Released: May 16, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending May 15, 2005 SD-CW2005 Volume 54 Issue 20

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Cold, wet weather kept farmers and ranchers out of the fields for the majority of the week; however, advancement was still made in the planting of row crops, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation was beneficial to the development of small grains, with emergence ahead of the five-year averages for barley, oats, and spring wheat. Major farm activities included machinery repair and maintenance, planting of row crops, spring tillage, fertilizing and applying herbicides, fixing fence, and tending to livestock. Statewide there were 2.3 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:   Last week's cooler temperatures were well below normal, with average temperatures approximately 40 to 50 degrees. Heavy amounts of precipitation were reported across the state, with most areas receiving over an inch of rain. Porcupine received 3.1 inches of precipitation, the highest amount reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    Heavy rainfall across the state last week greatly improved soil moisture levels. Topsoil moisture jumped to 89 percent adequate to surplus, while subsoil moisture levels jumped as well, to 76 percent adequate to surplus. Stations reported soil temperatures below normal, at an average of 49.7 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Another week of cool weather caused winter wheat condition to fall from 70 percent good to excellent the previous week, to 65 percent rated good to excellent last week. The crop is rated at 43 percent in the boot stage, ahead of last year's 38 percent and the five-year average of 25 percent. Small grain seeding nears completion and emergence has advanced ahead of the five-year average. Barley seeding is 96 percent complete, with emergence at 73 percent; behind last year's emergence rate of 86 percent, but ahead of the five-year average of 69 percent. Oats are 86 percent emerged, ahead of the five-year average of 73 percent. Spring wheat emergence is rated at 96 percent, ahead of last year's 94 percent and the five-year average of 78 percent. Wet weather did little to prevent corn planting, with 73 percent of the crop planted and 7 percent emerged. Corn planting and emergence are both behind last year's progress. Soybean planting advanced to 12 percent complete, behind last year's 33 percent and the five-year average of 22 percent. Soybean emergence, at 1 percent, is behind both last year and the five-year average of 3 percent. Sorghum planting advanced to 10 percent complete last week, with sunflower planting 5 percent complete.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Precipitation received across the state significantly improved range and pasture conditions, with 39 percent rated good to excellent. Stock water supplies also showed significant improvement, increasing from 53 percent adequate to surplus the previous week, to 62 percent adequate to surplus last week. Recent rains have benefitted pasture growth. Forty-seven percent of cattle are moved to pasture, however this is slightly behind last year's progress of 49 percent moved to pasture. Cattle and sheep remain in mostly good to excellent condition. Calving and lambing are approaching completion, with calving 93 percent complete and lambing 92 percent complete.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF May 15, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     13    10     6     16     33   11
Short      14    23    19     22     30   17
Adeq.      65    65    70     59     36   63
Surplus     8     2     5      3      1    9





        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 15, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2     8    16      6     12    35
Short       9    24    29     18     24    33
Adeq.      77    66    52     72     62    31
Surplus    12     2     3      4      2     1


          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF May 15, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       6     28      49     16
Spring Wheat   0       4     35      50     11
Oats           0       4     33      53     10
Barley         0       2     31      62      5
Cattle         0       1     14      64     21
Sheep          0       4     15      58     23
Range &                                        
  Pasture      9      19     33     34      5     



      CROP PROGRESS AS OF May 15, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              96     92    100      90
 emerged             73     56     86      69
Spring wheat 
 emerged             96     82     94      78
Oats          
 emerged             86     67     88      73
Corn        
 planted             73     59     86      67
 emerged              7      2     33      19
Sorghum       
 seeded              10      4     15       9
 emerged              0      0      0       1
Soybeans      
 planted             12      9     33      22
 emerged              1      0      3       3
Sunflower     
 seeded               5      1      4       4
Winter wheat
 boot                43     28     38      25
 headed               0      0      3       1

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


     SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING May 15, 2005
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      52              Gettysburg   49
Brookings      48              Nisland      50
Caputa         49              Pierre       53
Chamberlain    53              Redfield     49
Cottonwood     51              Watertown    45

                                                     

	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING May 15, 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       44 -11  69  28| 1.15   4.53   3.76  -0.95  +0.24|   123   +11
Buffalo     43 -11  59  29| 0.68   1.51   1.28  -2.18  -1.23|   157   +55
Dupree      47  -9  71  30| 2.01   5.14   4.02  +0.21  +0.78|   144    +6
Mc Intosh   47  -8  67  31| 1.47   3.57   2.79  -0.92  -0.23|   143   +23
Newell      44 -10  62  31| 2.14   5.68   4.77  +1.39  +1.98|   126   +17
Timber Lake 47  -9  65  30| 2.19   5.35   3.74  +0.00  +0.35|   137    +3
Aberdeen    48  -9  76  27| 1.52   3.19   1.96  -2.00  -1.05|   171   +24
Eureka      48  -8  63  28| 1.52   4.22   3.38  -0.33  +0.41|   160   +45
Faulkton    48  -8  75  28| 1.62   4.29   2.99  -1.11  -0.31|   144   +20
Mobridge    47  -9  65  28| 2.57   5.83   4.70  +0.64  +1.41|   171   +37
Roscoe      45 -11  71  28| 1.16   3.30   2.26  -2.10  -1.22|   113   -19
Britton     48  -9  78  32| 1.69   3.38   2.30  -1.32  -0.69|   213   +58
Clear Lake  46 -11  73  30| 2.13   7.52   5.32  +1.01  +1.72|   142    +4
Sisseton    49  -9  80  35| 1.94   4.67   3.24  -1.37  -0.37|   180   +17
Webster     44 -12  62  32| 0.79   4.58   3.69  -0.81  +0.59|   141    +1
Watertown   48  -9  75  33| 1.56   4.65   3.59  -1.42  +0.05|   172   +42
Faith       45 -11  65  31| 1.77   4.40   3.15  -0.71  -0.15|   134    -3
Milesville  49  -8  74  30| 2.65   6.75   5.12  +1.47  +1.76|   145   -18
Long Valley 50  -7  73  30| 1.93   8.99   7.16  +3.76  +3.80|   172   +22
Philip      49  -9  67  31| 3.00   7.28   6.25  +2.66  +3.27|   185   +23
Rapid City  44 -10  64  29| 2.10   7.00   4.69  +1.98  +1.61|   158   +53
Spearfish   46  -7  72  28| 1.73   7.04   5.15  -0.15  +0.75|   164   +65
Chamberlain 49 -10  68  31| 2.36   8.41   6.16  +3.27  +2.79|   157   -33
Highmore    49  -9  65  28| 1.72   4.56   3.54  -1.12  -0.07|   177   +24
Huron       50  -6  80  28| 1.74   3.30   2.50  -2.82  -0.87|   225   +72
Onida       49  -9  68  29| 1.96   5.19   4.39  -0.39  +1.14|   169    +9
Pierre      48  -9  68  29| 1.98   4.76   4.24  -0.63  +0.89|   178   +15
Brookings   49  -7  75  30| 1.43   6.11   4.46  +0.83  +1.16|   167   +57
Madison     50  -7  78  31| 1.35   5.63   3.81  -1.18  +0.11|   177   +40
Mitchell    50  -9  76  31| 1.96   7.59   5.47  +1.12  +1.63|   165   -22
Sioux Falls 52  -6  78  30| 1.59   8.18   5.31  +1.49  +1.41|   260   +99
Custer      40  -9  59  26| 1.72   5.32   4.01  +0.17  +0.74|    40    +0
Hot Springs 49  -8  75  29| 1.99   6.58   5.07  +2.18  +2.16|   142   -12
Oelrichs    45 -11  69  30| 1.82   6.07   4.96  +0.82  +1.63|   114   -37
Porcupine   47  -9  66  32| 3.12   8.62   6.75  +4.21  +3.82|   150   +25
Murdo       47 -10  66  33| 2.16   8.68   6.61  +2.97  +3.16|   143    +6
Winner      50  -9  71  33| 2.57   9.12   6.69  +1.82  +2.22|   208   -16
Armour      52  -7  66  30| 1.36   6.41   4.29  -0.22  +0.54|   235   +21
Centerville 54  -5  80  34| 1.86   7.68   5.12  +1.13  +1.35|   230   +50
Marion      52  -7  78  32| 1.96   8.35   6.06  +1.39  +2.09|   189   +29
Pickstown   53  -6  78  31| 1.53   7.73   5.34  +1.61  +1.71|   206   +23
Vermillion  56  -5  82  33| 2.24  10.46   7.78  +3.84  +3.79|   295   +38
Yankton     55  -4  85  34| 1.79  11.13   8.13  +4.96  +4.47|   221   +29


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