Released: August 22, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending August 21, 2005 SD-CW3405 Volume 54 Issue 34

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Mild weather last week allowed for advancements in small grain harvest; however, the continued lack of significant precipitation has caused row crop conditions to deteriorate slightly, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Scattered precipitation was reported across the state, with topsoil moisture levels increasing slightly and subsoil moisture levels falling. Major farm activities included haying, moving hay, irrigating, combining small grains, preparing for and harvesting of silage, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 5.8 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:   Temperatures last week averaged approximately 2 degrees below normal, with averages in the 60's and 70's. Chamberlain reported the high for the week at 96 degrees, while Aberdeen and Custer reported the low of 45 degrees. Precipitation was received at all but one reporting station, with amounts ranging from none in Winner to 2.9 inches in Sisseton.

SOIL CONDITION:   Scattered precipitation caused topsoil moisture levels to raise 2 percentage points last week, with 46 percent now rated adequate to surplus. Subsoil moisture levels dropped from 47 percent adequate to surplus the previous week, to 44 percent adequate to surplus last week. Both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels are fairly similar to moisture levels at this time last year.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Last week's warm and predominantly dry weather caused row crop conditions to decline again. Corn is currently rated 56 percent good to excellent, down 2 percentage points from the previous week, with soybeans falling 4 percentage points to 58 percent good to excellent. Corn development has advanced to 68 percent in the dough stage and 20 percent in the dent stage, both ahead of last year's progress. Corn silage harvest is also ahead of last year, with harvest 7 percent complete. Soybean development is behind the five-year average for both setting pods and dropping leaves, with ratings at 88 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Development of the state's sunflower crop is slower than normal, with 90 percent blooming, 18 percent having ray flowers dry, and 4 percent with bracts yellow.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Mild weather last week was beneficial to livestock throughout the state; however, range and pasture conditions and stock water supplies continue to be stressed. Stock water supplies fell from 65 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 61 percent adequate to surplus last week. Range and pasture conditions are rated at 48 percent good to excellent, with livestock in mostly fair to excellent condition. Alfalfa harvest advanced, with 92 percent of the second cutting complete and 29 percent of the third cutting complete.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF August 21, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3    14    11     15     27   21
Short       9    24    24     24     26   25
Adeq.      80    58    61     59     47   52
Surplus     8     4     4      2      0    2



        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 21, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     28    21    21     25     19    25
Short      26    35    32     31     34    31
Adeq.      45    42    46     43     45    43
Surplus     1     2     1      1      2     1



                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF August 21, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Soybeans       3       9     30      47     11
Corn           7      10     27      44     12
Sorghum       16      11     30      42      1
Sunflower      6       7     35      46      6
Alfalfa        8      15     31      40      6
Cattle         0       1     12      68     19
Sheep          0       1      7      66     26
Range &                                        
  Pasture      9      14     29      43      5
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 21, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 ripe                99     90    100     100
 harvested           89     78     79      93 
Spring wheat 
 harvested           96     90     87      95
Oats          
 harvested           97     90     93      98
Corn        
 silked              99     95     99      99
 dough               68     35     56      67
 dent                20      4     10      21
 mature               0      0      0       3
 silage harvested     7      2      5       8
Sorghum       
 headed              92     82     87      89
 coloring            24     12     26      34
 silage harvested    12      4     10      10
Soybeans      
 blooming            99     95     99     100
 setting pods        88     78     90      92
 dropping leaves      5      1      4       9 
Sunflower   
 blooming            90     73     86      91
 ray flowers dry     18      8     13      30
 bracts yellow        4      1      5      13
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         92     89     94      93
 3rd cutting         29     21     31      39
Other hay   
 cut                 97     94     94      94

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




	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING August 21, 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       69  -2  89  51| 0.62  15.26  14.49  +2.12  +3.31|  1973  +120
Buffalo     69  -2  93  49| 0.12   6.84   6.61  -3.73  -2.78|  2024  +263
Dupree      71  -2  93  53| 0.04  14.36  13.24  +1.39  +1.96|  2106   +71
Mc Intosh   69  -2  87  49| 0.48  12.35  11.57  -0.21  +0.48|  2083  +174
Newell      67  -5  91  49| 0.33  13.73  12.82  +2.20  +2.79|  1964  +117
Timber Lake 69  -3  89  50| 0.36  12.38  10.77  -1.22  -0.87|  2025   +76
Aberdeen    67  -4  85  45| 1.47  15.31  14.08  +1.40  +2.35|  2102  +132
Eureka      69  -1  85  48| 0.94  13.39  12.55  +0.54  +1.28|  2166  +331
Faulkton    71  +1  92  49| 1.01  15.48  14.18  +1.43  +2.23|  2128  +202
Mobridge    70  -2  88  50| 0.52  13.26  12.13  +0.32  +1.09|  2182  +182
Roscoe      66  -5  84  49| 1.66  15.80  14.76  +1.36  +2.24|  1879   -49
Britton     69  -3  83  48| 1.63  23.01  21.93  +9.13  +9.76|  2216  +211
Clear Lake  67  -4  83  50| 1.31  18.02  15.82  +0.52  +1.23|  1953   +16
Sisseton    69  -3  85  49| 2.90  20.12  18.69  +4.77  +5.77|  2077   +27
Webster     68  -3  83  54| 1.51  19.73  18.84  +4.18  +5.58|  1989   +58
Watertown   68  -3  86  47| 1.80  13.79  12.73  -2.42  -0.95|  2114  +171
Faith       70  -3  93  53| 0.19  12.37  11.12  -0.68  -0.12|  2030    +8
Milesville  73  -1  94  56| 0.94  16.22  14.59  +2.43  +2.72|  2237   +82
Long Valley 72  -2  89  53| 0.04  16.83  15.00  +2.63  +2.67|  2274  +152
Philip      73  -2  93  52| 0.08  12.29  11.26  -0.29  +0.32|  2316  +100
Rapid City  69  -3  90  53| 0.09  12.97  10.66  +0.19  -0.18|  2124  +302
Spearfish   69  -1  91  48| 0.43  13.96  12.07  -2.61  -1.71|  2132  +390
Chamberlain 74  -1  96  55| 0.03  18.21  15.96  +4.62  +4.14|  2334    -4
Highmore    72  +0  90  54| 0.34  12.59  11.57  -2.41  -1.36|  2335  +221
Huron       70  -2  89  51| 0.28  13.32  12.52  -1.78  +0.17|  2412  +310
Onida       72  -1  90  54| 0.29  12.08  11.28  -2.05  -0.52|  2327  +150
Pierre      73  -2  95  52| 0.07  10.34   9.82  -3.98  -2.46|  2382  +147
Brookings   67  -2  82  49| 1.92  19.53  17.88  +3.00  +3.33|  2028  +262
Madison     67  -3  83  49| 0.07  18.29  16.47  +1.12  +2.41|  2123  +200
Mitchell    70  -3  88  52| 0.56  21.10  18.98  +5.21  +5.72|  2197   -63
Sioux Falls 70  -2  84  54| 0.54  20.85  17.98  +4.58  +4.50|  2337  +218
Custer      61  -4  79  45| 0.18  12.92  11.61  -1.87  -1.30|  1298   +94
Hot Springs 69  -4  86  51| 0.24  17.03  15.52  +4.72  +4.70|  2022   +13
Oelrichs    68  -6  89  50| 0.19  17.13  16.02  +4.06  +4.87|  1963  -134
Porcupine   68  -4  87  51| 0.07  16.63  14.76  +4.09  +3.70|  2056   +17
Murdo       72  +0  91  55| 0.18  16.09  14.02  +2.01  +2.20|  2233  +132
Winner      77  +3  94  58| 0.00  18.78  16.35  +0.77  +1.17|  2510   +68
Armour      74  +2  92  56| 0.04  19.82  17.70  +2.96  +3.72|  2476  +136
Centerville 72  +2  87  56| 0.49  20.39  17.83  +2.28  +2.50|  2384  +243
Marion      70  -1  86  52| 0.56  22.39  20.10  +5.32  +6.02|  2222  +121
Pickstown   71  -3  93  54| 0.18  18.44  16.05  +2.44  +2.54|  2371   +85
Vermillion  73  +0  88  53| 0.63  24.33  21.65  +6.46  +6.41|  2672  +234
Yankton     73  +2  93  58| 0.07  20.10  17.10  +2.86  +2.37|  2461  +216

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