Released: May 9, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending May 8, 2005 SD-CW1905 Volume 54 Issue 19

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Despite the cool weather and scattered precipitation received last week, advancement was still made in the planting of row crops, with the seeding of small grains nearing completion, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Several producers have commented that the cold temperatures, with freezing temperatures received overnight, have been damaging to winter wheat, grass, and hay. Many farmers and ranchers hope that warmer temperatures and more precipitation will help crops recover. Major farm activities included machinery repair and maintenance, planting of row crops and seeding of small grains, spring tillage, fertilizing and applying herbicides, fixing fence, and tending to livestock. Statewide there were 5.9 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 averaged 2.4 degrees below normal, ranging from 12 degrees in Custer to 85 degrees in Vermillion and Yankton. Precipitation was received in most areas throughout the state, with only one station, Buffalo, reporting no moisture received. Webster received the most precipitation last week, with 1.90 inches reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    The scattered precipitation that was received throughout the state last week didn't help to improve soil moisture levels. Topsoil moisture fell slightly to 68 percent adequate to surplus, with subsoil moisture levels remaining at 64 percent adequate to surplus. Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 2 degrees above normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Cool weather last week caused the condition of winter wheat to deteriorate, with 70 percent of the crop now rated in good to excellent condition. The crop is 28 percent in the boot stage, well ahead of last year's 15 percent and the five-year average of 12 percent. Small grain seeding is nearing completion with barley, oats, and spring wheat 92 percent, 96 percent, and 98 percent seeded, respectively. The barley crop is 56 percent emerged, with the oat crop 67 percent emerged. Both are slightly behind last year's development, yet ahead of the five-year average rates of development. Spring wheat is 82 percent emerged, ahead of both last year's emergence and the five-year average. Spring wheat and oats are rated in mostly fair to good condition. Corn planting was a primary focus last week, advancing to 59 percent planted, with 2 percent of the crop emerged. Both corn planting and emergence are behind last year's progress. Soybean planting has advanced to 9 percent complete, behind last year's 13 percent, but in line with the five-year average. Both sorghum and sunflower planting are in line with the five-year average rates, with sorghum 4 percent planted and sunflower 1 percent planted.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Range and pasture conditions declined again last week, with cool temperatures doing little to promote grass growth. Range and pastures are rated at only 30 percent in good to excellent condition. Stock water supplies, as well as quality, remain a concern for producers, with stock water supplies 52 percent adequate to surplus. With grass conditions and stock water supplies being an issue for producers, cattle are slow to return to pasture, with 35 percent currently moved to pasture. Livestock conditions dropped slightly last week, with cattle rated at 82 percent good to excellent and sheep rated at 80 percent good to excellent. Calving advanced to 89 percent complete last week, with lambing 88 percent complete.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF May 8, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     14    11     8     23     34   12
Short      14    26    19     24     31   18
Adeq.      65    61    68     52     35   61
Surplus     7     2     5      1      0    9




        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 8, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      8     5    27     12      9    43
Short      24    21    42     24     27    31
Adeq.      66    69    31     62     62    26
Surplus     2     5     0      2      2     0


          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF May 8, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       7     22      53     17
Spring Wheat   0       4     45      45      6
Oats           0       5     42      49      4
Cattle         0       1     17      65     17
Sheep          1       4     15      59     21
Range &                                        
  Pasture     14      22     34     27      3     



      CROP PROGRESS AS OF May 8, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              92     83     96      78
 emerged             56     32     57      47
Spring wheat 
 seeded              98     95    100      87
 emerged             82     60     81      61
Oats          
 seeded              96     87     96      82
 emerged             67     46     68      53
Corn        
 planted             59     24     66      46
 emerged              2      0      7       5
Sorghum       
 seeded               4      1      6       4
Soybeans      
 planted              9      1     13       9
Sunflower     
 seeded               1      0      2       1
Winter wheat
 boot                28     18     15      12

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




     SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING May 8, 2005
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      59              Gettysburg   49
Brookings      46              Nisland      53
Caputa         49              Pierre       53
Chamberlain    55              Redfield     49
Cottonwood     53              Watertown    44

                                                     

	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING May 8, 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       51  -1  75  18| 0.46   2.19   1.42  -2.66  -1.47|   127   +53
Buffalo     51  -1  76  20| 0.00   0.83   0.60  -2.30  -1.35|   151   +82
Dupree      52  -2  76  19| 0.09   3.13   2.01  -1.15  -0.58|   138   +45
Mc Intosh   52  +0  77  18| 0.08   2.10   1.32  -1.83  -1.14|   135   +56
Newell      49  -4  77  17| 0.48   3.29   2.38  -0.42  +0.17|   118   +44
Timber Lake 52  -2  76  19| 0.10   3.16   1.55  -1.56  -1.21|   131   +42
Aberdeen    50  -4  82  13| 0.06   1.67   0.44  -3.02  -2.07|   151   +52
Eureka      52  +1  78  16| 0.88   2.70   1.86  -1.36  -0.62|   148   +74
Faulkton    51  -2  83  16| 0.06   2.67   1.37  -2.17  -1.37|   125   +45
Mobridge    52  -2  79  15| 0.74   3.26   2.13  -1.37  -0.60|   160   +72
Roscoe      49  -4  79  18| 0.26   2.14   1.10  -2.70  -1.82|   103   +16
Britton     54  +1  78  19| 0.36   1.93   0.85  -2.21  -1.58|   191   +88
Clear Lake  51  -4  77  21| 0.68   5.39   3.19  -0.49  +0.22|   122   +34
Sisseton    52  -2  80  19| 0.09   2.73   1.30  -2.68  -1.68|   155   +46
Webster     54  +2  77  24| 1.90   3.79   2.90  -0.98  +0.42|   135   +43
Watertown   51  -3  79  20| 0.53   3.09   2.03  -2.33  -0.86|   149   +65
Faith       50  -4  75  22| 0.06   2.63   1.38  -1.82  -1.26|   125   +32
Milesville  52  -3  76  19| 0.12   4.10   2.47  -0.43  -0.14|   132   +19
Long Valley 52  -3  76  20| 0.41   7.06   5.23  +2.44  +2.48|   158   +56
Philip      51  -4  79  18| 0.50   4.28   3.25  +0.28  +0.89|   168   +57
Rapid City  51  -2  77  20| 1.14   4.90   2.59  +0.44  +0.07|   151   +81
Spearfish   53  +3  77  25| 0.88   5.31   3.42  -1.07  -0.17|   154   +86
Chamberlain 52  -5  80  24| 0.53   6.11   3.86  +1.60  +1.12|   138    +8
Highmore    54  -1  82  21| 0.35   2.84   1.82  -2.21  -1.16|   164   +63
Huron       53  -1  84  17| 0.09   1.56   0.76  -3.93  -1.98|   200   +96
Onida       53  -2  79  20| 0.53   3.23   2.43  -1.79  -0.26|   158   +51
Pierre      52  -3  82  25| 0.07   2.78   2.26  -1.98  -0.46|   163   +53
Brookings   50  -3  79  17| 1.00   4.68   3.03  -0.01  +0.32|   144   +73
Madison     51  -3  82  18| 0.44   4.28   2.46  -1.90  -0.61|   152   +63
Mitchell    51  -5  81  22| 0.44   5.63   3.51  -0.16  +0.35|   141   +15
Sioux Falls 53  -2  81  20| 0.44   6.59   3.72  +0.56  +0.48|   230  +122
Custer      43  -4  70  12| 0.17   3.60   2.29  -0.86  -0.29|    40   +14
Hot Springs 51  -3  78  17| 0.37   4.59   3.08  +0.82  +0.80|   127   +17
Oelrichs    48  -7  78  14| 0.44   4.53   3.42  -0.05  +0.76|    95   -10
Porcupine   49  -4  83  15| 1.33   5.50   3.63  +1.72  +1.33|   141   +59
Murdo       52  -3  79  26| 0.07   6.52   4.45  +1.44  +1.63|   132   +43
Winner      56  -2  79  27| 0.22   6.55   4.12  +0.09  +0.49|   191   +34
Armour      56  -1  80  27| 0.24   5.05   2.93  -0.89  -0.13|   209   +60
Centerville 53  -4  82  24| 0.53   5.82   3.26  +0.00  +0.22|   193   +72
Marion      52  -4  81  23| 0.53   6.39   4.10  +0.10  +0.80|   159   +55
Pickstown   53  -3  80  26| 0.53   6.20   3.81  +0.71  +0.81|   177   +53
Vermillion  58  +0  85  25| 0.51   8.22   5.54  +2.39  +2.34|   249   +67
Yankton     53  -3  85  26| 0.12   9.34   6.34  +3.95  +3.46|   178   +47

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