Released: October 30, 2000 -- 3:00 p.m CST For Week Ending October 29, 2000 SD-CW4300 Volume 49 Issue 43 (Issue # changed from 35 to 43 to convert to national standard)

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Rains slowed row crop harvest and gave winter crops a boost but did little to help livestock, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities by farmers were combining row crops, hauling grain, and fall tillage. Ranchers were busy keeping cattle fed and watered, moving them to stubble, and weaning calves. Statewide, there were 5.5 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:   Rain fell at all stations this week, but most of the state is still dry. Aberdeen had the heaviest accumulation, while twelve stations statewide reported three quarters inch of rain or more. Temperatures remain mild, ranging from 6 to 15 degrees above normal.

SOIL CONDITION:    Showers improved conditions for soil tillage, but more precipitation will be needed to help crops and livestock. Variable showers improved topsoil moisture, as 72 percent of the state is now rated short or very short, a drop of 8 percentage points from a week earlier. Areas with subsoil moisture rated short or very short decreased by 6 points. Soil temper atures from reporting statioge.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Showers slowed row crop harvest, but combines still rolled much of the week, bringing harvest nearer to completion. Soybeans harvested, at 97 percent, is nearly finished and 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Corn harvest advanced 13 points to 78 percent complete, now 20 points ahead of the five-year average. Sun flower harvested, at 91 percent complete, is 24 points ahead of last year. With several reports of reductions in expected acres to be planted, winter wheat acres seeded is 93 percent complete.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Despite the rains, there were several reports of alkaline water and ranchers working to keep cattle watered. Water supplies are rated 29 percent very short, 25 percent short, 40 percent adequate, and 6 percent surplus. Range and pasture rated 38 percent in very poor to poor condition, compared to 46 percent last week. Feed supplies are rated 74 percent adequate to surplus. Cattle and sheep rated 81 and 73 percent in good to excellent condition, respectively.

   SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
            AS OF OCTOBER 29 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     32    37   10    35    35     5
Short      40    43   26    38    44    23
Adeq.      27    20   59    26    21    66
Surplus     1     0    5     1     0     6


  SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 29 
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
Beresford      63              Gettysburg   54
Brookings      55              Nisland      53
Caputa         51              Pierre       57
Chamberlain    57              Redfield     55
Cottonwood     56              Watertown    53

 CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS AS OF OCT. 29

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   7      20     43      27      3
Winter Rye     0       3     53      30     14
Cattle         0       2     17      65     16
Sheep          0       3     24      59     14
Range & 
   Pasture    16      22     34      22      6

             
     CROP PROGRESS AS OF OCTOBER 29 1/
                                                                                     
                 This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM             Week   Week   Year    Ave
                         Percent
Corn    
 grain harvested     78     65     61     58
Sorghum 
 grain harvested     89     79     63     75
Soybeans
 harvested           97     94     95     92
Sunflower
 harvested           91     83     67     79
Winter wheat
 seeded              93     90     99    100
 emerged             60     58     92     92 
Winter rye
 seeded             100     99    100    100
 emerged             97     89     93     NA  





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


               TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
            WEEK ENDING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2000



             TEMPERATURE       -----  PRECIPITATION -----    
             -----------          SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE 
            CURRENT WEEK    CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1 
STATION    AVG DFN  HI  LO  WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN 
-------     --  --  --  -- -----  -----  -----  -----  ----- 
Bison         51  +9  66  29 0.50  14.45  11.92  -1.47  -1.98
Buffalo       50  +9  69  28 0.11  10.04   9.29  -3.10  -2.63
Dupree        52 +10  69  32 0.57  16.78  13.01  +1.07  -0.96
Mc Intosh     48  +6  65  28 0.33  15.85   9.58  +0.25  -4.50
Newell        48  +7  65  28 0.37  13.66  12.10  -0.54  -0.56
Timber Lake   50  +8  63  29 0.43  16.70  12.28  +0.08  -2.33
Aberdeen      53 +12  72  37 3.87  23.36  21.19  +5.83  +5.90
Eureka        51 +11  67  35 1.47  20.30  16.35  +4.24  +1.92
Faulkton      55 +14  74  38 0.76  20.61  18.46  +3.02  +3.03
Mobridge      53 +11  66  34 0.50  16.04  13.44  +0.12  -0.52
Roscoe        50  +9  71  35 0.32  22.91  19.32  +5.23  +3.62
Britton       54 +12  71  35 0.26  18.29  17.13  +0.54  +1.13
Clear Lake    54 +12  69  37 0.42  15.93  14.04  -6.64  -5.56
Sisseton      55 +12  72  38 0.15  18.24  15.98  -1.41  -1.18
Webster       51 +11  68  35 0.25  16.03  14.30  -3.74  -3.13
Watertown     55 +13  68  39 0.62  16.74  15.37  -4.09  -2.87
Faith         51  +9  70  30 0.36  17.57  14.70  +1.85  +0.84
Milesville    53  +9  70  30 0.65  15.87  12.28  -1.16  -2.78
Long Valley   54  +9  68  36 0.75  17.14  13.26  +0.18  -1.77
Philip        53  +9  71  33 0.83  12.19  10.09  -3.00  -3.42
Rapid City    53 +10  68  32 0.25  18.47  14.79  +2.89  +1.20
Spearfish     51  +7  66  34 0.44  14.91  12.72  -5.59  -4.92
Chamberlain   54  +9  72  41 0.46  14.03  13.08  -2.58  -1.71
Highmore      55 +12  71  41 0.74  16.04  14.41  -2.62  -2.11
Huron         57 +15  74  40 0.30  15.96  14.86  -2.89  -1.18
Onida         52  +8  71  35 0.50  17.22  15.61  +0.01  +0.79
Pierre        56 +12  75  40 0.31   9.71   8.49  -7.86  -6.99
Brookings     55 +14  68  41 0.45  19.07  16.86  -2.64  -2.81
Madison       55 +14  67  43 0.28  21.92  20.03  -0.29  +1.00
Mitchell      54 +10  72  41 0.07  18.58  15.25  -1.92  -2.55
Sioux Falls   57 +15  69  45 0.47  22.92  20.26  +0.89  +1.09
Custer        46  +6  61  29 0.80  14.74  13.62  -3.14  -2.34
Hot Springs   52  +7  65  34 0.75  13.00  10.82  -2.01  -2.66
Oelrichs      52  +7  68  33 0.51  15.37  12.81  -0.46  -1.05
Porcupine     51  +9  70  28 0.80  17.91  13.57  +2.84  +0.02
Murdo         52  +8  69  39 0.91  15.74  13.46  -1.23  -1.19
Winner        56  +9  69  43 0.58  15.42  14.54  -6.76  -4.75
Armour        56 +11  72  43 0.57  16.36  14.29  -5.01  -4.13
Centerville   56 +13  69  44 0.88  20.15  16.92  -3.18  -3.57
Marion        56 +13  70  43 0.58  19.71  17.36  -2.91  -2.19
Pickstown     55 +10  72  45 0.61  12.55  10.49  -8.19  -7.69
Vermillion    59 +13  71  46 1.04  19.57  17.27  -3.32  -2.93
Yankton       58 +13  71  47 0.79  25.27  22.38  +3.36  +3.03


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

Map to weather reporting stations

Topsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
Subsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
 

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