Agricultural education was the focus at the 19th annual Ag Outlook Conference in Sioux Falls.
It also offered presentations on soil health, soybean management, and predictions on conditions of the state’s upcoming winter.
The South Dakota Ag Outlook conference brought agricultural industry leaders, farmers, and ag vendors together. Educational speaking sessions from industry experts were offered throughout the day.
Cheryl Reese is a senior lecturer of soils and agronomy at South Dakota State University. She said weather is the most impactful element on crop yields.
“Planting early is very important in my opinion, but I can say from experience, on our farm, that we have also had later planted fields that have yielded well too. So there’s a huge weather component in there,” said Reese.
Weather patterns and the ability to predict them are an issue scientist have wrestled with for hundreds of years.
Eric Snodgrass is a Senior Science Fellow and Principal Atmospheric Scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions. He said utilizing weather data from around the globe can help predict what affects a high-impact weather event could have on the global ag market.
“Brazil’s soybean production could easily top 160 million metric ton. It’ll still be late, it’ll still effect safrinha crops, but if that verifies, Brazil will have a massive crop. If it fails, we will finally start to see some price reactions in the markets," said Snodgrass. "Because what reality is, is that November, was one of the driest on record in Brazil. Yet remember, they were still able to get an inch and half or an inch of rain a week. Limping the crop along, the real thing is the delay in the crop going forward.”
Snodgrass said the main concern for soybean crop is southern Brazil receiving too much rain. He said this mixed with issues at the Panama Canal will cause a delay in the shipment of crop globally.
For South Dakotan’s, Snodgrass offers a grim winter prediction.
“Long story short, you’re gonna like what I’ve got for you coming up to Christmas. But if you hate winter, you’re gonna hate everything after that,” said Snodgrass.
Snodgrass predicts a buildup of cold air leaving Russia will loop around the North Pole, through Canada and hit South Dakota this winter.
