Released: October 11, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending October 9, 2005 SD-CW4105 Volume 54 Issue 41

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Precipitation put fieldwork on hold in several areas of the state, with producers welcoming the rain as it helped to improve soil moisture levels and benefit winter wheat emergence. Many areas of the state also reported a hard freeze which has helped to accelerate the dry-down of crops in the field and aid harvest progress. Major farm activities included row crop harvest, seeding of winter wheat, silage harvest, moving hay, machinery maintenance, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 4.9 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:   Temperatures averaged almost 6 degrees below normal last week, with all of the 43 reporting weather stations receiving precipitation. The high temperature for the week was 95 degrees, reported in Vermillion; while the low for the week was 17 degrees, reported in Custer. Precipitation totals varied from 0.19 inch in Yankton to 2.37 inches in Brookings.

SOIL CONDITION:   Last week's rains helped to improve topsoil and subsoil moisture levels. Topsoil moisture rose 11 percentage points, to 74 percent adequate to surplus. Subsoil moisture rose 9 percentage points, to 59 percent adequate to surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Recent rains improved wheat and pasture conditions, as harvest continues. Winter wheat seeding advanced to 92 percent complete. Precipitation helped promote winter wheat emergence, with the crop now 50 percent emerged, just ahead of the five- year average of 49 percent. Corn harvest is 21 percent complete, well ahead of last year's 8 percent, yet slightly behind the five-year average of 22 percent. Corn silage harvest nears completion, with harvest 98 percent complete. Soybean development advanced to 98 percent mature and 59 percent harvested, both ahead of last year and the five-year averages. Sorghum development is also ahead of last year, with 90 percent of the crop rated mature, grain harvest 41 percent complete, and silage harvest 98 percent complete. Sunflower development, while ahead of last year's progress, has fallen behind the five-year average, with the crop rated 65 percent mature and 15 percent harvested.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Last week's precipitation did little to improve range and pasture conditions, with the rating currently at 44 percent good to excellent. Cattle and sheep have remained in mostly good to excellent condition. Stock water supplies showed marginal improvement, with a rating of 62 percent adequate to surplus. Alfalfa harvest wraps up, with the third cutting 92 percent complete.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF OCTOBER 9, 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     16     20   24
Short       8    21    23     22     21   25
Adeq.      82    63    62     58     57   49
Surplus     8     5     4      4      2    2



        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
           AS OF OCTOBER 9, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      7    17     7     16     23    17
Short      19    20    13     25     27    18
Adeq.      67    60    74     55     47    63
Surplus     7     3     6      4      3     2


                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF OCTOBER 9, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Soybeans       4      11     23      44     18
Corn           6      12     21      45     16
Sorghum        2      10     41      45      2
Sunflower      2      13     26      48     11
Alfalfa        7      15     25      44      9
Winter wheat   0       9     31      51      9
Cattle         0       2     11      66     21
Sheep          0       2      8      60     30
Range &                                        
  Pasture      7      18     31      37      7
                  


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF OCTOBER 9, 2005  1/                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 mature              95     87     79      92
 grain harvested     21     14      8      22
 silage harvested    98     95     91      96 
Sorghum       
 mature              90     82     81      88
 grain harvested     41     26     20      39
 silage harvested    98     95     84      86
Soybeans      
 mature              98     89     82      93
 harvested           59     34     38      52 
Sunflower   
 bracts yellow       97     93     93      97
 mature              65     43     60      81
 harvested           15      8      8      30 
Winter wheat
 seeded              92     83     84      86
 emerged             50     33     52      49
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         92     88     91      92

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



SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING OCT. 9, 2005
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      51              Gettysburg   51
Brookings      53              Nisland      52
Caputa         50              Pierre       55
Chamberlain    57              Redfield     51
Cottonwood     52              Watertown    49



	     TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
              WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 9, 2005                 

             TEMPERATURE       -----  PRECIPITATION -----    
             -----------          SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE 
            CURRENT WEEK    CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1 
STATION     AVG DFN HI  LO  WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN 
-------     --  --  --  -- -----  -----  -----  -----  ----- 
Bison       46  -7  83  21| 1.82  18.43  17.66  +3.17  +4.36
Buffalo     42 -11  63  19| 0.60   8.24   8.01  -4.32  -3.37
Dupree      47  -8  71  26| 0.45  16.29  15.17  +1.29  +1.86
Mc Intosh   45  -8  66  26| 0.60  14.46  13.68  -0.51  +0.18
Newell      45  -7  70  22| 0.62  15.88  14.97  +2.38  +2.97
Timber Lake 46  -8  70  24| 0.50  13.57  11.96  -2.31  -1.96
Aberdeen    48  -4  81  33| 0.78  17.38  16.15  +0.54  +1.49
Eureka      47  -5  69  29| 0.64  15.24  14.40  -0.04  +0.70
Faulkton    47  -6  85  29| 0.79  20.15  18.85  +3.34  +4.14
Mobridge    48  -5  82  26| 0.44  14.44  13.31  -0.78  -0.01
Roscoe      45  -8  85  29| 0.51  17.95  16.91  +1.01  +1.89
Britton     46  -7  64  27| 1.26  27.10  26.02 +10.16 +10.79
Clear Lake  46  -7  78  29| 1.96  26.22  24.02  +4.91  +5.62
Sisseton    48  -7  83  32| 1.50  24.25  22.82  +5.60  +6.60
Webster     46  -6  76  27| 1.25  22.87  21.98  +4.04  +5.44
Watertown   47  -5  79  28| 1.01  18.64  17.58  -0.97  +0.50
Faith       46  -8  73  26| 0.49  14.04  12.79  -0.99  -0.43
Milesville  48  -7  77  30| 0.64  18.01  16.38  +1.77  +2.06
Long Valley 49  -7  75  28| 0.50  18.35  16.52  +2.02  +2.06
Philip      50  -6  89  28| 0.60  13.39  12.36  -1.11  -0.50
Rapid City  48  -6  76  29| 0.72  14.29  11.98  -0.58  -0.95
Spearfish   45  -9  88  25| 1.78  17.28  15.39  -2.14  -1.24
Chamberlain 49  -7  87  24| 0.41  21.63  19.38  +5.79  +5.31
Highmore    48  -7  75  24| 0.41  15.49  14.47  -2.29  -1.24
Huron       50  -3  84  29| 0.49  20.98  20.18  +3.09  +5.04
Onida       49  -6  72  27| 0.36  13.97  13.17  -2.48  -0.95
Pierre      50  -5  90  26| 0.23  11.96  11.44  -4.86  -3.34
Brookings   49  -2  82  26| 2.37  30.11  28.46  +9.42  +9.75
Madison     49  -4  81  25| 1.09  25.78  23.96  +4.73  +6.02
Mitchell    50  -5  84  26| 0.87  27.74  25.62  +8.16  +8.67
Sioux Falls 53  -1  86  30| 1.42  27.16  24.29  +6.21  +6.13
Custer      43  -6  77  17| 1.10  15.29  13.98  -1.99  -1.42
Hot Springs 50  -6  80  24| 0.59  18.34  16.83  +3.92  +3.90
Oelrichs    49  -7  92  23| 0.48  18.77  17.66  +3.59  +4.40
Porcupine   48  -5  82  29| 0.50  17.96  16.09  +3.50  +3.11
Murdo       48  -6  93  27| 0.22  17.31  15.24  +1.19  +1.38
Winner      51  -7  86  27| 0.35  21.78  19.35  +0.51  +0.91
Armour      51  -5  84  23| 0.42  25.99  23.87  +5.48  +6.24
Centerville 53  +0  87  29| 0.98  24.49  21.93  +2.22  +2.44
Marion      52  -2  84  28| 1.13  29.87  27.58  +8.27  +8.97
Pickstown   52  -5  88  25| 0.35  23.50  21.11  +3.67  +3.77
Vermillion  56  -2  95  28| 0.90  29.11  26.43  +7.33  +7.28
Yankton     53  -3  89  25| 0.19  26.16  23.16  +5.22  +4.73

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