Released: April 11, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending April 10, 2005 SD-CW1505 Volume 54 Issue 15

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    South Dakota had another week with above normal temperatures and scattered showers for the majority of the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included machinery repair and maintenance, spring tillage, planting, hauling grain, fertilizing, fixing fence, hauling manure, and tending to livestock. Statewide there were 6.0 days reported suitable for fieldwork. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   The past week was warmer than normal for the state with an average of 14 degrees above normal. Sioux Falls averaged 18 degrees above normal. The average temperature for the state was 56 degrees and average precipitation for the state was 0.21 inch. Pickstown had the high for the week, at 84 degrees; while Aberdeen and Huron had the low, at 25 degrees. Of the 43 reporting weather stations, 27 stations received precipitation last week, with Yankton receiving the most, at 1.17 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions decreased from the previous week. Topsoil moisture is currently rated at 57 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 61 percent. Subsoil moisture is currently rated at 52 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 56 percent. Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 47.7 degrees for the week, 9.2 degrees above normal. Beresford averaged 57.9 degrees, 18.4 degrees above normal; while Brookings, at 38.9 degrees, was 2.2 degrees above normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    With a week of nice weather, growers made headway on seeding small grains. Barley seeded is at 14 percent completed, 1 point ahead of the five year average. Oats planted increased 23 points to 33 percent completed, with 1 percent emerged. Spring wheat seeded jumped 28 points to 39 percent completed. This is 15 points ahead of the five year average, but similar to the 40 percent seeded last year. Spring wheat emerged is at 2 percent, which tied with the average. The majority of winter wheat remains in fair to excellent condition, with 73 percent in the good to excellent category. Winter wheat breaking dormancy was at 95 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Another week of mild weather was welcomed by farmers and ranchers, with calving now rated at 57 percent and lambing at 65 percent complete. Calf death losses are rated at 99 percent average or below average, the same as last week. Cattle condition improved slightly from last week, with 88 percent rated in good to excellent condition. Sheep condition decreased with 85 percent in the good to excellent category, compared to 90 percent the week before. Range and pasture conditions dropped slightly from the previous week, decreasing from 63 to 62 percent in fair to excellent condition. Stock water supplies are rated at 53 percent adequate to surplus, unchanged from a week ago.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF APRIL 10, 2005 

       FEED SUPPLIES      STOCK WATER
        This  Last 5-Yr.   This  Last  5-Yr.
RATING   Week  Year  Ave.   Week  Year   Ave.

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      6     8    NA     19     24   NA
Short      18    19    NA     28     28   NA
Adeq.      69    69    NA     52     48   NA
Surplus     7     4    NA      1      0   NA




        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF APRIL 10, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     11     8    14     16     13    33
Short      32    31    30     32     31    31
Adeq.      54    59    55     51     55    35
Surplus     3     2     1      1      1     1

          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF APRIL 10, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       3     23      58     15
Cattle         0       1     11      69     19
Sheep          0       3     12      63     22
Range &                                        
  Pasture     15      23     33     26      3 



      CROP PROGRESS AS OF APRIL 10, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              14      4     23      13
 emerged              0      0      2       1
Spring wheat 
 seeded              39     11     40      24
 emerged              2      1      4       2
Oats        
 seeded              33     10     35      19
 emerged              1      0      4       2

1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 
          




     SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING APRIL 10, 2005
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      58              Gettysburg   43
Brookings      39              Nisland      53
Caputa         48              Pierre       50
Chamberlain    51              Redfield     42
Cottonwood     54              Watertown    37

                                                     

	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  MONTH ENDING APRIL 10, 2005
                                     

             TEMPERATURE       -----  PRECIPITATION -----     GDD BASE 50F
             -----------          SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  ------------
            CURRENT WEEK    CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1 SINCE APRIL 1
STATION     AVG DFN HI  LO  WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN  TOTAL   DFN
-------     --  --  --  -- -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  ----
Bison       55 +15  80  34| 0.15   0.92   0.15  -1.69  -0.50|    43   +35
Buffalo     56 +15  83  37| 0.11   0.34   0.11  -1.19  -0.24|    54   +44
Dupree      56 +15  78  35| 0.00   1.12   0.00  -1.10  -0.53|    52   +42
Mc Intosh   54 +15  78  34| 0.00   0.78   0.00  -1.22  -0.53|    40   +33
Newell      53 +13  80  32| 0.39   1.30   0.39  -0.63  -0.04|    42   +32
Timber Lake 54 +14  77  31| 0.00   1.61   0.00  -0.94  -0.59|    42   +32
Aberdeen    56 +16  82  25| 0.00   1.23   0.00  -1.55  -0.60|    50   +40
Eureka      56 +17  78  31| 0.00   0.84   0.00  -1.30  -0.56|    46   +41
Faulkton    55 +15  81  29| 0.08   1.38   0.08  -1.35  -0.55|    37   +31
Mobridge    57 +17  78  35| 0.00   1.13   0.00  -1.39  -0.62|    57   +47
Roscoe      53 +13  80  32| 0.00   1.04   0.00  -1.56  -0.68|    29   +19
Britton     58 +17  79  29| 0.07   1.15   0.07  -1.07  -0.44|    56   +46
Clear Lake  54 +14  77  32| 0.28   2.48   0.28  -1.13  -0.42|    33   +27
Sisseton    55 +15  80  28| 0.00   1.43   0.00  -1.66  -0.66|    43   +33
Webster     54 +15  77  36| 0.23   1.12   0.23  -1.69  -0.29|    33   +24
Watertown   56 +15  76  26| 0.34   1.40   0.34  -1.78  -0.31|    46   +40
Faith       55 +13  79  34| 0.00   1.25   0.00  -1.09  -0.53|    45   +35
Milesville  56 +13  81  35| 0.00   1.63   0.00  -0.79  -0.50|    48   +36
Long Valley 57 +14  79  36| 0.20   2.03   0.20  -0.46  -0.42|    62   +52
Philip      58 +14  83  31| 0.00   1.03   0.00  -1.09  -0.48|    57   +47
Rapid City  56 +15  79  36| 0.04   2.35   0.04  -0.13  -0.50|    49   +41
Spearfish   56 +15  82  36| 0.95   2.84   0.95  -0.72  +0.18|    62   +52
Chamberlain 56 +12  79  35| 0.25   2.50   0.25  +0.14  -0.34|    44   +31
Highmore    57 +15  77  35| 0.00   1.02   0.00  -1.73  -0.68|    53   +43
Huron       58 +16  79  25| 0.00   0.80   0.00  -2.59  -0.64|    60   +50
Onida       57 +14  77  31| 0.15   0.95   0.15  -1.99  -0.46|    53   +43
Pierre      58 +15  79  32| 0.00   0.52   0.00  -2.11  -0.59|    58   +48
Brookings   55 +16  76  29| 0.21   1.86   0.21  -0.74  -0.41|    40   +36
Madison     56 +16  76  29| 0.67   2.49   0.67  -1.38  -0.09|    44   +37
Mitchell    55 +12  79  31| 0.40   2.52   0.40  -0.85  -0.34|    39   +29
Sioux Falls 60 +18  80  33| 0.33   3.20   0.33  -0.36  -0.44|    75   +65
Custer      47 +10  74  30| 0.33   1.64   0.33  -0.72  -0.15|    10   +10
Hot Springs 53  +9  76  29| 0.25   1.76   0.25  -0.15  -0.17|    35   +20
Oelrichs    54 +10  78  30| 0.17   1.40   0.29  -1.05  -0.24|    39   +28
Porcupine   55 +13  82  26| 0.00   1.87   0.00  -0.06  -0.45|    50   +42
Murdo       56 +15  78  35| 0.00   2.07   0.00  -0.86  -0.67|    47   +40
Winner      59 +13  79  35| 0.37   2.80   0.37  -0.81  -0.41|    65   +46
Armour      58 +13  82  30| 0.55   2.67   0.55  -0.91  -0.15|    58   +40
Centerville 59 +15  82  32| 0.22   2.78   0.22  -0.66  -0.44|    60   +50
Marion      56 +14  79  33| 0.50   2.79   0.50  -1.00  -0.30|    45   +35
Pickstown   57 +13  84  32| 0.37   2.76   0.37  -0.48  -0.38|    53   +42
Vermillion  60 +14  80  33| 0.21   2.89   0.21  -0.44  -0.49|    73   +50
Yankton     57 +14  82  36| 1.17   4.17   1.17  +1.06  +0.57|    53   +41


Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.