Released: July 18, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending July 17, 2005 SD-CW2905 Volume 54 Issue 29

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Hot, dry weather last week sped up winter wheat ripening and brought winter wheat and hay harvesting into full swing, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. However, the lack of moisture is beginning to take a toll on small grain and row crop conditions. 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 6.6 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:   High temperatures were recorded at all reporting stations last week, with an average of 5.5 degrees above normal and highs in the 100's. Rain showers were few and far between, with only a handful of reporting stations receiving more than 0.25 inch of precipitation. Rapid City reported the high of 109 degrees, and Bison had the low of 51 degrees.

SOIL CONDITION:   Topsoil moisture levels took a major dive last week, dropping from 76 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 52 percent adequate to surplus. Subsoil moisture levels also declined from 86 percent adequate to surplus to 72 percent adequate to surplus. Many areas across the state are reporting short moisture levels. Rainfall is needed soon to aid crops, pasture, and range.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Winter wheat harvest is in full swing due to the recent dry conditions and is now 42 percent harvested, ahead of last year and the five-year average of 11 percent and 26 percent, respectively. Corn is now 30 percent tasseled, ahead of last year and the five- year average of 8 percent and 18 percent, respectively, and is rated 80 percent good to excellent. Dry weather enabled soybeans blooming to catch up and pass last year's 47 percent, with 48 percent blooming. Spring- seeded small grains are beginning to ripen. Sorghum is 3 percent headed, and sunflower are barely beginning to bloom at 1 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Range and pasture conditions continue to deteriorate due to the lack of rainfall, dropping 9 points from the previous week, to 68 percent good to excellent. Livestock are handling the heat well and are still in predominately good to excellent condition. The second cutting of alfalfa is 38 percent harvested, while native grass and other hay is 72 percent harvested.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF July 17, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      1     9    10      7     15   16
Short       5    13    16     17     22   17
Adeq.      83    71    67     70     61   61
Surplus    11     7     7      6      2    6

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF July 17, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      8     3     8      8      4    11
Short      40    21    15     20     10    20
Adeq.      47    66    73     66     77    66
Surplus     5    10     4      6      9     3



                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF July 17, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       5     26      48     20
Spring Wheat   1       5     22      51     21
Oats           0       2     15      65     18
Barley         1       3     17      62     17
Soybeans       1       3     19      55     22
Corn           1       3     16      55     25
Sorghum        2       7     19      58     14
Sunflower      1       5     22      57     15
Alfalfa        2       6     28      51     13
Cattle         0       1      8      65     26
Sheep          1       1      6      62     30
Range &                                        
  Pasture      2       6     24      55     13
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF July 17, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 turning color       62     35     51      61
 ripe                 6      0      2      15
 harvested            2      0      2       3
Spring wheat 
 turning color       80     42     62      70
 ripe                16      0      4      16
 harvested            2      0     NA      NA
Oats          
 turning color       74     31     52      67
 ripe                21      0      7      24
 harvested           10      0      1       8
Corn        
 ave.height (in.)    57     42     50      53
 2nd cult./sprayed   89     69     92      83
 tasseling           30      2      8      18
 silked               5      0      1       7
Sorghum       
 emerged            100     94    100      NA
 headed               3      0      5      10
Soybeans      
 blooming            48     17     47      47
 setting pods         2      0      2       9
Sunflower   
 blooming             1      0      2       3
Winter wheat
 turning color      100     96     97      95
 ripe                80     31     39      62
 harvested           42      6     11      26
Alfalfa     
 1st cutting         98     94     92      97
 2nd cutting         38     19     32      42
Other hay   
 cut                 72     57     61      67        

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


	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING July 17, 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       77  +6 104  51| 0.00  10.55   9.78  -0.72  +0.47|  1201  +133
Buffalo     79  +8 107  57| 0.00   4.81   4.58  -4.27  -3.32|  1231  +221
Dupree      77  +4 102  58| 1.98  13.13  12.01  +2.07  +2.64|  1272   +83
McIntosh    78  +6 106  56| 0.07   9.55   8.77  -0.89  -0.20|  1280  +167
Newell      79  +7 108  60| 0.00  11.88  10.97  +2.02  +2.61|  1172  +114
Timber Lake 77  +4 103  54| 0.51  11.06   9.45  -0.27  +0.08|  1238   +85
Aberdeen    77  +5  97  59| 0.00  12.07  10.84  +0.77  +1.72|  1353  +175
Eureka      78  +7 102  59| 0.04  10.66   9.82  +0.24  +0.98|  1359  +282
Faulkton    78  +6 103  55| 0.00  13.91  12.61  +2.49  +3.29|  1316  +170
Mobridge    79  +6 107  59| 0.02  11.13  10.00  +0.29  +1.06|  1327  +142
Roscoe      76  +5 102  59| 0.05  12.47  11.43  +0.52  +1.40|  1146    +0
Britton     79  +6  95  64| 0.00  15.65  14.57  +4.28  +4.91|  1444  +239
Clear Lake  77  +5  91  62| 0.45  15.32  13.12  +1.50  +2.21|  1236   +59
Sisseton    77  +4  95  59| 0.00  14.23  12.80  +2.03  +3.03|  1324   +79
Webster     76  +5  95  65| 0.00  15.01  14.12  +2.90  +4.30|  1251   +89
Watertown   78  +6  97  60| 0.01  11.00   9.94  -2.03  -0.56|  1330  +162
Faith       77  +4 106  55| 0.00  10.64   9.39  -0.52  +0.04|  1202   +22
Milesville  79  +5 108  60| 0.22  14.23  12.60  +2.78  +3.07|  1338   +64
Long Valley 79  +5 103  61| 0.41  15.15  13.32  +3.37  +3.41|  1382  +130
Philip      81  +5 107  60| 0.06  11.17  10.14  +0.65  +1.26|  1402   +94
Rapid City  80  +8 109  59| 0.00  10.29   7.98  -0.49  -0.86|  1284  +245
Spearfish   81 +10 105  57| 0.00  11.24   9.35  -3.43  -2.53|  1302  +314
Chamberlain 80  +4 101  61| 0.01  16.88  14.63  +5.80  +5.32|  1397   -19
Highmore    81  +7 105  59| 0.07  10.81   9.79  -1.27  -0.22|  1436  +177
Huron       81  +7 102  59| 0.00   9.93   9.13  -2.72  -0.77|  1534  +270
Onida       80  +6 105  59| 0.08  10.71   9.91  -0.81  +0.72|  1417  +116
Pierre      81  +6 106  56| 0.21   9.91   9.39  -2.20  -0.68|  1434  +109
Brookings   77  +6  93  61| 0.33  15.41  13.76  +2.11  +2.44|  1310  +242
Madison     78  +6  95  62| 0.22  14.17  12.35  +0.33  +1.62|  1365  +197
Mitchell    79  +4  98  62| 0.10  17.67  15.55  +4.23  +4.74|  1375   -18
Sioux Falls 80  +6  95  65| 0.00  16.68  13.81  +3.38  +3.30|  1529  +236
Custer      71  +5  96  53| 0.52   9.96   8.65  -1.99  -1.42|   743   +98
Hot Springs 79  +6 106  59| 0.43  12.21  10.70  +1.92  +1.90|  1228   +41
Oelrichs    78  +4 103  58| 0.00  14.13  13.02  +3.06  +3.87|  1156   -67
Porcupine   79  +5 101  53| 0.20  13.48  11.61  +2.96  +2.57|  1264   +69
Murdo       79  +4 101  59| 0.48  14.51  12.44  +2.62  +2.81|  1339   +94
Winner      81  +5 100  61| 0.00  17.80  15.37  +2.89  +3.29|  1539   +36
Armour      80  +4  96  64| 0.00  18.46  16.34  +4.30  +5.06|  1557  +106
Centerville 79  +6  96  65| 0.08  18.11  15.55  +3.42  +3.64|  1536  +192
Marion      79  +5  95  64| 0.14  18.52  16.23  +4.37  +5.07|  1419  +121
Pickstown   79  +4  98  61| 0.04  16.61  14.22  +3.15  +3.25|  1481   +90
Vermillion  81  +6  97  64| 0.00  19.86  17.18  +5.44  +5.39|  1751  +193
Yankton     80  +5  97  65| 0.00  18.66  15.66  +4.61  +4.12|  1571  +176

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