Return to the List of 2001 Crop Weather Reports

Released: April 30, 2001 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending April 29, 2001 SD-CW1701 Volume 50 Issue 17

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Highly variable tempera tures, precipitation, and strong winds provided diversi fied conditions and limited planting progress across the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included mending fences, planting small grain crops, fertilizing This report is based on information from county exten sion educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:    Heavy amounts of moisture fell throughout most of the state, followed by windy and warm drying conditions. Temperatures ranged from a high of 94 degrees in Philip to a low of 14 degrees in Porcupine, with a statewide average of 56 degrees, 6 degrees above normal. Precipitation totals ranged from a trace in the northwest part of the state to 3.9 inches recorded in the Sioux Falls area. April precipitation for the state is 3.79 inches, 1.78 above normal, while the growing degree days are 33.3 behind normal.

SOIL CONDITION:    Lowland flooding continued to delay fieldwork in some areas, while producers in other parts of the state began tilling, fertilizing, and planting between storms. Soil temperatures warmed to an average of 57.9 degrees, compared to 43.3 degrees last week. Topsoil moisture was reported as 58 percent adequate, with 41 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated as 37 percent surplus, 60 percent adequate, and 3 percent short.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Additional moisture slowed producer planting, tilling, and fertilizing progress. When the weather allows access to fields, producers are putting in long hours to get small grains seeded. Winter wheat condition is reported as 46 percent fair to excellent, down from 60 percent last week. Crop seeding, emergence, and development continue to lag behind last year and average. Spring wheat seeded is 28 percent completed, versus 81 percent a year ago and 54 percent for the five-year average. Oats and barley are only 22 and 17 percent seeded, respectively. Corn planting began last week, with 3 percent reported planted, behind the five-year average of 9 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Calf deaths were reported as 17 percent above average, up 2 percent from the previous week, due to heavy precipitation and cool weather related diseases. Calving and lambing are nearing completion, with 80 percent of the calving and 85 percent of the lambing done. Cattle were rated 97 percent in fair to excellent condition, with 3 percent rated in poor condition. Sheep were rated at 77 percent in good to excellent condition and 23 percent fair to poor. Feed supplies were rated 12 percent very short, 29 percent short, 57 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Stock water supplies were reported as 98 percent adequate or surplus. Ranchers are branding and turning out cattle to pasture to get them out of muddy feedlots.



   SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
            AS OF APRIL 29, 2001 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      0     0    4     0     0     9
Short       1     0   19     3     7    27
Adeq.      58    59   72    60    59    59
Surplus    41    41    5    37    34     5

  SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING APR. 29, 2001
                 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      55              Gettysburg   51
Brookings      48              Nisland      52
Caputa         49              Pierre       48
Chamberlain    51              Redfield     42
Cottonwood     53              Watertown    44
                            



           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                   AS OF APR. 29, 2001 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat  33      21     24      20      2
Winter Rye     2       9     18      65      6
Cattle         0       3     26      60     11
Sheep          0       2     21      65     12
Range & 
   Pasture     4      12     30      47      7

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





      CROP PROGRESS AS OF APRIL 29, 2001   1/
                                                                                     
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley  
 seeded            17      2     72     42
 emerged            2      0     33     14
Spring wheat
 seeded            28      5     81     54
 emerged            5      0     44     20
Oats     
 seeded            22      1     73     47
 emerged            1      0     40     18
Corn        
 seeded             3      0     21      9
Soybeans    
 seeded             0      0      2      0
Winter wheat
 boot               1      1      5     12
Winter rye  
 boot               0      0      1      2

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    AVG DFN  HI  LO| WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN| TOTAL   DFN
-------     --  --  --  --|-----  -----  -----  -----  -----| -----  ----
Bison       61 +13  89  25| 0.00   3.52   2.41  -0.58  +0.27|    97   +56
Buffalo     59 +11  90  28| 0.00   2.44   1.80  -0.02  +0.52|    81   +42
Dupree      61 +11  90  26| 0.08   3.53   2.08  +0.01  +0.25|   106   +55
Mc Intosh   60 +12  89  26| 0.00   2.46   1.85  -0.80  +0.06|    93   +52
Newell      53  +5  84  27| 0.00   2.88   1.33  -0.16  -0.21|    60   +18
Timber Lake 60 +12  91  24| 0.00   3.81   2.13  -0.16  +0.12|   101   +53
Aberdeen    51  +2  86  27| 1.13   5.28   3.43  +1.22  +1.55|    66   +11
Eureka      58 +10  87  29| 0.27   4.10   3.15  +0.67  +1.30|    89   +51
Faulkton    52  +4  87  28| 0.92   6.77   3.81  +2.65  +1.79|    76   +35
Mobridge    57  +8  89  29| 0.38   2.48   1.93  -1.43  -0.08|    95   +49
Roscoe      54  +5  86  26| 0.45   4.62   3.16  +0.50  +0.96|    58   +11
Britton     55  +6  84  27| 0.56   4.71   3.22  +1.23  +1.45|    73   +17
Clear Lake  54  +4  85  31| 1.47   9.21   5.61  +4.11  +3.42|    64   +20
Sisseton    52  +2  85  31| 0.17   4.37   3.24  -0.23  +1.07|    55    -3
Webster     56  +7  84  29| 0.00   3.92   2.80  -0.13  +1.04|    72   +24
Watertown   53  +4  85  29| 1.63   6.92   5.94  +2.29  +3.84|    70   +28
Faith       58  +9  90  23| 0.14   1.68   1.13  -1.99  -0.73|    97   +44
Milesville  61 +10  92  22| 0.00   3.81   1.90  +0.13  +0.14|   114   +48
Long Valley 60 +10  88  23| 0.07   6.03   3.43  +2.13  +1.40|   109   +51
Philip      58  +7  94  27| 0.16   2.10   1.64  -1.20  -0.02|   112   +49
Rapid City  55  +7  86  26| 0.11   3.00   2.16  -0.75  +0.35|    84   +46
Spearfish   56  +9  82  31| 0.00   4.42   1.65  -0.97  -0.95|    70   +31
Chamberlain 53  +1  91  29| 2.47  10.01   7.10  +6.27  +5.13|    84   +10
Highmore    59  +9  90  30| 0.82   5.31   4.19  +1.01  +1.96|   106   +51
Huron       55  +5  89  31| 1.59   9.83   6.27  +5.07  +4.26|    91   +32
Onida       61 +10  92  26| 0.19   4.95   3.03  +0.65  +1.06|   109   +51
Pierre      59  +8  96  31| 1.25   6.42   3.73  +2.38  +1.73|   125   +64
Brookings   52  +4  86  29| 2.45   7.62   5.58  +3.65  +3.59|    59   +23
Madison     54  +5  87  30| 2.36   7.80   5.73  +2.41  +3.45|    70   +25
Mitchell    55  +3  90  31| 1.82   9.65   6.13  +4.67  +3.78|    90   +21
Sioux Falls 56  +5  87  28| 3.94   9.75   6.79  +4.53  +4.36|   101   +42
Custer      49  +5  76  26| 0.16   3.78   2.14  +0.11  +0.35|    42   +26
Hot Springs 55  +5  85  22| 0.00   3.89   2.03  +0.84  +0.47|    70    +1
Oelrichs    53  +2  86  23| 0.09   4.58   1.86  +0.79  -0.01|    68    +6
Porcupine   52  +3  87  14| 0.35   5.76   2.97  +2.68  +1.37|    82   +38
Murdo       55  +6  90  25| 0.82   5.84   3.73  +1.48  +1.63|    99   +54
Winner      60  +8  89  29| 0.95   9.05   6.25  +3.61  +3.64|   133   +40
Armour      59  +6  87  30| 0.74   9.31   6.21  +4.18  +3.96|   101   +15
Centerville 56  +4  86  32| 2.50   7.34   4.82  +2.38  +2.64|    97   +31
Marion      55  +4  87  31| 2.21   9.44   5.97  +3.96  +3.48|    75   +22
Pickstown   57  +5  88  30| 2.02  11.22   7.63  +6.46  +5.36|    99   +30
Vermillion  62  +7  89  32| 0.83   8.64   6.38  +3.73  +4.10|   141   +32
Yankton     58  +6  88  36| 2.26   8.21   4.54  +3.77  +2.61|   101   +28
                                     
    
 


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
 

Return to the List of 2001 Crop Weather Reports