Released: August 8, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending August 7, 2005 SD-CW3205 Volume 54 Issue 32

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Lack of rainfall and above- normal temperatures last week caused soil moisture levels to deplete further, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Row crop maturity continues to be hindered by heat stress and dry conditions. Winter wheat harvesting is virtually complete, while harvesting of other small grains is ahead of last year's progress. Major farm activities included machinery repair, harvesting small grains, irrigating crops, crop scouting, hay harvesting, 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:   The recent high temperatures and humidity persisted throughout the week, with an average of 2.8 degrees above normal. A few isolated showers brought relief to some areas across the state, with Britton receiving the most rain at 2.85 inches. Temperatures averaged in the 70's and 80's, with Milesville reporting the high of 106 degrees.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil moisture levels were further depleted by last week's above-normal temperatures and minimal rainfall. Topsoil and subsoil levels each dropped five points to 43 percent adequate to surplus and 51 percent adequate to surplus, respectively. Dry conditions continue to plague the state, with additional areas reporting short and very short moisture levels.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Despite dry conditions and high temperatures, corn maturity is still ahead of last year, with 88 percent silked and 15 percent doughing, compared to 76 percent and 11 percent the previous year, respectively. However, due to heat stress, producers may begin chopping silage soon in a few areas. Soybeans blooming are now at 93 percent with 63 percent setting pods, ahead of last year's 51 percent and the five-year average of 60 percent. Harvesting of spring-seeded small grains continues to move forward with barley at 59 percent, oats at 77 percent, and spring wheat at 69 percent complete. Sixty percent of sorghum is headed, behind last year's 62 percent and the five-year average of 63 percent. Sunflower blooming is at 44 percent, ahead of last year's 40 percent, but behind the five-year average of 50 percent; while ray flowers dry is at 3 percent, in line with last year.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Cattle and sheep remain in predominately good to excellent condition, although some losses due to heat stress have been reported. Moisture is needed to replenish pasture growth, as range and pasture conditions decline further with 58 percent now rated good to excellent. The second harvesting of alfalfa is wrapping up at 85 percent complete, while the third cutting is at 14 percent complete.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF August 7, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3     9    11     11     20   19
Short       8    22    20     21     29   23
Adeq.      80    63    64     65     49   55
Surplus     9     6     5      3      2    3

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 7, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     19    17    12     14     13    20
Short      38    35    24     35     31    24
Adeq.      42    46    63     50     54    55
Surplus     1     2     1      1      2     1



                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF August 7, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Spring Wheat   1       4     31      55      9
Barley         0       8     24      60      8
Soybeans       1       5     24      50     20
Corn           2       7     21      50     20
Sorghum        7       8     24      57      4
Sunflower     24       4     21      45      6
Alfalfa        3      13     31      44      9
Cattle         0       1     11      69     19
Sheep          0       1      7      65     27
Range &                                        
  Pasture      4      10     28      50      8
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 7, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 turning color       94     89    100      99
 ripe                80     49     76      87
 harvested           59     24     27      54
Spring wheat 
 ripe                95     82     82      91
 harvested           69     37     46      64
Oats          
 turning color      100     96    100      99
 ripe                90     79     87      94
 harvested           77     56     61      75
Corn        
 tasseling           97     92     94      95
 silked              88     67     76      82
 dough               15      4     11      22
 dent                 0      0      0       4
Sorghum       
 headed              60     48     62      63
 turning color        3      0      3      13 
Soybeans      
 blooming            93     88     90      92
 setting pods        63     19     51      60
 dropping leaves      0      0      0       1 
Sunflower   
 blooming            44     20     40      50
 ray flowers dry      3      1      3       7
 bracts yellow        0      0      1       3
Winter wheat
 harvested           99     92     91      95
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         85     77     84      84
 3rd cutting         14      9     17      21
Other hay   
 cut                 91     88     87      88
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.       




	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING August 7, 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  +5 100  50| 0.21  14.02  13.25  +1.58  +2.77|  1712  +161
Buffalo     76  +5  98  50| 0.62   5.80   5.57  -4.23  -3.28|  1763  +289
Dupree      78  +3 103  49| 0.14  14.05  12.93  +1.78  +2.35|  1813  +100
McIntosh    77  +5 101  52| 0.05  10.01   9.23  -1.71  -1.02|  1821  +214
Newell      74  +2 100  48| 0.37  12.49  11.58  +1.58  +2.17|  1690  +142
Timber Lake 76  +3 100  51| 0.09  11.37   9.76  -1.25  -0.90|  1760  +112
Aberdeen    74  +2  93  49| 0.41  12.92  11.69  -0.01  +0.94|  1841  +171
Eureka      77  +5  98  52| 0.14  11.54  10.70  -0.35  +0.39|  1896  +349
Faulkton    76  +4  98  52| 0.14  14.25  12.95  +1.32  +2.12|  1825  +190
Mobridge    78  +5 103  52| 0.03  11.78  10.65  -0.32  +0.45|  1885  +193
Roscoe      75  +3  99  52| 0.26  13.61  12.57  +0.13  +1.01|  1624    -5
Britton     75  +2  92  52| 2.85  20.28  19.20  +7.38  +8.01|  1943  +243
Clear Lake  73  +1  91  50| 0.34  16.09  13.89  -0.02  +0.69|  1697   +46
Sisseton    75  +2  90  50| 0.00  16.59  15.16  +2.53  +3.53|  1801   +55
Webster     75  +3  94  56| 0.12  16.69  15.80  +2.48  +3.88|  1739   +98
Watertown   75  +3  94  50| 0.32  11.72  10.66  -3.23  -1.76|  1835  +185
Faith       77  +3 101  50| 0.05  11.92  10.67  -0.51  +0.05|  1733   +32
Milesville  79  +4 106  52| 0.20  14.83  13.20  +1.91  +2.20|  1924  +105
Long Valley 78  +3 101  52| 0.00  15.71  13.88  +2.35  +2.39|  1962  +171
Philip      78  +2 104  53| 0.01  11.81  10.78  -0.06  +0.55|  1982  +113
Rapid City  76  +4 101  50| 0.18  11.38   9.07  -0.65  -1.02|  1842  +319
Spearfish   77  +6  96  50| 0.21  12.46  10.57  -3.27  -2.37|  1858  +401
Chamberlain 79  +2 104  54| 0.28  18.07  15.82  +5.42  +4.94|  1976   -10
Highmore    79  +5 102  52| 0.74  12.17  11.15  -1.77  -0.72|  2021  +234
Huron       78  +4  98  55| 1.73  13.03  12.23  -1.19  +0.76|  2101  +315
Onida       80  +5 101  55| 0.19  11.38  10.58  -1.78  -0.25|  2010  +166
Pierre      81  +5 105  57| 0.16  10.15   9.63  -3.41  -1.89|  2043  +154
Brookings   73  +3  88  51| 0.31  17.28  15.63  +2.01  +2.34|  1773  +268
Madison     74  +2  90  50| 1.21  17.60  15.78  +1.79  +3.08|  1856  +215
Mitchell    75  +1  96  53| 0.63  19.93  17.81  +5.02  +5.53|  1899   -34
Sioux Falls 74  +0  89  52| 0.35  19.98  17.11  +4.98  +4.90|  2046  +236
Custer      68  +2  88  43| 0.39  11.56  10.25  -2.33  -1.76|  1129  +132
Hot Springs 73  -2  96  47| 0.00  14.66  13.15  +2.92  +2.90|  1755   +59
Oelrichs    74  -2  98  48| 0.00  15.55  14.44  +3.18  +3.99|  1684   -81
Porcupine   74  -2  97  48| 0.00  13.83  11.96  +1.89  +1.50|  1770   +48
Murdo       78  +4 101  55| 0.06  15.30  13.23  +1.98  +2.17|  1909  +129
Winner      82  +5 104  57| 0.00  18.23  15.80  +1.26  +1.66|  2183   +97
Armour      78  +3 100  57| 0.17  19.46  17.34  +3.55  +4.31|  2134  +131
Centerville 74  +2  92  52| 0.01  19.17  16.61  +2.38  +2.60|  2065  +223
Marion      74  +1  92  53| 0.50  21.03  18.74  +5.15  +5.85|  1926  +123
Pickstown   78  +2 101  53| 0.00  17.77  15.38  +2.76  +2.86|  2050  +104
Vermillion  77  +2  97  54| 1.68  22.93  20.25  +6.41  +6.36|  2337  +231
Yankton     75  +2  97  53| 0.37  19.68  16.68  +3.70  +3.21|  2117  +191

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