Released: August 15, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending August 14, 2005 SD-CW3305 Volume 54 Issue 33

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Hot, dry weather early in the week slowed row crop maturation, but gave way to cool temperatures at the end of the week, relieving stress on cattle and sheep, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Harvesting of small grains is winding down, although high humidity has slowed progress. Scattered showers were reported across the state, relieving heat stress on crops and slightly improving topsoil moisture levels. Major farm activities included machinery repair, harvesting small grains, irrigating crops, crop scouting, hay harvesting, chopping silage, fixing fence, and tending to livestock. Statewide, there were 5.9 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:   Cool, below-normal temperatures last week were a welcome relief from the recent hot weather. Temperatures averaged in the 60's and 70's, with Milesville and Pierre reporting the high of 106 degrees, while Aberdeen and Brookings reported the low of 42 degrees. Areas in the southwest received substantial rainfall, with Porcupine receiving the most at 2.73 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:   Topsoil moisture levels rose one point to 44 percent rated adequate to surplus due to a few scattered showers, while subsoil levels dropped four points to 47 percent rated adequate to surplus. Cooler temperatures last week helped slow soil moisture loss. However, more and more areas are reporting short and very short moisture levels across the state.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Row crop conditions continue to decline and maturation has been slowed due to the lack of moisture. Corn is 35 percent doughing and 4 percent dented, both behind the five-year averages of 42 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Producers have started harvesting silage, with 2 percent of corn silage and 4 percent of sorghum silage chopped. Soybeans are 78 percent setting pods, ahead of last year's 71 percent, but behind the five-year average of 80 percent. Sorghum headed is at 82 percent, in line with the five-year and ahead of last year's 78 percent. Sunflowers blooming are at 73 percent and ray flowers dry at 8 percent. Small grain harvesting is nearing completion, with barley at 78 percent complete and oats and spring wheat at 90 percent complete.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Cool, below-normal temperatures last week relieved cattle and sheep from the recent heat stress. However, flies and mosquitoes are becoming a major problem for many producers. Range and pasture conditions continue to drop and are now rated 48 percent good to excellent. The second cutting of alfalfa is now 89 percent harvested. Due to the lack of rainfall, many producers may not get a third cutting of alfalfa.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF August 14, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2    11    10     14     23   20
Short       9    21    22     21     23   23
Adeq.      78    61    62     62     52   54
Surplus    11     7     6      3      2    3
        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 14, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     21    19    15     19     14    20
Short      35    38    29     34     35    27
Adeq.      42    42    55     45     50    52
Surplus     2     1     1      2      1     1




                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF August 14, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Soybeans       2       8     28      48     14
Corn           5      10     27      43     15
Sorghum       10      11     31      47      1
Sunflower      4      12     24      51      9
Alfalfa        8      15     31      40      6
Cattle         0       2     14      67     17
Sheep          0       1      8      68     23
Range &                                        
  Pasture      6      15     31      43      5
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 14, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 turning color      100     94    100     100
 ripe                90     80     94      98
 harvested           78     59     55      80 
Spring wheat 
 ripe                99     95     96      99
 harvested           90     69     64      85
Oats          
 ripe                96     90     96      99
 harvested           90     77     80      90
Corn        
 silked              95     88     94      95
 dough               35     15     27      42
 dent                 4      0      2      10
 silage harvested     2      0      3       3
Sorghum       
 headed              82     60     78      82
 turning color       12      3     12      22
 silage harvested     4      0      3       4
Soybeans      
 blooming            95     93     95      97
 setting pods        78     63     71      80
 dropping leaves      1      0      1       4 
Sunflower   
 blooming            73     44     69      78
 ray flowers dry      8      3      7      16
 bracts yellow        1      0      2       6
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         89     85     89      89
 3rd cutting         21     14     21      29
Other hay   
 cut                 94     91     91      92
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 




	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING August 14, 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       68  -5  97  50| 0.52  14.33  13.56  +1.54  +2.73|  1838  +131
Buffalo     68  -4 102  49| 0.92   6.72   6.49  -3.59  -2.64|  1894  +271
Dupree      70  -5 102  51| 0.27  14.32  13.20  +1.70  +2.27|  1956   +77
McIntosh    68  -6  97  46| 1.86  11.87  11.09  -0.27  +0.42|  1947  +183
Newell      71  -2 101  51| 1.03  13.40  12.49  +2.15  +2.74|  1847  +144
Timber Lake 69  -5  97  50| 0.65  12.02  10.41  -1.09  -0.74|  1892   +87
Aberdeen    70  -4  93  42| 0.92  13.84  12.61  +0.42  +1.37|  1979  +153
Eureka      69  -3  96  48| 0.91  12.45  11.61  +0.07  +0.81|  2033  +336
Faulkton    73  +2 103  53| 0.22  14.47  13.17  +0.98  +1.78|  1983  +197
Mobridge    72  -2 102  51| 0.96  12.74  11.61  +0.22  +0.99|  2038  +187
Roscoe      69  -4  96  51| 0.53  14.14  13.10  +0.17  +1.05|  1762   -22
Britton     70  -4  91  46| 1.10  21.38  20.30  +7.99  +8.62|  2082  +224
Clear Lake  69  -3  93  44| 0.62  16.71  14.51  -0.10  +0.61|  1834   +34
Sisseton    70  -3  93  46| 0.63  17.22  15.79  +2.50  +3.50|  1941   +37
Webster     67  -5  94  50| 1.53  18.22  17.33  +3.31  +4.71|  1863   +71
Watertown   71  -1  97  45| 0.27  11.99  10.93  -3.59  -2.12|  1984  +182
Faith       72  -2 102  53| 0.26  12.18  10.93  -0.59  -0.03|  1888   +21
Milesville  72  -4 106  54| 0.45  15.28  13.65  +1.91  +2.20|  2078   +86
Long Valley 72  -3 101  53| 1.08  16.79  14.96  +3.01  +3.05|  2119  +157
Philip      75  -2 105  55| 0.40  12.21  11.18  -0.02  +0.59|  2157  +109
Rapid City  71  -2 103  52| 1.50  12.88  10.57  +0.45  +0.08|  1993  +315
Spearfish   69  -3  96  49| 1.07  13.53  11.64  -2.62  -1.72|  1995  +390
Chamberlain 75  -2 104  53| 0.41  18.48  16.23  +5.34  +4.86|  2162    -5
Highmore    72  -3 101  48| 0.08  12.25  11.23  -2.25  -1.20|  2177  +221
Huron       74  +1  99  47| 0.01  13.04  12.24  -1.64  +0.31|  2268  +318
Onida       73  -3 102  53| 0.41  11.79  10.99  -1.86  -0.33|  2170  +154
Pierre      76  +0 106  55| 0.12  10.27   9.75  -3.70  -2.18|  2223  +155
Brookings   69  +0  91  42| 0.33  17.61  15.96  +1.71  +2.04|  1907  +266
Madison     70  -2  91  44| 0.62  18.22  16.40  +1.71  +3.00|  2000  +213
Mitchell    72  -3  96  49| 0.61  20.54  18.42  +5.14  +5.65|  2055   -47
Sioux Falls 72  -2  91  46| 0.33  20.31  17.44  +4.68  +4.60|  2198  +228
Custer      63  -4  90  45| 1.18  12.74  11.43  -1.63  -1.06|  1222  +117
Hot Springs 69  -5  99  49| 2.13  16.79  15.28  +4.76  +4.74|  1891   +33
Oelrichs    72  -4 101  51| 1.39  16.94  15.83  +4.22  +5.03|  1838   -99
Porcupine   72  -2 100  51| 2.73  16.56  14.69  +4.30  +3.91|  1925   +38
Murdo       74  +0 102  54| 0.61  15.91  13.84  +2.18  +2.37|  2076  +130
Winner      75  -2 103  53| 0.51  18.74  16.31  +1.22  +1.62|  2358   +88
Armour      74  -1 100  52| 0.32  19.78  17.66  +3.38  +4.14|  2307  +131
Centerville 74  +2  93  53| 0.73  19.90  17.34  +2.42  +2.64|  2231  +234
Marion      72  +0  93  48| 0.80  21.83  19.54  +5.39  +6.09|  2081  +123
Pickstown   74  -2  98  53| 0.49  18.26  15.87  +2.76  +2.86|  2220   +99
Vermillion  74  +0  94  53| 0.77  23.70  21.02  +6.48  +6.43|  2509  +232
Yankton     75  +2  96  51| 0.35  20.03  17.03  +3.42  +2.93|  2295  +204

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