Released: May 31, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending May 29, 2005 SD-CW2205 Volume 54 Issue 22

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Another week of cool weather has slowed row crop development, with temperatures ranging from the low 30's to a high of 90 degrees, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation was scattered across the state with most reporting stations receiving less than an inch of moisture, but still improving stock water supply levels. 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 4.1 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 averaged approximately 3.5 degrees below normal across the state last week, with averages in the 50's and 60's. The reported high for the week was 90 degrees in Yankton, while the low was 30 degrees in Oelrichs. Milesville received the most precipitation, with 1.76 inches, while Murdo received the least, with a total of 0.24 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:   Small amounts of scattered precipitation last week were not enough to maintain topsoil moisture, with levels dropping from 93 percent adequate to surplus to 89 percent adequate to surplus. However, subsoil moisture levels improved slightly from 76 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 78 percent adequate to surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Despite below-normal temperatures last week, row crop conditions improved, with corn condition advancing from 73 percent good to excellent to 76 percent good to excellent. Corn emergence jumped from 32 percent emerged the previous week to 67 percent emerged last week. Despite an increase of 27 points from last week, only 63 percent of the soybeans have been planted, behind last year's 69 percent and the five-year average of 71 percent. Cool, wet weather has prevented many farmers from spraying and cultivating their crops. Winter wheat has advanced to 80 percent in the boot stage and 20 percent headed, behind last year's 36 percent, but equal to the five-year average of 20 percent. Harvesting of hay is just getting started, with 6 percent of the alfalfa cut, compared to 4 percent a year ago.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Pasture and range conditions improved from 50 percent good to excellent to 56 percent good to excellent, due to the cool, damp conditions. Stock water supplies are at 66 percent adequate to surplus, above last year's 43 percent, but below the five-year average of 71 percent. Farmers and ranchers are almost finished calving and lambing, with both reported as being 99 percent complete. Livestock remain in predominately good to excellent condition, with 80 percent of cattle moved to pasture, ahead of last year's 79 percent.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF May 29, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      7    11     7     13     29   11
Short      10    27    18     21     28   18
Adeq.      77    60    70     61     41   64
Surplus     6     2     5      5      2    7 

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 29, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2     2     5      4      4    24
Short       9     5    16     18     20    30
Adeq.      78    88    70     69     72    42
Surplus    11     5     9      9      4     4     

          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF May 29, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       4     27      46     22
Spring Wheat   0       1     25      62     12
Oats           0       2     23      63     12
Barley         0       2     25      67      6
Soybeans       0       2     26      59     13
Corn           0       4     20      65     11
Cattle         0       0     10      66     24
Sheep          0       1     13      63     23
Range &                                        
  Pasture      5       9     30      46     10  


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF May 29, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 boot                 6      0      3       3
Spring wheat 
 boot                12      1      4      11
Oats          
 emerged             98     94     99      95
 boot                 9      3     10       7
Corn        
 planted             96     91     97      94
 emerged             67     32     80      66
 ave.height (in.)     3     NA     NA      NA
 1st cult.           16     NA     NA      NA
Sorghum       
 seeded              28     18     39      38
 emerged              5      0     13       4
Soybeans      
 planted             63     36     69      71
 emerged             14      3     23      26
Sunflower     
 seeded              15     10     17      24
Winter wheat
 boot                80     64     85      66
 headed              20      1     36      20
Alfalfa     
 1st cutting          6      1      4      NA
Other hay   
 cut                  1      0      1       1
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 
          
                                                    

	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING May 29, 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  -5  73  36| 0.57   6.14   5.37  -0.64  +0.55|   255   +30
Buffalo     55  -3  78  35| 0.35   1.96   1.73  -2.97  -2.02|   296   +92
Dupree      56  -5  78  37| 0.59   6.26   5.14  -0.11  +0.46|   293   +24
McIntosh    56  -4  78  38| 0.53   4.76   3.98  -0.98  -0.29|   285   +43
Newell      57  -3  77  35| 0.25   5.94   5.03  +0.33  +0.92|   267   +51
Timber Lake 56  -5  78  37| 0.39   6.57   4.96  -0.16  +0.19|   273   +10
Aberdeen    58  -4  82  41| 0.85   4.22   2.99  -2.14  -1.19|   333   +51
Eureka      57  -3  80  42| 0.76   5.62   4.78  -0.08  +0.66|   318   +83
Faulkton    57  -4  85  39| 0.41   4.76   3.46  -1.94  -1.14|   293   +41
Mobridge    58  -4  82  41| 0.94   7.86   6.73  +1.47  +2.24|   316   +48
Roscoe      57  -4  82  41| 0.64   4.09   3.05  -2.54  -1.66|   245   -16
Britton     58  -5  78  44| 1.00   4.35   3.27  -1.67  -1.04|   379   +82
Clear Lake  57  -4  74  43| 0.80   9.39   7.19  +1.45  +2.16|   282    +4
Sisseton    58  -4  78  46| 0.99   5.86   4.43  -1.54  -0.54|   336   +24
Webster     56  -6  77  43| 1.15   5.93   5.04  -0.82  +0.58|   281    +6
Watertown   57  -4  76  41| 1.19   6.47   5.41  -1.05  +0.42|   321   +55
Faith       56  -5  75  37| 0.53   5.39   4.14  -1.12  -0.56|   271    +7
Milesville  57  -5  78  38| 1.76   9.02   7.39  +2.12  +2.41|   300    -3
Long Valley 58  -3  80  37| 0.43   9.51   7.68  +2.94  +2.98|   344   +56
Philip      59  -4  79  39| 0.41   7.79   6.76  +1.83  +2.44|   358   +51
Rapid City  57  -2  78  38| 1.04   8.08   5.77  +1.77  +1.40|   312  +101
Spearfish   55  -3  76  43| 0.68   7.85   5.96  -1.15  -0.25|   306  +110
Chamberlain 61  -3  83  39| 0.27   9.02   6.77  +2.50  +2.02|   328   -28
Highmore    59  -3  82  40| 0.50   5.47   4.45  -1.49  -0.44|   353   +56
Huron       60  -2  84  37| 0.49   4.04   3.24  -3.45  -1.50|   410  +115
Onida       58  -4  81  40| 0.56   6.19   5.39  -0.63  +0.90|   338   +26
Pierre      59  -4  84  40| 0.43   5.43   4.91  -1.34  +0.18|   350   +38
Brookings   59  -1  78  43| 0.76   7.49   5.84  +0.76  +1.09|   322   +91
Madison     60  -2  81  42| 0.48   7.04   5.22  -1.18  +0.11|   338   +65
Mitchell    60  -4  82  42| 0.74   9.07   6.95  +1.10  +1.61|   329   -27
Sioux Falls 60  -2  80  42| 0.59  10.40   7.53  +2.28  +2.20|   430  +117
Custer      51  -3  75  33| 0.37   5.81   4.50  -0.80  -0.23|   119   +28
Hot Springs 56  -5  78  33| 0.28   6.87   5.36  +1.12  +1.10|   290   +11
Oelrichs    57  -4  78  30| 0.30   6.45   5.34  -0.20  +0.61|   259   -22
Porcupine   57  -4  77  36| 0.34   8.96   7.09  +3.19  +2.80|   310   +57
Murdo       58  -4  78  38| 0.24   9.41   7.34  +2.38  +2.57|   313   +37
Winner      61  -4  85  41| 0.59  10.06   7.63  +1.04  +1.44|   418   +14
Armour      60  -4  85  40| 0.86   8.41   6.29  +0.25  +1.01|   433   +42
Centerville 62  -1  83  42| 1.09   9.36   6.80  +1.13  +1.35|   415   +70
Marion      60  -3  82  43| 0.74  10.03   7.74  +1.60  +2.30|   356   +40
Pickstown   61  -3  85  42| 0.92   9.05   6.66  +1.48  +1.58|   394   +45
Vermillion  63  -2  87  41| 0.45  11.68   9.00  +3.31  +3.26|   523   +71
Yankton     63  +0  90  47| 0.83  13.16  10.16  +5.23  +4.74|   427   +65

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