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Released: May 8, 2000 -- 3:00 p.m For Week Ending May 7, 2000 Volume 49 Issue 10

GENERAL:    Hot, windy days dried out topsoil, until a band of showers moved through Saturday and Sunday, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statis tics Service. Major activities by farmers and ranchers were preparing fields, planting small grains and row crops, and moving cattle to pasture. Statewide, there were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

SOIL CONDITIONS: Reports on soil moisture varied widely; from dry topsoil and subsoil, to perfect for crop growth and development, to too wet to work. Lack of subsoil moisture is still a concern, as 37 percent of the state rated short or very short. There are several reports of springs, wells, and stock dams going dry. 

SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON MAY 7

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      5     4    0     6     9     0
Short      25    19    1    31    27     0
Adeq.      64    72   43    57    59    53
Surplus     6     5   56     6     5    47

CROPS:    Farmers jumped at the opportunity to plant crops, racing through small grains and corn and starting on soybeans ahead of schedule. Seeding of small grains neared completion, with spring wheat, barley, and oats all over 90 percent seeded and all at least 40 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Corn, at 63 percent planted, is 45 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Soybeans, now 18 percent planted, are off to a quick start, as well. Winter wheat is reported looking very good, with 80 percent rated in good to excellent condition. The rains of Saturday and Sunday were very timely for both the small grains and row crops. There are many reports of early weed and insect development. 

     CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - MAY 7

ITEM        V POOR   POOR   FAIR    GOOD  EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   0       3     17      62     18
Winter Rye     0       6     15      53     26
Cattle         0       0      5      76     19
Sheep          0       0      6      74     20
Range & 
   Pasture     1       4     31      52     12

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    Pastures and alfalfa look very good across most of the state. Timely rains and warm days have pastures greened-up, with cattle moved to pasture at 38 percent completed. Cattle and calves were rated 95 percent in good to excellent condition. Calving is 88 percent complete, with very little sickness reported. Lambing is 89 percent complete.

WEATHER:    Statewide, temperatures ranged from 7 to 14 degrees above normal. Average temperatures ranged from 56 degrees at Custer to 68 degrees at Armour and Vermillion. Pierre had the high at 97 degrees, while Porcupine had the low temperature of 27 degrees. Precipitation was highly variable, with 15 stations reporting 0.11 or less and three over 1 inch. 

             

      CROP PROGRESS - MAY 7 1/
                                                                                                    
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
 
                         Percent
Barley  
 seeded            91     76     64     43
 emerged           72     38     30     18
Spring Wheat
 seeded            96     83     79     53
 emerged           79     47     49     25
Oats    
 seeded            90     75     66     50
 emerged           63     43     33     22
Corn    
 planted           63     24     16     19
 emerged            8      1      0     NA
Sorghum 
 seeded             6      0      0      4
Soybeans
 planted           18      2      1      2
 emerged            1      0      0     NA
Winter wheat
 boot               9      6     50     17
Winter rye
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.






               SOIL TEMPERATURES         
WEEK ENDING MAY 7  (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
Beresford      58              Gettysburg   59
Brookings      56              Nisland      57
Caputa         56              Pierre       59
Chamberlain    61              Redfield     57
Cottonwood     58              Watertown    56






             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       62 +11  83  42| 1.24   6.20   3.67  +1.35  +0.84|   154   +80
Buffalo     61 +11  83  42| 0.16   2.51   1.76  -0.63  -0.16|   149   +81
Newell      58  +7  86  34| 0.21   4.54   2.98  +0.83  +0.81|    94   +21
Timber Lake 62 +10  83  38| 1.03   7.59   3.17  +2.87  +0.46|   135   +47
Aberdeen    63 +11  92  32| 0.23   4.62   2.45  -0.07  +0.00|   159   +61
Eureka      65 +13  91  37| 1.04   6.26   2.31  +2.20  -0.12|   156   +82
Faulkton    63 +12  92  40| 0.14   5.40   3.25  +0.56  +0.57|   173   +93
Mobridge    62 +10  88  34| 0.03   3.99   1.39  -0.64  -1.28|   143   +56
Britton     67 +14  92  38| 0.11   2.96   1.80  -1.15  -0.59|   177   +75
Sisseton    65 +12  93  39| 0.48   5.14   2.88  -0.27  -0.04|   158   +50
Webster     65 +12  88  39| 0.08   4.01   2.28  -0.76  -0.15|   149   +57
Watertown   63 +11  89  33| 0.27   3.03   1.66  -2.39  -1.17|   157   +73
Faith       62 +10  85  44| 0.34   7.02   4.15  +2.57  +1.56|   147   +55
Lead        58 +12  83  35| 0.78  12.57   6.18  +2.31  +1.26|    66   +34
Long Valley 64 +10  93  38| 0.67   8.08   4.20  +3.46  +1.51|   158   +57
Philip      62  +8  93  37| 0.07   6.01   3.91  +2.01  +1.59|   159   +49
Rapid City  62 +11  92  35| 0.10  10.82   7.14  +6.36  +4.67|   132   +62
Chamberlain 63  +8  92  38| 0.34   3.49   2.54  -1.02  -0.15|   169   +40
Highmore    66 +12  92  37| 0.26   5.14   3.51  +0.08  +0.59|   173   +73
Huron       65 +12  92  36| 0.29   3.03   1.93  -2.46  -0.75|   194   +91
Pierre      66 +13  97  41| 0.02   2.45   1.23  -2.31  -1.44|   217  +108
Brookings   62 +10  88  32| 0.02   3.73   1.52  -0.96  -1.13|   123   +52
Madison     64 +11  87  39| 0.00   3.78   1.89  -2.40  -1.11|   150   +61
Mitchell    64  +9  91  41| 0.10   5.59   2.26  -0.20  -0.83|   176   +51
Sioux Falls 65 +11  86  34| 0.08   5.24   2.58  -0.79  -0.59|   172   +65
Custer      56 +10  82  29| 0.11   5.13   4.01  +0.67  +1.47|    55   +29
Hot Springs 63 +10  91  30| 0.00   6.51   4.33  +2.74  +2.09|   125   +16
Porcupine   61  +8  93  27| 0.44   9.37   5.03  +5.59  +2.77|   118   +36
Murdo       64 +12  94  42| 0.30   6.80   4.52  +1.72  +1.76|   156   +67
Winner      67 +11  94  38| 0.25   3.61   2.73  -2.84  -0.83|   215   +59
Armour      68 +12  89  41| 0.02   3.40   1.33  -2.54  -1.66|   232   +84
Vermillion  68 +11  87  36| 0.00   4.41   2.11  -1.41  -1.02|   248   +68
Yankton     66 +11  89  41| 0.04   5.07   2.18  -0.31  -0.64|   196   +66

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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