Released: July 11, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending July 10, 2005 SD-CW2805 Volume 54 Issue 28

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Hot, dry weather last week aided row crop development significantly, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. However, moisture is needed soon for further development. Nearly all small grain progress is ahead of last year, and winter wheat harvest is just beginning. Major farm activities included machinery repair, preparing for small grain harvest, harvesting winter wheat, irrigating crops, hay harvesting, fertilizing and applying herbicides, fixing fence, and tending to livestock. Statewide there were 6.1 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:   A few isolated thunderstorms last week brought relief to some producers from the hot, dry weather, but more moisture is needed statewide to keep crops going. Temperatures averaged 2.3 degrees above normal last week and exceeded the 100 degree mark in several areas. Buffalo reported the high of 108 degrees, and Custer had the low of 44 degrees.

SOIL CONDITION:   Hot, dry weather caused last week's good topsoil moisture levels to decline from the previous week's 92 percent adequate to surplus to 76 percent adequate to surplus. Several areas across the state are now reporting short moisture levels. Subsoil moisture levels also declined by 3 points to 86 percent adequate to surplus, but are still ahead of last year's 62 percent adequate to surplus rating.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Hot, dry conditions last week caused row crop growth to jump into high gear. Average corn height is 42 inches, ahead of last year's 37 inches and the five-year average of 40 inches. Seventeen percent of soybeans are blooming, still lagging behind last year and the five-year average of 25 percent, and are rated at 81 percent good to excellent. Moisture will be needed in the next week for crop development to continue, as some small grains are showing early signs of drought stress in some areas. Barley, oats, and spring wheat are turning color and are at 35 percent, 31 percent, and 42 percent turned, respectively. Winter wheat is 31 percent ripe, and some producers are just beginning the harvest, with 6 percent harvested.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Despite the lack of moisture last week, range and pasture conditions only fell 3 points to 77 percent good to excellent. Cattle and sheep are still in predominately good to excellent condition. The first cutting of alfalfa is nearly finished at 94 percent complete, while the second cutting is at 19 percent harvested. Drying conditions have not been ideal, and hay harvesting has been slowed due to the high humidity. Native grass and other hay harvested is now at 57 percent.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF July 10, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2    13    10      6     18   15
Short       3    18    17     15     25   18
Adeq.      83    66    68     72     54   62
Surplus    12     3     5      7      3    5

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF July 10, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3     1     5      4      4    15
Short      21     7    18     10      7    23
Adeq.      66    72    73     77     71    59
Surplus    10    20     4      9     18     3


                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF July 10, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       5     31      45     18
Spring Wheat   0       9     16      54     21
Oats           0       1     16      66     17
Barley         1       3     15      61     20
Soybeans       1       2     16      57     24
Corn           0       2     12      58     28
Sorghum        0       1     18      67     14
Alfalfa        0       4     24      57     15
Cattle         0       1      7      69     23
Sheep          1       1      6      62     30
Range &                                        
  Pasture      1       2     20      61     16
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF July 10, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 headed              96     90     90      90
 turning color       35     14     20      31
Spring wheat 
 headed              98     93     99      95
 turning color       42     10     26      36
Oats          
 headed              95     87     93      93
 turning color       31      9     24      37
Corn        
 ave.height (in.)    42     29     37      40
 2nd cult./sprayed   69     44     78      67
 tasseling            2      0     NA      NA
 silked               0      0      0       1
Sorghum       
 emerged             94     85     99      70
 headed               0      0      3       5
Soybeans      
 blooming            17      3     25      25
 setting pods         0      0      0       3
Winter wheat
 turning color       96     77     90      86
 ripe                31      1     11      32
 harvested            6      0      2       6
Alfalfa     
 1st cutting         94     84     84      93
 2nd cutting         19      7     20      25
Other hay   
 cut                 57     43     47      56
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.


	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING July 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       76  +6 102  51| 0.00  10.55   9.78  -0.24  +0.95|  1012   +99
Buffalo     76  +7 108  51| 0.01   4.81   4.58  -3.85  -2.90|  1029  +170
Dupree      77  +5 102  51| 0.11  11.26  10.14  +0.69  +1.26|  1081   +60
McIntosh    76  +5  99  53| 0.15   9.48   8.70  -0.47  +0.22|  1082  +128
Newell      74  +3 104  49| 0.00  11.88  10.97  +2.43  +3.02|   968   +69
Timber Lake 75  +4  98  50| 0.00  10.55   8.94  -0.35  +0.00|  1049   +56
Aberdeen    73  +2  92  52| 0.00  12.07  10.84  +1.40  +2.35|  1162  +144
Eureka      76  +5  97  52| 0.06  10.62   9.78  +0.74  +1.48|  1159  +235
Faulkton    73  +1  96  50| 0.00  13.91  12.61  +3.00  +3.80|  1118  +133
Mobridge    76  +4 100  52| 0.00  11.11   9.98  +0.71  +1.48|  1119  +101
Roscoe      71  +0  93  51| 0.00  12.42  11.38  +1.06  +1.94|   958   -31
Britton     74  +2  90  53| 0.33  15.65  14.57  +4.86  +5.49|  1241  +196
Clear Lake  70  -2  87  54| 0.73  14.87  12.67  +1.86  +2.57|  1049   +26
Sisseton    71  -2  89  51| 0.62  14.23  12.80  +2.66  +3.66|  1134   +53
Webster     73  +2  89  54| 0.80  15.01  14.12  +3.60  +5.00|  1064   +57
Watertown   72  +1  89  55| 0.37  10.99   9.93  -1.34  +0.13|  1133  +124
Faith       75  +3 101  52| 0.98  10.64   9.39  +0.01  +0.57|  1009    -4
Milesville  79  +6 107  52| 0.05  14.01  12.38  +3.05  +3.34|  1130   +32
Long Valley 76  +3 101  52| 0.11  14.74  12.91  +3.59  +3.63|  1176   +98
Philip      77  +3 106  50| 0.00  11.11  10.08  +1.13  +1.74|  1185   +57
Rapid City  75  +5 106  50| 0.00  10.29   7.98  -0.04  -0.41|  1074  +192
Spearfish   78  +9 105  52| 0.00  11.24   9.35  -3.01  -2.11|  1085  +249
Chamberlain 75  -1  98  54| 0.06  16.87  14.62  +6.35  +5.87|  1185   -43
Highmore    76  +4  97  53| 0.00  10.74   9.72  -0.64  +0.41|  1221  +135
Huron       76  +3  96  52| 0.00   9.93   9.13  -2.10  -0.15|  1314  +223
Onida       77  +4 100  53| 0.08  10.63   9.83  -0.30  +1.23|  1202   +77
Pierre      78  +4 102  53| 0.06   9.70   9.18  -1.81  -0.29|  1214   +71
Brookings   71  +1  87  54| 0.78  15.08  13.43  +2.53  +2.86|  1121  +200
Madison     73  +1  89  53| 0.79  13.95  12.13  +0.81  +2.10|  1167  +154
Mitchell    74  -2  93  54| 0.52  17.57  15.45  +4.69  +5.20|  1171   -43
Sioux Falls 75  +2  91  52| 1.64  16.68  13.81  +3.99  +3.91|  1319  +197
Custer      67  +2  94  44| 0.22   9.44   8.13  -1.74  -1.17|   596   +65
Hot Springs 73  +1 102  49| 0.42  11.78  10.27  +2.12  +2.10|  1021    +0
Oelrichs    73  -2  99  50| 0.87  14.13  13.02  +3.56  +4.37|   959   -90
Porcupine   74  +1 102  49| 0.09  13.28  11.41  +3.38  +2.99|  1063   +42
Murdo       76  +3 100  54| 0.10  14.03  11.96  +2.71  +2.90|  1136   +66
Winner      76  +0  97  53| 0.13  17.80  15.37  +3.70  +4.10|  1320    +6
Armour      76  +2  93  57| 1.79  18.46  16.34  +5.03  +5.79|  1349   +80
Centerville 74  +1  89  55| 0.00  18.03  15.47  +4.11  +4.33|  1329  +153
Marion      73  +0  90  55| 0.80  18.38  16.09  +4.88  +5.58|  1216   +86
Pickstown   74  -2  93  55| 0.05  16.57  14.18  +3.73  +3.83|  1276   +67
Vermillion  76  +1  93  56| 0.00  19.86  17.18  +6.14  +6.09|  1531  +155
Yankton     75  +2  91  57| 0.01  18.66  15.66  +5.32  +4.83|  1358  +139
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.