Return to the List of 2000 Crop Weather Reports

Released: July 3, 2000 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending July 2, 2000 Volume 49 Issue 18

GENERAL:    Moderate temperatures and modest rains have been beneficial, but soil moisture and water supplies are a concern to producers, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities by farmers and ranchers were spraying, cultivating, irrigation, haying, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 5.3 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:    Late week showers gave topsoil moisture a boost, but more frequent rains will be needed to recharge subsoil moisture. Adequate soil moisture conditions exist across most of the state. Areas reporting short or very short topsoil moisture increased by 2 percentage points from last week, and areas reporting short or very short subsoil moisture increased by 6 percentage points. 



    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3     3    0     7     7     0
Short      20    18    3    25    19     2
Adeq.      74    73   64    62    69    66
Surplus     3     6   33     6     5    32

CROPS:    Crops are reported in good condition, but this varies with reports of hail damage and scattered reports of viruses, root rot, rusts, and leaf spots but no grasshoppers. Crops are progressing ahead of last year and the five-year average. Corn average height is now 27 inches, up 7 inches from last week, with 40 percent cultivated twice. At 14 percent ripe, the winter wheat crop is 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Winter wheat turning color jumped to 83 percent, up 34 percentage points from last week and 42 points ahead of the five-year average. Winter rye turning color, at 71 percent complete, is 45 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Oats at 83 percent headed, spring wheat at 92 percent, and barley at 88 percent headed are all well ahead of average. 

 
         CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS JULY 2

ITEM         V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   0       4     22      54     20
Winter Rye     0       5     11      54     30
Alfalfa        5      12     28      46      9
Barley         0       2     10      69     19
Oats           0       4     16      62     18
Spring Wheat   1       3     18      51     27
Corn           0       2     13      60     25
Soybeans       0       2     19      60     19
Sorghum        0       0     13      78      9
Sunflower      0       2     21      62     15
Cattle         0       0      6      69     25
Sheep          0       0      2      61     37
Range & 
   Pasture     2       4     19      59     16

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    Occasional showers and cool temperatures are helping to maintain livestock and pasture in good condition, but lack of moisture in some areas has producers concerned. Water supplies remain mostly adequate, at 75 percent, but can vary widely within a county. Alfalfa weevils continue to infest fields. First cutting of alfalfa is 90 percent complete and second cutting 14. Cool, damp nights have slowed haying; harvesting other hay increased by 13 percentage points to 48 percent complete.

WEATHER:    Showers moved through the state, while local thunderstorms dropped devastating hail and heavy rains. Precipitation at reporting stations ranged from 0.02 to 1.91 inches. Temperatures averaged 6 degrees below normal across the state. A high of 99 degrees was reported in Pierre and Long Valley, while Custer reported the low at 34 degrees. 

             
                 CROP PROGRESS - JULY 2 1/
                                                                                                    
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM              Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                           Percent
Barley  
 boot              99     94     92     81
 headed            88     78     67     50
 turning color     17      2     14     12
 ripe               0      0      0      0
Spring Wheat
 boot              98     91     94     83
 headed            92     80     78     60
 turning color      9      3     21     11
 ripe               0      0      0      0
Oats    
 boot              96     90     88     82
 headed            83     73     66     55
 turning color     24      8     12      7
 ripe               2      0      0      0
Corn    
 ave. height (in.) 27     20     23     20
 1st cult.         88     75     69     71
 2nd cult.         40     17     19     19
 tasseling          2      0      0      1
 silked             0      0      0      0
Sorghum 
 headed             0      0      1      0
Soybeans
 blooming          11      4     15      6
 setting pods       2     NA      0      0
Sunflower
 blooming           0      0      0      3
Winter wheat
 turning color     83     49     69     41
 ripe              14      1      4      5
Winter rye
 turning color     71     33     36     26
 ripe              11      0      0      6
Alfalfa  
 1st cutting       90     85     79     76
 2nd cutting       14      3      9      5
Other hay
 cut               48     35     36     30
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.




             TEMPERATURE       -----  PRECIPITATION -----     GDD BASE 50F
             -----------          SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  ------------
            CURRENT WEEK    CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1 SINCE APRIL 1
STATION     VG DFN  HI  LO  WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN  TOTAL   DFN
-------     --  --  --  -- -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  ----
Bison       66  -4  92  45  0.03  10.35   7.82  +0.10  -0.41    772    +6
Buffalo     65  -4  95  44  0.02   6.86   6.11  -1.33  -0.86    736   +21
Newell      60 -10  90  39  0.41   9.99   8.43  +1.01  +0.99    607  -141
Timber Lake 67  -5  90  45  0.47  12.77   8.35  +2.38  -0.03    797   -43
Aberdeen    66  -5  94  46  1.82  13.79  11.62  +3.80  +3.87    870    +5
Eureka      67  -4  92  47  0.44  14.22  10.27  +4.94  +2.62    814   +35
Faulkton    68  -3  97  49  0.35  11.60   9.45  +1.26  +1.27    971  +140
Mobridge    66  -6  91  46  0.49  12.62  10.02  +2.74  +2.10    792   -67
Britton     68  -3  92  47  0.59  10.04   8.88  -0.06  +0.50    951   +60
Sisseton    68  -4  93  50  1.40  10.04   7.78  -0.90  -0.67    818  -105
Webster     67  -4  90  50  1.34   9.53   7.80  -1.11  -0.50    826   -31
Watertown   66  -6  92  47  1.91  10.20   8.83  -1.40  -0.18    841   -16
Faith       65  -7  93  47  0.09  13.74  10.87  +3.70  +2.69    754  -100
Lead        61  -4  86  37  0.43  17.98  11.59  +0.01  -1.04    559   +64
Long Valley 69  -4  99  45  0.31  11.60   7.72  +1.14  -0.81    931   +20
Philip      66  -8  98  45  0.45   9.73   7.63  +0.33  -0.09    862   -93
Rapid City  64  -6  93  41  0.33  14.66  10.98  +4.85  +3.16    747   +13
Chamberlain 67  -8  97  47  0.31   7.92   6.97  -1.90  -1.03    905  -143
Highmore    68  -4  94  49  0.65  11.33   9.70  +0.64  +1.15    986   +66
Huron       67  -6  95  46  0.65  10.42   9.32  -0.94  +0.77    996   +71
Pierre      68  -6  99  49  0.86   7.06   5.84  -3.77  -2.90   1065   +96
Brookings   65  -5  89  45  1.22  13.65  11.44  +1.94  +1.77    793   +14
Madison     65  -6  89  46  0.27  13.25  11.36  +0.85  +2.14    859    -3
Mitchell    66  -8  96  43  0.86  11.54   8.21  -0.69  -1.32    990   -51
Sioux Falls 67  -7  87  48  0.77  14.12  11.46  +2.08  +2.28    937   -19
Custer      57  -7  86  34  0.69   8.37   7.25  -2.04  -1.24    422    -4
Hot Springs 65  -6  95  38  0.07   9.39   7.21  +0.37  -0.28    803   -59
Porcupine   64  -8  96  42  0.48  13.81   9.47  +4.55  +1.73    739  -117
Murdo       67  -6  95  46  0.56  10.58   8.30  -0.11  -0.07    885   -17
Winner      69  -7  92  47  1.25  10.67   9.79  -2.58  -0.57   1118   -11
Armour      70  -5  93  48  0.65   9.53   7.46  -3.11  -2.23   1142   +50
Vermillion  69  -6  88  49  0.50  10.54   8.24  -2.40  -2.01   1200    +6
Yankton     68  -6  88  49  1.33  11.58   8.69  -0.98  -1.31   1079   +33

 
Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches.
Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit.


 
 
 
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
 

Return to the List of 2000 Crop Weather Reports