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Released: May 1, 2000 -- 3:00 p.m For Week Ending April 30, 2000 Volume 49 Issue 9

GENERAL:    Easter Monday saw a flurry of intense field and livestock activity before rains moved in, slowing field work across most of the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Southeastern counties were dry enough for seeding corn and soybeans. Major activities by farmers and ranchers were working on machinery, fertilizing and spraying fields, tillage, planting small grains, working cattle and calves, and fencing. Statewide, there were 4.1 days suitable for field work. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

SOIL CONDITIONS: Warmer, moister soils will provide farmers with excellent seed beds and speed up emer gence. Topsoil moisture, as of Sunday, was rated 77 percent adequate or surplus, with short and very short decreasing by 3 percentage points. 

SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
          This  Last Last  This  Last  Last
RATING    Week  Week Year  Week  Week  Year

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      4     5    0     9     8     0
Short      19    21    3    27    34     1
Adeq.      72    69   65    59    54    67
Surplus     5     5   32     5     4    32

CROPS:    Wet soils slowed planting last week while in the drier southeast corn seeding got underway in earnest. Seeding of small grains made good progress with spring wheat, barley, and oats jumping 11, 25, and 12 percentage points, respectively. All are ahead of last year and the five-year average rate of seeding. Emergence of small grains was enhanced by favorable temperatures and soil moisture. Corn planting advanced significantly, with 24 percent of the acreage now seeded, compared to 5 percent a year ago. Farmers are reporting problems with both army and pale western cutworms. 


        CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR    GOOD  EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   0       3     21      62     14
Winter Rye     0       7     18      55     20
Cattle         0       0      7      73     20
Sheep          0       0      3      75     22
Range & 
   Pasture     1       4     30      52     13

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    Pastures look very good across most of the state, as rains and warm weather push them along. Recent precipitation has replenished stock dams, with 91 percent rated at adequate or surplus. Movement of cattle to pastures jumped to 19 percent completed by week's end. Cattle and calves were in mostly good to excellent condition. Calving is 81 percent complete. Lambing is 83 percent complete.

WEATHER:    Statewide, temperatures ranged from 2 degrees below normal at Newell to 8 degrees above normal at Faulkton. Average temperatures ranged from 44 degrees at Custer to 57 degrees at several stations. The lowest temperature, 27 degrees, was recorded at Custer. Yankton, at 80 degrees, was the warmest. Precipitation in the forms of rain, hail, and snow was reported. All stations reported precipitation, with western counties receiving the most. Most of the southeast remains drier than normal. 

             

      CROP PROGRESS - APRIL 9 1/
                                                                                                    
     This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
 
                         Percent
Barley  
 seeded            76     51     47     38
 emerged           38      6     13      8
Spring Wheat
 seeded            83     72     68     41
 emerged           47     25     26     13
Oats    
 seeded            75     63     49     36
 emerged           43     19     17     12
Corn    
 planted           24      3      5      6
 emerged            1      0      5     NA
Soybeans
 planted            2     NA      0      0
Winter wheat
 boot               6      1     46     NA
Winter rye
 boot               1      1      6      2
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.






               SOIL TEMPERATURES         
WEEK ENDING APRIL 16  (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

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






             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       53  +4  65  36| 1.96   4.91   2.38  +0.65  +0.14|    59   +12
Buffalo     52  +4  66  39| 1.16   2.35   1.60  -0.30  +0.17|    68   +24
Newell      48  -2  73  30| 1.04   4.51   2.95  +1.33  +1.31|    24   -23
Timber Lake 53  +4  67  36| 0.53   6.56   2.14  +2.43  +0.02|    47    -8
Aberdeen    56  +5  72  36| 0.40   4.39   2.22  +0.19  +0.26|    57    -5
Eureka      55  +6  68  34| 0.72   5.22   1.27  +1.65  -0.67|    52    +8
Faulkton    57  +8  76  37| 0.48   5.26   3.11  +0.98  +0.99|    77   +29
Mobridge    55  +5  71  32| 0.30   3.96   1.36  -0.11  -0.75|    56    +3
Britton     55  +5  71  36| 0.87   2.85   1.69  -0.74  -0.18|    56    -8
Sisseton    55  +5  73  35| 0.76   4.66   2.40  -0.12  +0.11|    48   -19
Webster     54  +4  69  39| 0.94   3.93   2.20  -0.28  +0.33|    44   -12
Watertown   55  +5  71  33| 0.42   2.76   1.39  -2.03  -0.81|    57    +7
Faith       53  +2  69  36| 2.80   6.68   3.81  +2.85  +1.84|    61    +1
Lead        45  +1  62  32| 1.14  11.79   5.40  +2.51  +1.46|     7   -13
Long Valley 53  +2  75  35| 1.12   7.41   3.53  +3.35  +1.40|    61    -4
Philip      54  +2  74  30| 1.20   5.94   3.84  +2.50  +2.08|    73    +2
Rapid City  51  +2  67  35| 1.98  10.72   7.04  +6.82  +5.13|    48    +4
Chamberlain 54  +2  77  35| 0.83   3.15   2.20  -0.75  +0.12|    71   -12
Highmore    54  +4  71  33| 1.12   4.88   3.25  +0.40  +0.91|    64    +2
Huron       56  +5  75  34| 0.44   2.74   1.64  -2.18  -0.47|    83   +17
Pierre      57  +5  76  37| 0.34   2.43   1.21  -1.77  -0.90|   101   +31
Brookings   52  +3  72  35| 0.56   3.71   1.50  -0.42  -0.59|    36    -6
Madison     54  +4  73  35| 0.96   3.78   1.89  -1.78  -0.49|    50    -3
Mitchell    56  +3  76  39| 0.68   5.49   2.16  +0.33  -0.30|    76    -2
Sioux Falls 54  +3  73  35| 0.56   5.16   2.50  -0.24  -0.04|    64    -4
Custer      44  +0  59  27| 1.53   5.02   3.90  +1.19  +1.99|     6   -12
Hot Springs 51  +0  68  28| 1.74   6.51   4.33  +3.31  +2.66|    35   -41
Porcupine   52  +3  73  32| 1.54   8.93   4.59  +5.71  +2.89|    36   -15
Murdo       54  +4  73  41| 2.23   6.50   4.22  +1.98  +2.02|    54    +1
Winner      55  +1  74  33| 1.39   3.36   2.48  -2.29  -0.28|    95    -9
Armour      55  +2  77  37| 0.41   3.38   1.31  -1.93  -1.05|    98    +1
Vermillion  57  +2  78  39| 0.68   4.41   2.11  -0.69  -0.30|   122    +1
Yankton     56  +3  80  38| 0.45   5.03   2.14  +0.34  +0.01|    87    +4

bar chart showing crop progress compared to the last 10 years


 
 
 
South Dakota county map showing topsoil moisture South Dakota county map showing subsoil moisture

Topsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
Subsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
 

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