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Released: July 24, 2000 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending July 23, 2000 Volume 49 Issue 21

GENERAL:    Moderate temperatures during the week brought relief to livestock and crops, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities by farmers and ranchers were cultivat ing, spraying, irrigation, haying, caring for livestock, and small grain harvest. Statewide, there were 4.8 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:    Soil moisture conditions remained almost unchanged from the previous week. Areas having adequate or surplus topsoil moisture are at 69 percent, and areas having adequate or surplus subsoil moisture conditions are at 65 percent. Cool tempera tures and showers through last week helped maintain current moisture levels. 



    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON JULY 23

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      8     8    0    12    12     0
Short      23    23    8    23    26     5
Adeq.      64    62   75    61    58    77
Surplus     5     7   17     4     4    18

CROPS:    A week of below normal temperatures brought much needed relief to heat stressed crops. The majority of small grains and row crops remain in fair to excellent condition, with most crop development ahead of last year and five-year averages. Corn is now 40 percent silked, up 25 percentage points from last week. Seventy-seven percent of soybeans are blooming, with 34 percent setting pods. Sorghum is 22 percent headed, but with no coloring yet, is behind the five-year average. Six percent of sunflower are blooming. Cool temperatures and rain slowed small grain harvest. Winter wheat jumped to 65 percent harvested, oats are 23 percent harvested, winter rye is 22 percent, barley is 8 percent, and spring wheat is 7 percent harvested, all well ahead of the five-year average. 

 
            CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS JULY 23

ITEM         V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       5     22      51     21
Winter Rye     0       1      6      54     39
Alfalfa        6      11     24      49     10
Barley         0       1     10      72     17
Oats           0       2     17      62     19
Spring Wheat   1       3     14      56     26
Corn           2       5     15      47     31
Soybeans       1       5     15      54     25
Sorghum        1       5     26      63      5
Sunflower      0       1     20      62     17
Cattle         0       0      8      70     22
Sheep          0       1     10      63     26
Range & 
   Pasture     4       8     22      51     15

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    Cool temperatures throughout the week helped livestock remain in fair to excellent condition. Cattle rated 92 percent in good to excellent condition for the week and sheep 89 percent in good to excellent condition. Quantity and quality of livestock water is becoming an increasing concern. As precipitation has generally kept the pastures green, small amounts of runoff have been unable to maintain stock water supplies. Second cutting of alfalfa is now 61 percent complete, well ahead of the five-year average. Other hay harvesting is 79 percent complete.

WEATHER:    Cooler temperatures covered the state last week, with scattered showers and some reports of hail. Temperatures ranged from 6 to 14 degrees below normal. A low of 42 degrees was reported in Brookings, and a high of 95 degrees was reported in Hot Springs. Precipitation varied throughout the state, with Custer receiving 2.01 inches. 

             
                 CROP PROGRESS - JULY 23 1/
                                                                                                    
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM              Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                           Percent
Barley  
 turning color     90     84     67     63
 ripe              56     22     23     16
 harvested          8      0      3      3
Spring Wheat
 turning color     92     85     78     63
 ripe              50     20     23     15
 harvested          7      0      3      3
Oats    
 turning color     90     81     75     65
 ripe              62     37     35     29
 harvested         23      4     15      9
Corn    
 2nd cult.         92     72     89     89
 tasseling         66     18     38     29
 silked            40     15     20     14
 dough              2      0      1      1
Sorghum 
 headed            22      5     17      9
 coloring           0      0      7      2
Soybeans
 blooming          77     45     53     49
 setting pods      34     22     18     14
Sunflower
 blooming           6      1      6     10
Winter wheat
 ripe              95     83     92     72
 harvested         65     33     60     32
Winter rye
 ripe              77     52     67     66
 harvested         22      4     10     15 
Alfalfa  
 2nd cutting       61     44     47     46
Other hay
 cut               79     65     67     66

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       67  -7  90  53 1.22  12.38   9.85  +0.69  +0.18  1259   +30
Buffalo     66  -7  85  51 0.74   8.61   7.86  -0.83  -0.36  1221   +58
Newell      63 -11  81  47 0.80  10.98   9.42  +0.77  +0.75  1071  -149
Timber Lake 65  -9  83  50 1.79  15.29  10.87  +3.54  +1.13  1255   -61
Aberdeen    61 -14  77  47 0.86  16.84  14.67  +4.96  +5.03  1309   -31
Eureka      63 -10  85  48 1.95  16.70  12.75  +5.79  +3.47  1266   +33
Faulkton    65  -9  84  52 0.79  12.77  10.62  +0.86  +0.87  1485  +173
Mobridge    63 -12  82  50 1.43  14.06  11.46  +2.80  +2.16  1256   -96
Britton     63 -11  82  49 1.53  14.66  13.50  +2.78  +3.34  1422   +55
Sisseton    61 -14  79  45 1.44  14.39  12.13  +1.59  +1.82  1236  -176
Webster     61 -13  79  49 0.47  13.33  11.60  +0.52  +1.13  1260   -63
Watertown   60 -14  76  46 0.43  13.46  12.09  -0.23  +0.99  1283   -46
Faith       65 -10  83  54 1.63  15.54  12.67  +3.90  +2.89  1238  -114
Lead        63  -6  90  47 0.00  19.19  12.80  -0.39  -1.44   938   +68
Long Valley 69  -7  90  52 0.80  13.73   9.85  +1.38  -0.57  1473   +42
Philip      66 -11  85  52 0.57  10.35   8.25  -0.66  -1.08  1374  -119
Rapid City  65  -9  85  50 0.54  16.70  13.02  +5.50  +3.81  1231   +31
Chamberlain 66 -12  89  51 0.43  10.49   9.54  -1.06  -0.19  1437  -167
Highmore    66 -10  86  51 0.77  13.62  11.99  +0.88  +1.39  1508   +75
Huron       64 -12  82  48 0.43  13.29  12.19  +0.08  +1.79  1511   +73
Pierre      67 -10  87  54 1.11   8.52   7.30  -4.13  -3.26  1627  +114
Brookings   60 -11  78  42 0.10  15.31  13.10  +1.31  +1.14  1228   +13
Madison     62 -12  80  44 0.37  16.16  14.27  +1.66  +2.95  1328    -1
Mitchell    64 -14  80  48 0.27  12.98   9.65  -0.95  -1.58  1512   -62
Sioux Falls 63 -13  83  46 0.37  17.23  14.57  +3.37  +3.57  1416   -51
Custer      59  -8  78  46 2.01  12.18  11.06  -0.50  +0.30   762    -2
Hot Springs 67  -8  95  49 0.71  10.19   8.01  -0.68  -1.33  1314   -41
Porcupine   65 -12  86  49 0.57  14.87  10.53  +3.79  +0.97  1210  -162
Murdo       66 -11  83  53 1.82  13.91  11.63  +1.50  +1.54  1404   -22
Winner      69 -10  87  53 0.36  12.48  11.60  -3.18  -1.17  1671   -27
Armour      67 -10  88  50 0.47  10.10   8.03  -4.72  -3.84  1709   +74
Vermillion  67 -10  81  46 0.38  12.84  10.54  -2.27  -1.88  1730   -13
Yankton     66 -10  85  51 0.66  13.53  10.64  -1.18  -1.51  1610   +34

 
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
 

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