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Released: October 10, 2000 -- 3:00 p.m CST For Week Ending October 8, 2000 SD-CW4000 Volume 49 Issue 32

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Two nights of near record cold brought to an end this year's growing season, while midweek rain slowed harvest, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities by farmers were combining corn and soybeans, seeding winter crops or tilling fields as conditions allowed, and hauling grain. Ranchers were busy keeping cattle fed and watered, moving them to stubble, and weaning calves. 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.

WEATHER INFORMATION:    Temperatures ranged from a high of 83 degrees to a low of 9 degrees late in the week. The state was cooler than normal, with two stations reporting average temperatures as low as 16 degrees below normal. Most of the state received some rain, but few areas got over a half inch of precipitation.

SOIL CONDITION:    Concerns over water quality in stock dams and water quantity for farmers and ranchers remain, but slight precipitation and cooler temperatures eased the pressure. Topsoil is still too dry to till in many areas but adequate topsoil moisture rating increased 1 percentage point. Subsoil moisture conditions rated 72 percent short or very short, 1 point drier than last week.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Near record cold brought to an end this year's growing season. Despite midweek rains, row crop harvest continued apace. Soybeans harvested, at 66 percent complete, moved to 33 percentage points ahead of the five-year average and 22 points over last week. Corn harvest, at 31 percent complete, is 17 points ahead of the five-year average. Sunflower harvested is 22 points ahead of the five-year average, and 31 points ahead of last year. Winter wheat and winter rye seeding, at 78 and 87 percent complete respectively, lag behind the five-year aver ages, as farmers wait for moisture.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Rain helped settle dust, and there were no reported illnesses due to water quality problems. However, there were several reports of ranchers moving cattle to water and weaning and selling calves earlier than normal due to lack of water. Range and pasture are 30 percent in good to excellent condition ,while cattle and sheep are rated 85 and 81 percent in good to excellent condition, respectively.

SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON OCTOBER 8, 2000

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     28    37    2    31    36     2
Short      45    37   21    41    35    14
Adeq.      27    26   68    28    28    71
Surplus     0     0    9     0     1    13


      SOIL TEMPERATURES  (4-INCH DEPTH)
       FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 8, 2000

Beresford      44              Gettysburg   50
Brookings      49              Nisland      52
Caputa         51              Pierre       52
Chamberlain    53              Redfield     49
Cottonwood     51              Watertown    47


CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS OCTOBER 8, 2000

ITEM         V POOR  POOR   FAIR    GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa       11      23     34      28      4
Corn           4       7     17      53     19
Soybeans       2       7     22      48     21
Sorghum        2      27     39      30      2
Sunflower      5      12     36      37     10
Cattle         0       1     14      63     22
Sheep          0       2     17      56     25
Range & 
   Pasture    11      23     36      24      6


             
      CROP PROGRESS - OCTOBER 8, 2000 1/
                                                                                                    
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM              Week   Week   Year    Ave
                           Percent
Corn    
 mature            98     91     87     89
 grain harvested   31     17     17     14
 silage harvested  97     95     94     88
Sorghum 
 mature            95     75     80     88
 grain harvested   43     26     18     17
 silage harvested  80     75     68     71
Soybeans
 mature            98     93     81     86
 harvested         66     44     30     33
Sunflower
 bracts yellow    100     95     90     97
 mature            93     76     68     84
 harvested         45     31     14     23
Winter wheat
 seeded            78     61     89     90
 emerged           36     20     64     68 
Winter rye
 seeded            87     86     86     91
 emerged           65     25     64     73  
Alfalfa  
 3rd cutting       93     85     87     NA

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


            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                   WEEK ENDING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 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 39 -14 64 16 0.18 13.91 11.38 -1.35 -1.86 2675 +307 Buffalo 37 -15 62 17 0.15 9.93 9.18 -2.64 -2.17 2661 +416 Dupree 40 -14 68 17 0.31 16.23 12.46 +1.23 -0.80 2746 +131 Mc Intosh 40 -13 67 18 0.25 15.45 9.18 +0.48 -4.27 2461 +55 Newell 37 -16 63 10 0.20 13.00 11.44 -0.50 -0.52 2313 -40 Timber Lake 38 -15 65 14 0.18 16.03 11.61 +0.15 -2.26 2618 +160 Aberdeen 40 -13 73 14 0.33 19.49 17.32 +2.65 +2.72 2511 +35 Eureka 41 -11 66 22 0.15 18.53 14.58 +3.25 +0.93 2525 +217 Faulkton 43 -10 72 24 0.31 19.75 17.60 +2.94 +2.95 2888 +452 Mobridge 40 -14 66 19 0.20 15.39 12.79 +0.17 -0.47 2684 +150 Roscoe 40 -13 69 21 0.47 22.45 18.86 +5.51 +3.90 2335 -97 Britton 41 -12 73 17 0.16 17.99 16.83 +1.05 +1.64 2741 +206 Clear Lake 40 -13 69 17 0.10 15.48 13.59 -5.82 -4.74 2322 -129 Sisseton 41 -14 71 18 0.44 17.79 15.53 -0.86 -0.63 2447 -149 Webster 39 -13 68 23 0.23 15.78 14.05 -3.05 -2.44 2446 +30 Watertown 41 -12 68 15 0.12 16.12 14.75 -3.49 -2.27 2478 +27 Faith 39 -16 68 17 0.19 17.20 14.33 +2.17 +1.16 2739 +137 Milesville 40 -15 73 13 0.34 15.20 11.61 -1.04 -2.66 2872 +95 Long Valley 42 -13 73 14 0.61 16.34 12.46 +0.01 -1.94 3055 +292 Philip 41 -14 75 12 0.51 11.36 9.26 -3.14 -3.56 2958 +94 Rapid City 40 -14 69 13 0.29 18.14 14.46 +3.27 +1.58 2737 +381 Spearfish 39 -14 65 18 0.00 14.35 12.16 -5.07 -4.40 2447 +203 Chamberlain 43 -14 76 18 0.61 13.57 12.62 -2.27 -1.40 2972 -53 Highmore 42 -13 73 18 0.42 15.30 13.67 -2.49 -1.98 3041 +322 Huron 44 -10 76 16 0.32 15.65 14.55 -2.24 -0.53 2962 +301 Onida 42 -14 73 19 0.41 16.84 15.23 +0.39 +1.17 2759 -37 Pierre 44 -11 78 18 0.32 9.39 8.17 -7.43 -6.56 3392 +522 Brookings 41 -10 77 10 0.10 18.11 15.90 -2.58 -2.75 2320 +109 Madison 43 -10 80 13 0.26 21.44 19.55 +0.39 +1.68 2525 +92 Mitchell 44 -11 78 16 0.61 18.49 15.16 -1.09 -1.72 2867 -12 Sioux Falls 44 -9 81 16 0.53 22.32 19.66 +1.37 +1.57 2731 +53 Custer 36 -14 64 9 0.24 13.89 12.77 -3.39 -2.59 1797 +251 Hot Springs 40 -15 72 14 0.48 12.20 10.02 -2.22 -2.87 2693 +79 Oelrichs 41 -15 74 13 0.22 14.61 12.05 -0.57 -1.16 2785 +51 Porcupine 40 -14 73 14 0.31 16.86 12.52 +2.40 -0.42 2598 -5 Murdo 42 -13 75 19 0.38 14.81 12.53 -1.31 -1.27 2965 +268 Winner 43 -15 76 20 1.14 14.78 13.90 -6.48 -4.47 3350 +183 Armour 43 -13 71 16 0.74 15.59 13.52 -4.83 -3.95 3232 +232 Centerville 44 -10 83 16 0.55 18.44 15.21 -3.83 -4.22 2870 +167 Marion 44 -10 81 19 0.73 18.83 16.48 -2.77 -2.05 2699 +53 Pickstown 46 -11 80 18 0.51 12.04 9.98 -7.79 -7.29 3216 +277 Vermillion 45 -12 83 16 0.42 17.93 15.63 -3.84 -3.45 3246 +115 Yankton 47 -9 83 16 0.42 23.98 21.09 +3.05 +2.72 3038 +168 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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