Released: July 25, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending July 24, 2005 SD-CW3005 Volume 54 Issue 30

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Scattered showers last week were welcomed in several areas across the state, although most crops are still suffering from heat stress, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Despite the dry conditions in many areas, row crop development progressed and small grain and winter wheat harvesting continued. Major farm activities included machinery repair, harvesting small grains, irrigating crops, hay harvesting, fixing fence and tending to livestock. Statewide there were 6.4 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:   Hot, humid weather plagued the state throughout the week, with highs in the 100's. Scattered showers were reported at several stations last week. Precipitation amounts varied from no rain in Newell to 2.32 inches received in Hot Springs. Chamberlain recorded the high of 110 degrees, while Porcupine and Custer had the low of 44 degrees.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil moisture levels continue to decline with the hot, dry weather and the lack of substantial rainfall. Topsoil levels are now at 46 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 52 percent. Subsoil levels have also dropped from 72 percent adequate to surplus to 61 percent adequate to surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Hot, dry weather last week allowed for significant progress in winter wheat harvesting, with 78 percent of the crop now harvested. Row crop conditions deteriorated due to heat stress. Corn maturity progressed due to the high humidity and is now 72 percent tasseled and 38 percent silked, ahead of last year's 45 percent and 22 percent and the five-year averages of 54 percent and 29 percent, respectively. Spring-seeded small grains are ripening quickly, with barley, oats, and spring wheat at 27 percent, 55 percent, and 52 percent ripe, respectively, and harvest is just getting started. Seventy- four percent of soybeans are blooming and 12 percent are setting pods. Sunflower blooming are at 8 percent, equal to the five-year average.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   The hot, dry weather last week caused range and pasture conditions to continue to deteriorate, with 64 percent now rated good to excellent. However, stock water supplies are still in good shape at 74 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock remain in good to excellent condition, although flies and mosquitoes are becoming a problem in some areas. Hay harvesting continued, with the second alfalfa cutting at 55 percent and other hay at 82 percent complete.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF July 24, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2    12    11     11     18   18
Short       7    18    18     15     26   21
Adeq.      82    65    66     68     54   56
Surplus     9     5     5      6      2    5

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF July 24, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     15     8    11      9      8    19
Short      39    40    22     30     20    22
Adeq.      43    47    64     59     66    57
Surplus     3     5     3      2      6     2



                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF July 24, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       6     28      49     16
Spring Wheat   1       4     21      58     16
Oats           1       5     20      60     14
Barley         0       4     23      63     10
Soybeans       1       4     21      56     18
Corn           1       4     25      52     18
Sorghum        5      12     21      55      7
Sunflower      2      10     26      54      8
Alfalfa        3       7     29      51     10
Cattle         0       1     10      69     20
Sheep          0       1      7      67     25
Range &                                        
  Pasture      2       7     27      54     10
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF July 24, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 turning color       80     62     85      83
 ripe                27      6     26      41
 harvested           10      2      2      10
Spring wheat 
 turning color       92     80     88      89
 ripe                52     16     23      41
 harvested           17      2      3      11
Oats          
 turning color       88     74     84      89
 ripe                55     21     36      52
 harvested           26     10     11      24
Corn        
 2nd cult./sprayed   95     89     97      94
 tasseling           72     30     45      54
 silked              38      5     22      29
 dough                0      0      0       1
Sorghum       
 headed               9      3     22      25
 coloring            NA     NA      2       4
Soybeans      
 blooming            74     48     63      69
 setting pods        12      2     11      21
Sunflower   
 blooming             8      1      4       8
Winter wheat
 ripe                94     80     81      87
 harvested           78     42     50      57
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         55     38     53      60
 3rd cutting          2     NA      1       2
Other hay   
 cut                 82     72     73      78        

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


	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING July 24, 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       74  +2 102  53| 2.10  12.65  11.88  +0.96  +2.15|  1371  +142
Buffalo     77  +6 102  52| 0.02   4.83   4.60  -4.60  -3.65|  1421  +257
Dupree      77  +3 100  55| 0.20  13.33  12.21  +1.85  +2.42|  1462   +98
McIntosh    77  +5 100  57| 0.00   9.55   8.77  -1.33  -0.64|  1472  +196
Newell      76  +3  99  52| 0.00  11.88  10.97  +1.67  +2.26|  1356  +135
Timber Lake 76  +4  99  55| 0.22  11.28   9.67  -0.47  -0.12|  1424  +107
Aberdeen    76  +3  97  56| 0.15  12.22  10.99  +0.34  +1.29|  1534  +193
Eureka      78  +6  98  59| 0.23  10.89  10.05  -0.02  +0.72|  1555  +322
Faulkton    76  +4 101  57| 0.20  14.11  12.81  +2.20  +3.00|  1502  +190
Mobridge    78  +4 103  59| 0.00  11.13  10.00  -0.13  +0.64|  1524  +171
Roscoe      74  +1  98  55| 0.03  12.50  11.46  +0.00  +0.88|  1313    +6
Britton     77  +4  94  59| 0.40  16.05  14.97  +4.14  +4.77|  1632  +264
Clear Lake  75  +3  94  57| 0.27  15.59  13.39  +1.00  +1.71|  1410   +72
Sisseton    74  +1  91  52| 0.72  14.95  13.52  +2.15  +3.15|  1496   +83
Webster     76  +3  97  58| 0.66  15.67  14.78  +2.86  +4.26|  1430  +107
Watertown   77  +5  99  56| 0.18  11.18  10.12  -2.51  -1.04|  1523  +194
Faith       76  +3 102  55| 1.08  11.72  10.47  +0.08  +0.64|  1389   +36
Milesville  80  +5 103  54| 0.20  14.43  12.80  +2.49  +2.78|  1549   +93
Long Valley 81  +6 102  52| 0.36  15.51  13.68  +3.16  +3.20|  1599  +167
Philip      80  +4 105  53| 0.58  11.75  10.72  +0.74  +1.35|  1613  +119
Rapid City  80  +8 105  53| 0.05  10.34   8.03  -0.86  -1.23|  1494  +294
Spearfish   80  +8  99  56| 0.00  11.24   9.35  -3.78  -2.88|  1514  +370
Chamberlain 80  +3 110  54| 0.49  17.37  15.12  +5.73  +5.25|  1608    +3
Highmore    81  +6 108  58| 0.42  11.23  10.21  -1.50  -0.45|  1652  +218
Huron       81  +6 109  58| 1.08  11.01  10.21  -2.20  -0.25|  1752  +313
Onida       81  +5 102  57| 0.25  10.96  10.16  -1.12  +0.41|  1632  +149
Pierre      81  +5 106  58| 0.08   9.99   9.47  -2.66  -1.14|  1654  +140
Brookings   75  +5  97  55| 0.51  15.92  14.27  +1.92  +2.25|  1488  +273
Madison     77  +5 100  56| 0.97  15.14  13.32  +0.64  +1.93|  1556  +227
Mitchell    78  +3 105  57| 0.79  18.46  16.34  +4.53  +5.04|  1574    -1
Sioux Falls 78  +4  99  58| 0.47  17.15  14.28  +3.29  +3.21|  1730  +262
Custer      72  +6  95  44| 0.20  10.16   8.85  -2.52  -1.95|   897  +133
Hot Springs 78  +5 101  47| 2.32  14.53  13.02  +3.66  +3.64|  1427   +71
Oelrichs    79  +4 107  47| 0.92  15.05  13.94  +3.50  +4.31|  1361   -43
Porcupine   78  +3 106  44| 0.03  13.51  11.64  +2.43  +2.04|  1462   +90
Murdo       79  +4 102  54| 0.33  14.84  12.77  +2.43  +2.62|  1545  +119
Winner      82  +4 106  55| 0.32  18.12  15.69  +2.45  +2.85|  1761   +62
Armour      80  +4 106  56| 0.30  18.76  16.64  +3.94  +4.70|  1771  +135
Centerville 79  +5  99  59| 0.94  19.05  16.49  +3.66  +3.88|  1739  +227
Marion      78  +4 101  58| 0.93  19.45  17.16  +4.69  +5.39|  1615  +144
Pickstown   80  +4 108  56| 0.63  17.24  14.85  +3.22  +3.32|  1694  +117
Vermillion  81  +5 100  58| 0.47  20.33  17.65  +5.21  +5.16|  1971  +226
Yankton     80  +5 101  61| 0.63  19.29  16.29  +4.57  +4.08|  1781  +204

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