Released: September 06, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending September 04, 2005 SD-CW3605 Volume 54 Issue 36

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Last week's above-normal temperatures and minimal precipitation not only caused soil moisture levels to decline, but also deterioration of crop and range and pasture conditions. Significant advancements were made; however, in winter wheat seeding, silage harvest, and the cutting of third crop alfalfa. Other major farm activities included moving hay, irrigating, preparing for row crop harvest, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 6.5 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 averaged almost 6 degrees above normal for the state last week, with averages in the upper 60's and 70's. Both Milesville and Philip reported the high for the week of 105 degrees, while Porcupine reported the low, at 37 degrees. Precipitation was reported at only 11 of the 43 reporting weather stations last week. Sisseton reported the most rain, at 0.92 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:   With much of the state receiving little to no precipitation last week, topsoil and subsoil moisture levels continued to feel the stress. Topsoil moisture levels fell from 51 percent adequate to surplus the previous week, to only 38 percent adequate to surplus last week. Subsoil moisture levels fell from 50 percent adequate to surplus the previous week to 39 percent adequate to surplus last week, well below last year's rating of 46 percent adequate to surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Row crop conditions declined last week, with much of the state receiving little or no precipitation. Corn condition fell to 52 percent rated good to excellent, with 96 percent of the crop in the dough stage. The corn crop is 72 percent in the dent stage, well ahead of the five-year average of 57 percent; while 6 percent is rated mature, behind the five-year average of 11 percent. Corn silage harvest advanced ahead of last year, with 34 percent harvested. Soybean condition fell from 62 percent good to excellent the previous week, to 53 percent good to excellent last week. Soybean development remains behind normal, with 30 percent having dropping leaves and 1 percent mature, compared to the five-year averages of 32 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Sorghum development remains behind average as well, with 61 percent coloring and 4 percent mature, behind the five-year averages of 67 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Sorghum silage harvest, however, is ahead of both last year and the five- year average, with 39 percent harvested. Sunflower development is ahead of last year, yet behind the five-year average, with 61 percent having ray flowers dry, 31 percent having bracts yellow, and 1 percent rated mature.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Last week's hot and dry weather continued to stress range and pasture conditions, with ratings falling from 50 percent good to excellent the previous week, to 45 percent good to excellent last week. Cattle and sheep remain in mostly good to excellent condition. Dry weather caused stock water supplies to fall 6 percentage points, with the rating currently at 58 percent adequate to surplus. The third cutting of alfalfa advanced to 64 percent complete, with 46 percent of the alfalfa hay crop rated in good to excellent condition.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      4    12    12     19     33   24
Short       9    25    24     23     24   26
Adeq.      76    59    59     55     43   47
Surplus    11     4     5      3      0    3



        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     35    17    24     30     18    30
Short      27    32    32     31     32    25
Adeq.      37    49    41     37     48    43
Surplus     1     2     3      2      2     2


                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Soybeans       3      17     27      41     12
Corn           6      14     28      43      9
Sorghum        7      12     38      42      1
Sunflower      4      12     28      45     11
Alfalfa       11      22     21      42      4
Cattle         0       2     12      69     17
Sheep          0       2      8      58     32
Range &                                        
  Pasture     10      18     27      40      5
                   


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2005  1/
                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 dough               96     86     83      91
 dent                72     49     32      57
 mature               6      2      3      11
 silage harvested    34     12     15      26
Sorghum       
 coloring            61     34     66      67
 mature               4      1      3       8
 grain harvested      0      0      0       1
 silage harvested    39     15     17      28
Soybeans      
 dropping leaves     30     11     27      32
 mature               1      0      1       4 
Sunflower   
 ray flowers dry     61     34     45      64
 bracts yellow       31     17     18      39
 mature               1      0      0       4 
Winter wheat
 seeded              15      5      6       6
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         64     38     63      59

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


	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 4, 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       72  +7  99  47| 0.00  15.64  14.87  +1.85  +3.04|  2252  +159
Buffalo     72  +8 100  46| 0.00   6.88   6.65  -4.25  -3.30|  2325  +336
Dupree      74  +8 102  47| 0.00  15.41  14.29  +1.81  +2.38|  2417  +121
Mc Intosh   72  +8  96  45| 0.21  12.81  12.03  -0.55  +0.14|  2384  +239
Newell      69  +5  97  44| 0.00  14.55  13.64  +2.45  +3.04|  2239  +156
Timber Lake 74  +9  98  46| 0.00  12.56  10.95  -1.85  -1.50|  2325  +138
Aberdeen    69  +5  93  43| 0.08  15.41  14.18  +0.56  +1.51|  2348  +142
Eureka      72  +8  94  47| 0.10  13.61  12.77  -0.08  +0.66|  2452  +391
Faulkton    70  +6  99  44| 0.08  15.57  14.27  +0.55  +1.35|  2395  +236
Mobridge    73  +8  99  47| 0.05  13.54  12.41  -0.10  +0.67|  2485  +239
Roscoe      68  +4  96  48| 0.12  16.13  15.09  +0.85  +1.73|  2113   -52
Britton     69  +4  90  47| 0.41  23.93  22.85  +9.07  +9.70|  2470  +221
Clear Lake  66  +2  86  46| 0.00  19.08  16.88  +0.34  +1.05|  2167    +0
Sisseton    67  +1  83  44| 0.92  21.08  19.65  +4.57  +5.57|  2306   +12
Webster     69  +5  89  52| 0.00  19.78  18.89  +3.05  +4.45|  2238   +79
Watertown   69  +4  89  45| 0.00  14.08  13.02  -3.26  -1.79|  2356  +180
Faith       74  +7 101  49| 0.00  13.11  11.86  -0.50  +0.06|  2341   +59
Milesville  76  +8 105  47| 0.05  16.37  14.74  +1.79  +2.08|  2578  +148
Long Valley 73  +6  99  43| 0.00  16.96  15.13  +2.06  +2.10|  2593  +199
Philip      74  +6 105  43| 0.08  12.50  11.47  -0.66  -0.05|  2649  +149
Rapid City  72  +8 100  46| 0.00  13.00  10.69  -0.47  -0.84|  2428  +366
Spearfish   72  +9  95  49| 0.00  14.60  12.71  -2.81  -1.91|  2426  +458
Chamberlain 74  +5  99  49| 0.00  18.58  16.33  +4.21  +3.73|  2658   +27
Highmore    75  +8  99  50| 0.00  12.78  11.76  -3.14  -2.09|  2663  +282
Huron       74  +8  99  47| 0.00  13.82  13.02  -2.12  -0.17|  2724  +370
Onida       75  +8 100  49| 0.00  12.29  11.49  -2.65  -1.12|  2662  +211
Pierre      76  +8 104  51| 0.03  10.38   9.86  -4.64  -3.12|  2734  +217
Brookings   66  +4  89  43| 0.00  19.99  18.34  +2.18  +2.51|  2242  +270
Madison     69  +4  92  45| 0.00  18.53  16.71  +0.10  +1.39|  2360  +209
Mitchell    70  +3  95  48| 0.00  21.57  19.45  +4.58  +5.09|  2472   -55
Sioux Falls 71  +5  93  47| 0.00  20.99  18.12  +3.31  +3.23|  2609  +241
Custer      65  +6  90  38| 0.00  13.28  11.97  -2.34  -1.77|  1502  +137
Hot Springs 71  +4  97  41| 0.00  17.35  15.84  +4.49  +4.47|  2305   +38
Oelrichs    71  +4 101  38| 0.00  17.32  16.21  +3.56  +4.37|  2248  -123
Porcupine   70  +4  99  37| 0.00  16.85  14.98  +3.79  +3.40|  2337   +43
Murdo       74  +7  99  53| 0.00  16.21  14.14  +1.51  +1.70|  2560  +197
Winner      77  +7  97  55| 0.00  19.48  17.05  +0.49  +0.89|  2870  +128
Armour      75  +7  98  46| 0.00  20.02  17.90  +2.14  +2.90|  2816  +195
Centerville 71  +5  92  47| 0.00  20.41  17.85  +1.01  +1.23|  2669  +283
Marion      69  +4  93  47| 0.00  22.80  20.51  +4.39  +5.09|  2484  +143
Pickstown   74  +6  98  52| 0.00  19.26  16.87  +2.14  +2.24|  2684  +119
Vermillion  72  +4  93  46| 0.00  24.33  21.65  +5.20  +5.15|  2981  +261
Yankton     71  +4  94  46| 0.00  20.23  17.23  +1.82  +1.33|  2764  +255


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