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Released: October 2, 2000 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending October 1, 2000 Volume 49 Issue 31 SD-CW3900

GENERAL:    Hard frost for most areas followed by warm and dry weather sent harvest into full swing, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statis tics Service. Major activities by farmers were combin ing corn and soybeans and seeding winter crops. Ranchers were busy feeding supplemental hay to cattle, moving cattle to stubble, and taking calves to market. Statewide, there were 6.4 days suitable forfieldwork. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

SOIL CONDITIONS:    Concerns over water quality in stock dams and water quantity worsened. Topsoil moisture declined by only 1 percentage point, as 74 percent of the state rated short or very short. Subsoil moisture conditions rated 71 percent short or very short, 2 points better than last week. 



SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON OCTOBER 1, 2000

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     37    33    2    36    37     1
Short      37    40   15    35    36    12
Adeq.      26    27   70    28    27    72
Surplus     0     0   13     1     0    15


      SOIL TEMPERATURES  (4-INCH DEPTH)
       FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 1, 2000

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
Beresford      64              Gettysburg   58
Brookings      54              Nisland      60
Caputa         60              Pierre       61
Chamberlain    63              Redfield     55
Cottonwood     64              Watertown    55

CROPS:    Frost, followed by sunny, dry days, helped crops mature and has harvest in full swing. Despite occasional reports of green stems, the soybean crop is rated 93 percent mature. Soybeans harvested, at 44 percent complete, moved to 28 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Corn harvest, at 17 percent complete, is 7 and 9 points ahead of last year and five-year averages, respectively. Sunflower harvested, at 31 percent complete, moved to 20 points ahead of the five-year average. Winter wheat and winter rye seeding progress moved to 61 and 86 percent complete respectively, allowing winter rye, with its smaller acreage, to catch up to the five-year average. Rains late the previous week boosted emergence, which still lags behind the five-year average. 

 
CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS OCTOBER 1, 2000

ITEM         V POOR  POOR   FAIR    GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa       12      18     32      32      6
Corn           4      10     23      42     21
Soybeans       2       9     25      44     20
Sorghum        5      33     33      27      2
Sunflower      4      12     32      40     12
Cattle         0       2     20      60     18
Sheep          1       4     22      57     16
Range & 
   Pasture    13      24     34      24      5

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    A few salinity-related deaths were reported, as water quality in stock dams remains poor. Ranchers are working calves and weaning early and moving cattle to stubble or farms, as most pastures are short. Cattle are rated 78 percent in good to excellent condition, due to ranchers' efforts. Sheep rated 73 percent in good to excellent condition. WEATHER:    Frost over much of the state early last week was followed by dry, sunny conditions. Average temperatures ranged from 52 to 64 degrees, with a departure from normal of 8 above in Buffalo to 3 below in Oelrichs. Only Buffalo reported significant precipitation, 0.25 inch; however wet, heavy snow relieved some dryness in the Black Hills. 



             
      CROP PROGRESS - OCTOBER 1, 2000 1/
                                                                                                    
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM              Week   Week   Year    Ave
                           Percent
Corn    
 dented           100     99     99     98
 mature            91     77     72     75
 grain harvested   17     10     10      8
 silage harvested  95     91     88     77
Sorghum 
 coloring          95     94     99     99
 mature            75     52     65     75
 grain harvested   26     16     12     11
 silage harvested  75     70     49     53
Soybeans
 dropping leaves   98     96     89     92
 mature            93     74     58     64
 harvested         44     16     14     16
Sunflower
 bracts yellow     95     89     78     93
 mature            76     50     50     64
 harvested         31     10      7     11
Winter wheat
 seeded            61     44     75     81
 emerged           20     13     39     51 
Winter rye
 seeded            86     53     68     82
 emerged           25      8     44     58  
Alfalfa  
 3rd cutting        85     75     83     NA

1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.


            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                   WEEK ENDING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2000



             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       60  +7  85  34 0.04  13.72  11.19  -1.26  -1.77  2673  +330
Buffalo     61  +8  86  32 0.25   9.78   9.03  -2.53  -2.06  2660  +439
Dupree      61  +6  86  33 0.00  15.92  12.15  +1.20  -0.83  2741  +158
Mc Intosh   60  +6  86  32 0.04  15.20   8.93  +0.51  -4.24  2456   +74
Newell      54  +1  82  27 0.05  12.80  11.24  -0.42  -0.44  2310   -19
Timber Lake 60  +6  85  30 0.00  15.85  11.43  +0.25  -2.16  2614  +181
Aberdeen    56  +3  86  26 0.00  19.16  16.99  +2.63  +2.70  2505   +54
Eureka      59  +6  86  29 0.00  18.38  14.43  +3.38  +1.06  2522  +236
Faulkton    58  +4  86  30 0.00  19.44  17.29  +2.96  +2.97  2878  +467
Mobridge    60  +5  87  29 0.00  15.19  12.59  +0.25  -0.39  2678  +171
Roscoe      57  +3  85  27 0.00  21.98  18.39  +5.32  +3.71  2329   -79
Britton     60  +5  84  33 0.00  17.83  16.67  +1.24  +1.83  2731  +223
Clear Lake  59  +5  86  31 0.00  15.38  13.49  -5.43  -4.35  2316  -106
Sisseton    59  +4  85  33 0.00  17.35  15.09  -0.91  -0.68  2439  -126
Webster     59  +6  83  30 0.02  15.55  13.82  -2.93  -2.32  2442   +50
Watertown   59  +5  86  30 0.00  16.00  14.63  -3.13  -1.91  2468   +43
Faith       62  +7  86  37 0.00  17.01  14.14  +2.26  +1.25  2732  +162
Milesville  61  +4  88  33 0.00  14.86  11.27  -1.04  -2.66  2865  +124
Long Valley 60  +3  87  30 0.00  15.73  11.85  -0.32  -2.27  3039  +317
Philip      59  +3  89  34 0.00  10.85   8.75  -3.37  -3.79  2944  +119
Rapid City  61  +7  85  33 0.00  17.85  14.17  +3.26  +1.57  2728  +403
Spearfish   55  +0  84  26 0.00  14.35  12.16  -4.65  -3.98  2441  +227
Chamberlain 61  +3  90  29 0.00  12.96  12.01  -2.60  -1.73  2955   -28
Highmore    62  +5  88  31 0.00  14.88  13.25  -2.56  -2.05  3029  +344
Huron       61  +6  90  27 0.00  15.33  14.23  -2.21  -0.50  2941  +311
Onida       62  +5  88  31 0.00  16.43  14.82  +0.26  +1.04  2748   -13
Pierre      63  +7  92  33 0.00   9.07   7.85  -7.41  -6.54  3370  +536
Brookings   55  +3  82  25 0.00  18.01  15.80  -2.22  -2.39  2308  +119
Madison     58  +4  85  28 0.00  21.18  19.29  +0.60  +1.89  2511  +105
Mitchell    58  +2  88  30 0.00  17.88  14.55  -1.29  -1.92  2852    +9
Sioux Falls 59  +4  86  28 0.00  21.79  19.13  +1.34  +1.54  2711   +64
Custer      52  +2  73  25 0.00  13.65  12.53  -3.35  -2.55  1793  +263
Hot Springs 57  +1  83  29 0.00  11.72   9.54  -2.42  -3.07  2685  +110
Oelrichs    55  -3  87  25 0.00  14.39  11.83  -0.51  -1.10  2771   +76
Porcupine   55  +0  84  24 0.00  16.55  12.21  +2.37  -0.45  2584   +10
Murdo       61  +5  87  28 0.00  14.43  12.15  -1.38  -1.34  2949  +285
Winner      64  +5  89  31 0.00  13.64  12.76  -7.23  -5.22  3333  +215
Armour      62  +4  86  28 0.00  14.85  12.78  -5.14  -4.26  3213  +255
Centerville 57  +2  87  25 0.00  17.89  14.66  -3.91  -4.30  2846  +175
Marion      58  +3  85  32 0.00  18.10  15.75  -3.03  -2.31  2680   +65
Pickstown   60  +3  88  33 0.00  11.53   9.47  -7.87  -7.37  3192  +296
Vermillion  62  +3  87  28 0.00  17.51  15.21  -3.82  -3.43  3216  +132
Yankton     58  +1  88  30 0.00  23.56  20.67  +3.05  +2.72  3010  +180


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

Map to weather reporting stations


 
 
 
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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