Released: May 2, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending May 1, 2005 SD-CW1805 Volume 54 Issue 18

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    While last week's weather brought temperatures that were well below normal for the state, producers were still able to make significant advancements in small grain seeding as well as corn planting, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Several producers have reported that crop development may have been slowed due to the cold weather, with some damage being done to alfalfa, grass, and perhaps even small grains due to the below-freezing temperatures received overnight in several areas. Major farm activities included machinery repair and maintenance in preparation for planting row crops, spring tillage, seeding small grains, fertilizing, fixing fence, and tending to livestock. Statewide there were 5.6 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:   Temperatures last week ranged from 14 degrees in Custer to 71 degrees in Newell. Average temperatures were in the upper 30's and lower 40's for the state, approximately 13 degrees below normal for this time of the year. Precipitation was scattered, with only 19 of the 43 reporting weather stations receiving precipitation. Hot Springs received the most precipitation last week, with 0.32 inch reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    With minimal precipitation received across the state last week, topsoil and subsoil moisture levels varied slightly from the previous week. Topsoil moisture fell from 81 percent adequate to surplus the previous week, to 74 percent adequate to surplus last week. Subsoil moisture levels rose slightly from 62 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 64 percent adequate to surplus last week. Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged about 1 degree below normal, with the average soil temperature of reporting stations at 45.6 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Last week's cool temperatures did little to keep farmers out of the fields, with the progress of small grain seeding advancing to levels similar to last year. Barley seeding is rated at 83 percent complete and 32 percent emerged, close to last year's progress of 85 percent seeded and 34 percent emerged. Oats seeding and emergence are also similar to last year, with ratings at 87 percent and 46 percent, respectively. Spring wheat seeding is 95 percent complete, with emergence at 60 percent, well ahead of the five-year average emergence rate of 39 percent. Corn planting advanced significantly last week, with planting 24 percent complete, still behind last year's rating of 29 percent planted, but ahead of the five-year average of 21 percent. Planting of soybeans has begun with planting 1 percent complete for the state, slightly behind last year's rating of 2 percent. Sorghum planting has also started, with the crop 1 percent planted. Winter wheat development has advanced to 18 percent in the boot stage, well ahead of last year's 2 percent and the five-year average of 4 percent. Winter wheat is currently rated at 80 percent in good to excellent condition.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Cold weather last week did little to improve range and pasture conditions, with ratings falling to 33 percent in good to excellent condition. Below-freezing temperatures across the state may have damaged grass and delayed growth, which in turn has postponed the movement of cattle, with only 23 percent of cattle moved to pasture. Stock water supplies have remained fairly similar to the previous week, at 55 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions are similar to the previous week, with cattle 86 percent in good to excellent condition and sheep 82 percent in good to excellent condition. Calving and lambing are both in line with the five-year average, with calving 82 percent complete and lambing 84 percent complete. Calf and sheep and lamb deaths remain mostly at or below average rates.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF May 1, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     14     9     9     21     32   12
Short      11    23    19     24     27   16
Adeq.      66    65    68     52     41   64
Surplus     9     3     4      3      0    8




        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 1, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      5     4    17      9     12    38
Short      21    15    35     27     26    30
Adeq.      69    75    48     62     58    32
Surplus     5     6     0      2      4     0


          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF May 1, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       2     17      63     17
Cattle         0       1     13      68     18
Sheep          0       4     14      60     22
Range &                                        
  Pasture     14      20     33     29      4   



      CROP PROGRESS AS OF May 1, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              83     61     85      62
 emerged             32     16     34      25
Spring wheat 
 seeded              95     86     96      75
 emerged             60     38     63      39
Oats          
 seeded              87     75     90      68
 emerged             46     29     46      32
Corn        
 planted             24      7     29      21
 emerged              0      0      1       1
Sorghum       
 seeded               1      0      0       0
Soybeans      
 planted              1      0      2       2
Winter wheat
 boot                18      1      2       4

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




     SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING May 1, 2005
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      49              Gettysburg   44
Brookings      42              Nisland      49
Caputa         46              Pierre       48
Chamberlain    50              Redfield     44
Cottonwood     47              Watertown    39

                                                     

	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING May 1, 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       36 -14  65  21| 0.00   1.73   0.96  -2.53  -1.34|    87   +40
Buffalo     37 -13  69  19| 0.00   0.83   0.60  -1.81  -0.86|   105   +60
Dupree      37 -15  63  20| 0.00   3.04   1.92  -0.64  -0.07|    96   +37
Mc Intosh   37 -13  65  21| 0.00   2.02   1.24  -1.38  -0.69|    90   +42
Newell      38 -12  71  19| 0.05   2.85   1.94  -0.33  +0.26|    82   +34
Timber Lake 36 -15  65  20| 0.00   3.06   1.45  -1.07  -0.72|    88   +32
Aberdeen    39 -12  66  17| 0.01   1.61   0.38  -2.59  -1.64|   104   +41
Eureka      38 -12  65  20| 0.00   1.82   0.98  -1.75  -1.01|   103   +59
Faulkton    38 -13  65  20| 0.00   2.61   1.31  -1.67  -0.87|    78   +30
Mobridge    39 -12  66  20| 0.00   2.52   1.39  -1.55  -0.78|   109   +55
Roscoe      38 -13  66  20| 0.00   1.88   0.84  -2.40  -1.52|    62    +7
Britton     39 -13  55  23| 0.00   1.57   0.49  -2.05  -1.42|   136   +71
Clear Lake  39 -12  59  22| 0.14   4.71   2.51  -0.55  +0.16|    77   +25
Sisseton    41 -10  63  26| 0.08   2.64   1.21  -2.14  -1.14|   102   +34
Webster     37 -14  52  24| 0.01   1.89   1.00  -2.32  -0.92|    83   +27
Watertown   40 -12  60  23| 0.06   2.56   1.50  -2.23  -0.76|   100   +50
Faith       38 -14  65  22| 0.02   2.57   1.32  -1.26  -0.70|    85   +24
Milesville  38 -14  60  23| 0.00   3.98   2.35  +0.12  +0.41|    89   +14
Long Valley 38 -14  64  23| 0.02   6.65   4.82  +2.59  +2.63|   114   +48
Philip      41 -12  66  19| 0.01   3.78   2.75  +0.34  +0.95|   119   +47
Rapid City  39 -11  67  18| 0.02   3.76   1.45  -0.14  -0.51|   109   +65
Spearfish   35 -14  64  19| 0.11   4.43   2.54  -1.18  -0.28|   111   +66
Chamberlain 40 -14  63  25| 0.00   5.58   3.33  +1.68  +1.20|    91    +7
Highmore    38 -15  62  17| 0.00   2.49   1.47  -1.98  -0.93|   114   +51
Huron       41 -12  64  20| 0.00   1.47   0.67  -3.45  -1.50|   138   +71
Onida       39 -14  63  22| 0.00   2.70   1.90  -1.76  -0.23|   111   +44
Pierre      41 -12  64  25| 0.00   2.71   2.19  -1.49  +0.03|   115   +44
Brookings   40 -11  60  22| 0.21   3.68   2.03  -0.45  -0.12|    98   +56
Madison     40 -11  59  21| 0.00   3.84   2.02  -1.72  -0.43|   103   +50
Mitchell    40 -13  61  26| 0.00   5.19   3.07  +0.03  +0.54|    95   +16
Sioux Falls 44  -9  61  25| 0.03   6.15   3.28  +0.75  +0.67|   171  +102
Custer      32 -13  56  14| 0.09   3.43   2.12  -0.40  +0.17|    28   +10
Hot Springs 37 -15  63  19| 0.32   4.22   2.71  +1.02  +1.00|    88   +11
Oelrichs    37 -16  64  19| 0.20   4.11   3.00  +0.16  +0.97|    68    -2
Porcupine   39 -12  67  20| 0.03   4.17   2.30  +0.95  +0.56|    99   +48
Murdo       39 -12  64  24| 0.00   6.45   4.38  +1.93  +2.12|    85   +32
Winner      40 -15  61  27| 0.00   6.33   3.90  +0.67  +1.07|   132   +27
Armour      41 -14  61  21| 0.00   4.81   2.69  -0.50  +0.26|   148   +50
Centerville 42 -11  60  26| 0.02   5.29   2.73  +0.15  +0.37|   142   +66
Marion      41 -12  60  27| 0.00   5.86   3.57  +0.20  +0.90|   112   +50
Pickstown   41 -12  61  28| 0.00   5.67   3.28  +0.75  +0.85|   122   +43
Vermillion  43 -13  60  28| 0.04   7.71   5.03  +2.60  +2.55|   173   +50
Yankton     44 -10  61  29| 0.00   9.22   6.22  +4.52  +4.03|   126   +42


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