Released: August 29, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending August 28, 2005 SD-CW3505 Volume 54 Issue 35

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Last week brought mild weather to much of the state, with most areas also receiving precipitation, according to the South Dakota office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. This precipitation helped to increase soil moisture levels in several areas, as well as improve row crop conditions throughout the state. Major farm activities included haying, moving hay, irrigating, wrapping up small grain harvest, harvesting of silage, preparing for row crop harvest, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 6.2 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:   Precipitation was received in varying amounts throughout the state, with Clear Lake receiving the most rain at 1.06 inches. Temperatures ranged from 4 degrees above average to 5 degrees below average, with temperatures mainly in the 60's and 70's. Philip and Pierre reported the high for the week at 97 degrees, while Custer had the low for the week at 42 degrees.

SOIL CONDITION:   With precipitation received in many areas throughout the state, topsoil moisture levels improved from 46 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 51 percent adequate to surplus last week. Subsoil moisture levels also improved from 44 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 50 percent adequate to surplus last week.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Row crop conditions improved last week, with mild weather and precipitation aiding crop development in several areas of the state. Corn is currently rated at 58 percent good to excellent. Corn development advanced to 86 percent in the dough stage and 49 percent in the dent stage, both ahead of the five- year average. Corn maturity is behind average, with 2 percent rated mature. Corn silage harvest is 12 percent complete, ahead of last year's 6 percent. Soybean condition has improved to 62 percent good to excellent, with development slightly behind the five-year average. The soybean crop has 96 percent setting pods and 11 percent dropping leaves. Sunflowers are rated at 34 percent with ray flowers dry and 17 percent with bracts yellow, both ahead of last year's progress, yet behind the five-year average.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Cattle and sheep remain in mostly good to excellent condition last week, with range and pasture conditions slightly improving. Stock water supplies increased from 61 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 64 percent adequate to surplus last week. The third cutting harvest of alfalfa advanced to 38 percent complete with 48 percent of the alfalfa hay crop rated in good to excellent condition.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF August 28, 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    11     10     25   22
Short       9    22    24     26     26   26
Adeq.      77    62    60     62     49   50
Surplus    12     5     5      2      0    3



        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 28, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     17    28    22     18     25    27
Short      32    26    34     32     31    26
Adeq.      49    45    43     48     43    46
Surplus     2     1     1      2      1     1



                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF August 28, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Soybeans       2      10     26      45     17
Corn           6      11     25      42     16
Sorghum        1       8     39      51      1
Sunflower      1       5     34      53      7
Alfalfa        6      14     32      42      6
Cattle         0       1     10      65     24
Sheep          1       1      6      61     31
Range &                                        
  Pasture      7      13     30      44      6
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 28, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 harvested           97     89     95      98 
Spring wheat 
 harvested          100     96     97      99
Oats          
 harvested          100     97     99     100
Corn        
 dough               86     68     72      82
 dent                49     20     16      38
 mature               2      0      1       6
 silage harvested    12      7      6      13
Sorghum       
 coloring            34     24     38      48
 mature               1      0      0       3
 silage harvested    15     12     14      19
Soybeans      
 setting pods        96     88     97      98
 dropping leaves     11      5     14      19
 mature               0      0      0       1 
Sunflower   
 blooming            96     90     94      96
 ray flowers dry     34     18     18      45
 bracts yellow       17      4      6      24
Winter wheat
 seeded               5     NA      3       2
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         97     92     99      96
 3rd cutting         38     29     48      49
Other hay   
 cut                100     97     96      97 

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




	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING August 28, 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  -1  87  49| 0.38  15.64  14.87  +2.17  +3.36|  2104  +121
Buffalo     71  +4  91  48| 0.04   6.88   6.65  -3.97  -3.02|  2169  +284
Dupree      70  +0  88  47| 1.05  15.41  14.29  +2.09  +2.66|  2247   +72
Mc Intosh   70  +3  89  47| 0.25  12.60  11.82  -0.38  +0.31|  2226  +188
Newell      68  -1  89  47| 0.15  14.14  13.23  +2.33  +2.92|  2103  +128
Timber Lake 69  +1  88  47| 0.18  12.56  10.95  -1.46  -1.11|  2157   +79
Aberdeen    65  -4  82  45| 0.02  15.33  14.10  +0.97  +1.92|  2210  +112
Eureka      68  +2  87  48| 0.12  13.51  12.67  +0.24  +0.98|  2297  +339
Faulkton    67  -2  85  46| 0.01  15.49  14.19  +0.93  +1.73|  2251  +199
Mobridge    70  +2  94  46| 0.23  13.49  12.36  +0.20  +0.97|  2321  +188
Roscoe      65  -5  82  45| 0.21  16.01  14.97  +1.15  +2.03|  1983   -73
Britton     67  -3  80  51| 0.51  23.52  22.44  +9.15  +9.78|  2332  +195
Clear Lake  64  -5  77  49| 1.06  19.08  16.88  +0.95  +1.66|  2051   -10
Sisseton    66  -4  84  44| 0.04  20.16  18.73  +4.19  +5.19|  2187    +6
Webster     66  -2  78  49| 0.05  19.78  18.89  +3.61  +5.01|  2103   +48
Watertown   65  -3  78  48| 0.29  14.08  13.02  -2.72  -1.25|  2224  +155
Faith       70  +0  88  50| 0.74  13.11  11.86  -0.22  +0.34|  2174   +12
Milesville  72  +2  90  49| 0.10  16.32  14.69  +2.11  +2.40|  2394   +92
Long Valley 72  +2  91  48| 0.13  16.96  15.13  +2.41  +2.45|  2428  +161
Philip      73  +2  97  46| 0.13  12.42  11.39  -0.46  +0.15|  2479  +111
Rapid City  70  +3  91  48| 0.03  13.00  10.69  -0.13  -0.50|  2269  +318
Spearfish   69  +3  89  50| 0.64  14.60  12.71  -2.39  -1.49|  2268  +404
Chamberlain 72  -1  90  52| 0.37  18.58  16.33  +4.57  +4.09|  2490    -4
Highmore    72  +2  88  51| 0.19  12.78  11.76  -2.71  -1.66|  2486  +229
Huron       70  +2  84  46| 0.50  13.82  13.02  -1.70  +0.25|  2555  +317
Onida       72  +2  92  50| 0.21  12.29  11.49  -2.26  -0.73|  2482  +158
Pierre      73  +2  97  50| 0.01  10.35   9.83  -4.32  -2.80|  2549  +163
Brookings   64  -3  77  45| 0.46  19.99  18.34  +2.83  +3.16|  2126  +249
Madison     65  -3  80  46| 0.24  18.53  16.71  +0.73  +2.02|  2228  +182
Mitchell    68  -3  84  51| 0.47  21.57  19.45  +5.14  +5.65|  2327   -75
Sioux Falls 68  -2  83  50| 0.14  20.99  18.12  +4.02  +3.94|  2461  +209
Custer      64  +2  84  42| 0.36  13.28  11.97  -1.93  -1.36|  1395  +103
Hot Springs 69  -1  90  46| 0.32  17.35  15.84  +4.77  +4.75|  2158   +11
Oelrichs    69  -3  95  45| 0.19  17.32  16.21  +3.90  +4.71|  2098  -146
Porcupine   70  +1  94  43| 0.22  16.85  14.98  +4.03  +3.64|  2195   +19
Murdo       72  +3  94  56| 0.12  16.21  14.14  +1.79  +1.98|  2391  +150
Winner      75  +3  89  54| 0.70  19.48  17.05  +0.98  +1.38|  2687   +86
Armour      73  +2  90  52| 0.20  20.02  17.90  +2.67  +3.43|  2638  +149
Centerville 70  +2  87  50| 0.02  20.41  17.85  +1.67  +1.89|  2523  +251
Marion      68  -1  84  51| 0.41  22.80  20.51  +5.09  +5.79|  2347  +118
Pickstown   71  -1  88  53| 0.82  19.26  16.87  +2.70  +2.80|  2516   +81
Vermillion  71  +0  88  52| 0.00  24.33  21.65  +5.83  +5.78|  2823  +236
Yankton     72  +3  92  53| 0.13  20.23  17.23  +2.41  +1.92|  2615  +230

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