Return to the List of 2000 Crop Weather Reports

Released: August 28, 2000 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending August 27, 2000 Volume 49 Issue 26

GENERAL:    Warm temperatures and dry weather continued to put stress on crops and deplete water supplies and soil moisture levels, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities by farmers and ranchers were irrigation, haying, caring for livestock, and harvesting silage. Statewide, there were 6.0 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 continue to decline across the state. Fifty-seven percent of the state had short or very short topsoil moisture condi tions, compared to 48 percent last week. Subsoil moisture conditions rated 56 percent short or very short, up 8 percentage points from last week. 



    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON AUGUST 27

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     19    17   21    20    18     8
Short      38    31   39    36    30    38
Adeq.      39    47   37    42    47    50
Surplus     4     5    3     2     5     4

CROPS:    Warm weather conditions continued to develop crops ahead of average. Eighty-three percent of corn is in the dough stage, compared to the five-year average of 64 percent. Forty-two percent of the corn is dented and 9 percent considered mature, both ahead of average. Soybeans dropping leaves are at 12 percent, 8 percentage points ahead of last week. Sorghum is 46 percent turning color, with 4 percent mature, both ahead of average. Sunflower bracts yellowing, at 33 percent, and sunflower rated mature, at 3 percent, are also ahead of last year and average. Corn silage is 10 percent harvested, and sorghum silage is 16 percent harvested. Winter wheat and winter rye are 2 percent seeded. 

 
            CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS AUGUST 27

ITEM         V POOR  POOR   FAIR    GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa       11      18     30      34      7
Corn           5      10     23      40     22
Soybeans       2      10     22      43     23
Sorghum        5      26     33      30      6
Sunflower      5      14     31      38     12
Cattle         0       1     15      63     21
Sheep          0       1     12      59     28
Range & 
   Pasture     6      19     35      34      6

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    With range and pasture conditions declining, many producers have been forced to supplement feed for their livestock. Water supplies continue to be a concern as well. Flies have also been a problem in some areas, but cattle are rated 84 percent in good to excellent condition and sheep 61 percent in good to excellent condition. Second cutting of alfalfa is 93 percent complete, and third cutting is 45 percent harvested. Other hay harvested nears completion, with 95 percent now harvested.

WEATHER:    High temperatures passed through the state last week, allowing for many places to reach temperatures of 100+ degrees. Temperatures ranged from 2 to 10 degrees above normal, with a high of 107 degrees in Pierre. Precipitation for last week was scarce, with most stations reporting less than .3 inch. 

             
                 CROP PROGRESS - AUGUST 27 1/
                                                                                                    
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM              Week   Week   Year    Ave
                           Percent
Corn    
 dough             83     74     83     64
 dented            42     27     39     27
 mature             9      5      1      4
 silage harvested  10      6      2      2
Sorghum 
 headed            93     89     87     90
 coloring          46     35     32     29
 mature             4      3      1      2
 silage harvested  16     11      3      3
Soybeans
 setting pods      96     92     93     94
 dropping leaves   12      4     12      8
 mature             0      0      0      1
Sunflower
 ray flowers dry   56     34     44     44
 bracts yellow     33     17     31     27
 mature             3      0      0      2
Winter wheat
 seeded             2      2      2      2
 emerged            0      0      0      1 
Winter rye
 seeded             2      0      3      5
 emerged            0      0      0      2  
Alfalfa  
 2nd cutting       93     90     90     90
 3rd cutting       45     43     37     NA
Other hay
 cut               95     92     91     91

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       75  +7 102  47| 0.00  13.43  10.90  -0.04  -0.55|  2157  +174
Buffalo     76  +9 105  46| 0.00   9.17   8.42  -1.69  -1.22|  2134  +250
Dupree      77  +7 102  52| 0.04  15.65  11.88  +2.33  +0.30|  2165    -9
McIntosh    73  +5  98  47| 0.10  14.73   8.46  +1.75  -3.00|  1997   -41
Newell      72  +4  97  48| 0.10  12.49  10.93  +0.68  +0.66|  1854  -120
Timber Lake 74  +6  95  49| 0.08  15.45  11.03  +1.43  -0.98|  2095   +18
Aberdeen    70  +2  88  50| 0.19  18.15  15.98  +3.79  +3.86|  2058   -39
Eureka      72  +6  91  53| 0.16  17.62  13.67  +4.35  +2.03|  2073  +115
Faulkton    75  +8  94  54| 0.37  18.91  16.76  +4.35  +4.36|  2345  +293
Mobridge    74  +6  95  52| 0.12  14.73  12.13  +1.44  +0.80|  2131    -1
Roscoe      71  +3  91  53| 0.16  21.01  17.42  +6.15  +4.54|  1913  -142
Britton     73  +5  89  55| 0.75  16.56  15.40  +2.19  +2.78|  2246  +110
Clear Lake  69  +2  84  51| 0.22  14.18  12.29  -3.94  -2.86|  1914  -147
Sisseton    70  +2  91  48| 0.21  16.43  14.17  +0.46  +0.69|  1989  -191
Webster     71  +4  86  55| 0.00  14.43  12.70  -1.74  -1.13|  2016   -39
Watertown   71  +4  86  48| 0.09  14.89  13.52  -1.91  -0.69|  2012   -57
Faith       76  +7 104  49| 0.00  16.74  13.87  +3.41  +2.40|  2147   -14
Milesville  78  +8 103  55| 0.05  13.86  10.27  -0.35  -1.97|  2284   -17
Long Valley 77  +7 102  55| 0.03  14.90  11.02  +0.35  -1.60|  2413  +147
Philip      78  +7 106  55| 0.14  10.56   8.46  -2.32  -2.74|  2334   -33
Rapid City  76  +8 101  54| 0.12  17.40  13.72  +4.27  +2.58|  2141  +190
Spearfish   73  +7  99  53| 0.00  13.16  10.97  -3.83  -3.16|  1955   +92
Chamberlain 75  +4  99  61| 0.86  12.68  11.73  -1.33  -0.46|  2358  -135
Highmore    76  +7  96  59| 0.24  14.50  12.87  -1.00  -0.49|  2419  +163
Huron       75  +6  97  58| 0.20  14.81  13.71  -0.71  +1.00|  2361  +124
Onida       75  +5  94  57| 2.66  16.15  14.54  +1.60  +2.38|  2179  -144
Pierre      80 +10 107  60| 0.03   8.86   7.64  -5.81  -4.94|  2656  +271
Brookings   68  +2  84  52| 0.09  17.09  14.88  -0.07  -0.24|  1917   +40
Madison     70  +3  85  54| 0.09  18.86  16.97  +1.06  +2.35|  2069   +23
Mitchell    72  +3  94  60| 0.32  17.29  13.96  +0.86  +0.23|  2335   -66
Sioux Falls 72  +3  87  56| 0.18  20.42  17.76  +3.45  +3.65|  2194   -57
Custer      69  +8  91  50| 0.06  13.08  11.96  -2.13  -1.33|  1420  +128
Hot Springs 74  +5  97  53| 0.00  10.84   8.66  -1.74  -2.39|  2170   +24
Oelrichs    76  +6 102  51| 0.05  12.86  10.30  -0.56  -1.15|  2226   -17
Porcupine   73  +4 100  52| 0.04  15.52  11.18  +2.70  -0.12|  2067  -109
Murdo       77  +8 102  59| 0.01  14.15  11.87  -0.27  -0.23|  2337   +96
Winner      79  +7 102  59| 0.35  13.70  12.82  -4.79  -2.78|  2642   +42
Armour      74  +4  92  63| 1.13  14.21  12.14  -3.05  -2.17|  2603  +115
Centerville 72  +4  88  59| 0.63  16.99  13.76  -1.75  -2.14|  2356   +85
Marion      71  +3  85  60| 0.41  17.43  15.08  -0.28  +0.44|  2212   -16
Pickstown   75  +5  98  62| 0.28  11.07   9.01  -5.49  -4.99|  2574  +140
Vermillion  73  +3  90  58| 1.00  17.28  14.98  -1.21  -0.82|  2603   +18
Yankton     73  +4  90  61| 1.05  22.93  20.04  +5.12  +4.79|  2481   +97

 
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