Released: October 24, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week Ending October 23, 2005 SD-CW4305 Volume 54 Issue 43

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Good weather last week allowed producers to significantly advance harvest progress, which is now ahead of normal for corn, soybeans, and sorghum. Farmers and ranchers throughout the state have begun weaning calves, with many utilizing field residue as an additional food source. Major farm activities included row crop harvest, moving hay and grain, machinery maintenance, moving cattle to field residue, 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:   Average temperatures were in the upper 40's and lower 50's last week. The high temperature for the week was 87 degrees, reported in Vermillion and Yankton; while the low for the week was 12 degrees, reported in Custer and Oelrichs. Precipitation was very minimal last week, with only 16 of the 43 reporting weather stations receiving moisture.

SOIL CONDITION:   Dry weather last week caused both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels to fall two percentage points in the adequate to surplus categories. Topsoil moisture throughout the state is currently rated at 67 percent adequate to surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated at 56 percent adequate to surplus, below last year's rating of 65 percent adequate to surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Row crop harvest remains well ahead of last year's pace, with corn, soybean, and sorghum harvest also ahead of the five-year average. Corn harvest is 52 percent complete, ahead of last year's 20 percent and the five-year average of 47 percent. Soybean harvest advanced 10 percentage points last week, with harvest now 94 percent complete. Sorghum harvest advanced to 86 percent complete, well ahead of last year's 52 percent. Sunflower progress is slightly behind normal, with 93 percent rated mature and 61 percent harvested, compared to the five-year averages of 97 percent mature and 62 percent harvested. Recent mild weather has been beneficial to winter wheat emergence with a current rating of 85 percent, ahead of last year's 77 percent and the five-year average of 74 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Livestock remain in mostly good to excellent condition with the recent weather providing a mild transition to fall. Range and pasture conditions show little change from the previous week, with farmers and ranchers reporting moving cattle to field residues as an additional feed source. Stock water supplies are currently rated at 60 percent adequate to surplus, with feed supplies rated at 90 percent adequate to surplus.

          FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF OCTOBER 23, 2005 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3    12    11     16     20   26
Short       7    20    22     24     19   23
Adeq.      82    60    62     57     58   49
Surplus     8     8     5      3      3    2



        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
           AS OF OCTOBER 23, 2005 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     10    10     6     18     18    15
Short      23    21    17     26     24    20
Adeq.      63    64    73     52     53    63
Surplus     4     5     4      4      5     2


                        
          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
              AS OF OCTOBER 23, 2005 

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Corn           5      10     21      48     16
Sorghum        8      11     32      46      3
Sunflower      4      12     26      48     10
Alfalfa        8      12     30      42      8
Winter wheat   1      12     40      41      6
Cattle         0       2     12      66     20
Sheep          0       2      7      62     29
Range &                                        
  Pasture      8      15     30      41      6
                  


      CROP PROGRESS AS OF OCTOBER 23, 2005  1/                                                                         
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 grain harvested     52     32     20      47
Sorghum       
 grain harvested     86     64     52      71
Soybeans      
 harvested           94     84     88      90 
Sunflower   
 mature              93     85     90      97
 harvested           61     39     27      62 
Winter wheat
 emerged             85     69     77      74

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



SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING OCT. 23, 2005
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      50              Gettysburg   52
Brookings      51              Nisland      53
Caputa         49              Pierre       54
Chamberlain    55              Redfield     56
Cottonwood     52              Watertown    48



	     TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
              WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 23, 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       48  +2  71  29| 0.00  18.53  17.76  +2.82  +4.01
Buffalo     50  +5  75  26| 0.00   8.24   8.01  -4.74  -3.79
Dupree      46  -2  76  19| 0.00  16.29  15.17  +0.79  +1.36
Mc Intosh   47  +1  73  23| 0.00  14.46  13.68  -0.97  -0.28
Newell      49  +4  76  17| 0.00  15.88  14.97  +1.89  +2.48
Timber Lake 46  -1  74  20| 0.00  13.57  11.96  -2.84  -2.49
Aberdeen    48  +3  81  23| 0.03  17.54  16.31  +0.22  +1.17
Eureka      46  +2  75  27| 0.00  15.29  14.45  -0.55  +0.19
Faulkton    49  +3  81  24| 0.00  20.33  19.03  +2.96  +3.76
Mobridge    50  +4  83  27| 0.00  14.45  13.32  -1.26  -0.49
Roscoe      48  +2  77  23| 0.00  18.15  17.11  +0.68  +1.56
Britton     49  +3  74  29| 0.00  27.29  26.21  +9.76 +10.39
Clear Lake  48  +2  79  28| 0.04  26.34  24.14  +4.14  +4.85
Sisseton    51  +4  81  28| 0.04  24.33  22.90  +4.98  +5.98
Webster     46  +1  76  24| 0.00  22.95  22.06  +3.46  +4.86
Watertown   49  +4  78  27| 0.02  18.72  17.66  -1.75  -0.28
Faith       52  +5  78  30| 0.00  14.08  12.83  -1.43  -0.87
Milesville  48  +0  81  24| 0.00  18.01  16.38  +1.21  +1.50
Long Valley 48  -1  81  21| 0.00  18.51  16.68  +1.74  +1.78
Philip      51  +3  85  23| 0.02  13.41  12.38  -1.57  -0.96
Rapid City  52  +5  81  20| 0.00  14.35  12.04  -1.02  -1.39
Spearfish   49  +2  74  18| 0.00  17.54  15.65  -2.64  -1.74
Chamberlain 52  +4  85  27| 0.00  21.70  19.45  +5.30  +4.82
Highmore    48  +1  81  27| 0.00  15.54  14.52  -2.86  -1.81
Huron       50  +4  83  26| 0.01  21.04  20.24  +2.47  +4.42
Onida       48  +0  79  27| 0.00  14.01  13.21  -2.99  -1.46
Pierre      52  +4  82  27| 0.00  12.01  11.49  -5.35  -3.83
Brookings   47  +4  79  26| 0.08  30.26  28.61  +8.83  +9.16
Madison     47  +2  80  25| 0.06  25.87  24.05  +4.01  +5.30
Mitchell    50  +2  83  28| 0.00  27.84  25.72  +7.62  +8.13
Sioux Falls 50  +4  81  26| 0.02  27.22  24.35  +5.50  +5.42
Custer      46  +3  73  12| 0.00  15.33  14.02  -2.38  -1.81
Hot Springs 49  -1  77  16| 0.05  18.85  17.34  +4.00  +3.98
Oelrichs    50  +2  82  12| 0.01  19.18  18.07  +3.56  +4.37
Porcupine   49  +3  82  14| 0.00  18.18  16.31  +3.29  +2.90
Murdo       53  +6  82  29| 0.00  17.44  15.37  +0.73  +0.92
Winner      53  +3  83  30| 0.00  21.98  19.55  +0.06  +0.46
Armour      50  +2  85  26| 0.03  26.16  24.04  +4.98  +5.74
Centerville 51  +4  85  27| 0.08  24.68  22.12  +1.65  +1.87
Marion      50  +3  83  27| 0.05  30.06  27.77  +7.72  +8.42
Pickstown   51  +2  86  29| 0.12  23.79  21.40  +3.32  +3.42
Vermillion  52  +3  87  24| 0.00  29.11  26.43  +6.56  +6.51
Yankton     51  +3  87  28| 0.10  26.42  23.42  +4.78  +4.29

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