major hazards of the soil itself. Under dry conditions and a lack of vegetative cover the soil in restricted portions of South Dakota and other Great Plains states is subject to devastating 0rosion by wind. The dust storms of a few years ago, fences buried by drifting soil and eroded wastes where cultivation was attempted in once fertile prairies--all bear mute testimony to this statement. Drought and improper treatment of the soil have been two of the important long-time factors in bringing about these conditions while grasshoppers have been one of the most important immediate factors

A Key to Differentiate Nymphal Stages of Melanoplus Differentialis (Thomas) from Those of Melanoplus Bivittatus (Say), (Orthoptera); also, Descriptions of Instars and a Key for Identification of Nymphal Stages of these Two Species

During the past few years South Dakota and neighboring states have been confronted with serious outbreaks of locusts. Whole crops of small grain and corn have been destroyed by the voracious insect hordes which at times left only bare ground where once had stood waving fields of grain. Chief among the aggressors have been the two species, Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas), the Differential Locust, and Melanoplus bivittatus (Say), the Two-Striped Locust. The contents of this paper include studies of these two species

The European Corn Borer Situation in South Dakota Spring 1952

The European corn borer, which has now assumed the role of perennial pest in South Dakota, has been conspicuous by its inactivity during the past few months. However, it is still the major pest of corn in our state. Since last fall the larvae (worms) have been spending their time in the deep freeze sleep of their kind of hibernation, hidden away in the snow-blanketed stalks of last years corn fields. This is nature\u27s way of taking care of them during the winter, and all too many of the larvae are now becoming active again

The European Corn Borer

The European corn borer was first recorded from South Dakota i n the summer of 1946. At that time Hr. H. C. Severin and the author found borers in corn in Union and Lincoln and Minnehaha counties. Less than half of one percent of the stalks in the fields were infested at that time. During the summer of 1948 the infestation had spread over most of the corn producing area of our state. By the fall of that year 36 counties were known to be infested . Several fields in the southeastern part of the state had 100 per cent of the stalks showing borer injury

A Comparison of the Arithmetic Background of Seventh Grade Pupils Who Have Received Their First Six Years of Schooling in Rural Schools with Those Who Received Their First Six Years of Schooling in the Pipestone City Schools

In the past five year, there has been a trend in Pipestone County, Minnesota, to close the one-room country schools and send these rural children to consolidated town schools. Up to about five years ago, there were many rural schools in the county educating these young children up through the sixth grade, then the children would start Junior High School in one of the four towns in the county with high school facilities: namely Ruthton, Jasper, Edgerton and Pipestone. The program went on this way for many years, but now the closing of these rural schools is about eight percent completed. The rural children, who would have been going to the one-room country school now if the change had not come about, are instead getting their elementary training tin the four town schools., In view of these developments, there has been considerable discussion about the merits of the rural schools and the town schools. Many of these discussions are based on the opinion of the person and not on any factual material. This study was made to determine if there was a statistical difference in mathematical achievement of the two groups: the town school pupils and the rural school pupils entering the seventh grade of the Pipestone Junior High Schools

Tillage Methods in Grasshopper Control

The eyes of the world are turned toward the American farmer as the individual to whom they must look for the production of a plentiful supply of food for our fighting forces, our Allies and for the hungry millions as they are liberated from Nazi rule and devastation. Grasshoppers have done much to defeat the Great Plains farmers in their effort to produce this food. In the central part of our State many fields of corn, badly needed for feed, were planted during the past year from which not one bushel of grain was harvested. Numerous fields of flax, very important as an oil crop, remained uncut. Many fields of small grain, also badly needed for feed and the manufacture of food products, had the yield per acre very seriously reduced. This damage was done by grasshoppers and under moisture conditions which otherwise could have permitted a good harvest