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Released: May 21, 2001 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending May 20, 2001 SD-CW1801 Volume 50 Issue 20

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Warm and dry weather helped fieldwork progress rapidly this week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included planting row crops, completing small grain seeding, fertilizing and tilling fields, fixing fences, and turning cow/calf pairs out to pasture. Statewide, there were 5.7 days reported 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:  A warm, dry week improved conditions for fieldworkers and ranchers. Temperatures ranged from a hot 97 degrees in Philip to a low of 36 degrees in Custer, with a statewide average of 66 degrees. Weekend rains totaled an average of 0.21 inch statewide, with the northwest and north central regions receiving the most precipitation.

SOIL CONDITION:    A mostly dry week allowed most producers to catch up on fieldwork. Soil temperatures warmed to an average of 62.6 degrees. Topsoil moisture was reported as 75 percent adequate, with 17 percent surplus, 6 percent short and 2 percent very short. Subsoil moisture was rated as 25 percent surplus, 66 percent adequate, 7 percent short, and 2 percent very short.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Corn planting was in full swing this week (63 percent complete) as producers finished up with small grains, and a few began planting soy beans (22 percent complete). Ninety-two percent of spring wheat, 91 percent of barley, and 90 percent of the oats are seeded. The remaining winter wheat crop condition is reported as only 39 percent fair to excel lent and 61 percent poor to very poor. In contrast to winter wheat, spring wheat is rated 97 percent fair to excellent, and barley and oats are reported as 98 percent and 99 percent fair to excellent, respectively.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Cattle were rated 98 percent in fair to excellent condition, with only 2 percent rated in poor condition. With 73 percent of cow/calf pairs moving to pasture, range and pasture condition is rated at 90 percent fair to excel lent. Calving and lambing are nearly complete, with 95 percent of the calving and 96 percent of the lambing done. Sheep were rated at 85 percent in good to excellent condition, with only 15 percent fair to poor. Feed supplies were rated 8 percent very short, 19 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. Stock water supplies are plentiful, with 97 percent rated as adequate or surplus.



     SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
             AS OF MAY 20, 2001 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2     0    0     2     2     3
Short       6     4    7     7     5    15
Adeq.      75    62   82    66    60    73
Surplus    17    34   11    25    33     9


 
   SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING MAY 20, 2001
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      66              Gettysburg   61
Brookings      60              Nisland      63
Caputa         60              Pierre       63
Chamberlain    65              Redfield     62
Cottonwood     65              Watertown    57




         CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
             AS OF MAY 20, 2001 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                     Percent
                          
Winter Wheat  31      30     26      10      3
Winter Rye     6      13     31      43      7
Barley         0       2     28      51     19
Oats           0       1     32      49     18
Spring wheat   1       2     30      51     16
Corn           0       3     32      55     10
Cattle         0       2     15      68     15
Sheep          0       1     14      67     18
Range & 
   Pasture     2       8     27      51     12




        CROP PROGRESS AS OF MAY 20, 2001   1/
                                                                                     
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
                        
                         Percent
  
                         
Barley  
 seeded            91     70     98     86
 emerged           69     42     90     62
Spring wheat
 seeded            92     69    100     91
 emerged           69     44     96     73
Oats     
 seeded            90     70     98     89
 emerged           70     47     90     66
Corn        
 planted           63     22     91     67
 emerged           22      4     62     NA
Sorghum     
 seeded             9      0     20     14
Soybeans    
 planted           22      3     59     32
 emerged            3      0     21     NA
Sunflower   
 seeded             4      0     11     10
Winter wheat
 boot              14     10     53     37
 headed             0      0      4      3
Winter rye  
 boot              13      5     56     35
 headed             0      0      4      7



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


                             TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION                            
                                     
             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       64  +8  91  44| 0.48   5.33   4.22  -0.60  +0.25|   283  +137
Buffalo     64 +10  93  44| 0.24   3.13   2.49  -0.94  -0.40|   249  +116
Dupree      64  +8  90  44| 0.30   4.48   3.03  -0.95  -0.71|   302  +123
Mc Intosh   64  +8  88  44| 0.63   3.61   3.00  -1.30  -0.44|   282  +125
Newell      63  +8  94  40| 0.13   3.72   2.17  -1.02  -1.07|   223   +82
Timber Lake 64  +8  89  47| 0.75   5.48   3.80  -0.34  -0.06|   308  +135
Aberdeen    67 +10  94  45| 0.18   6.74   4.89  +1.15  +1.48|   308  +119
Eureka      65  +9  89  45| 0.64   6.04   5.09  +1.10  +1.73|   310  +158
Faulkton    67 +11  92  48| 0.19   8.58   5.62  +2.73  +1.87|   338  +175
Mobridge    65  +8  87  46| 0.28   3.68   3.13  -1.91  -0.56|   305  +129
Roscoe      66 +10  92  47| 0.35   6.14   4.68  +0.34  +0.80|   271  +100
Britton     69 +12  95  50| 0.46   6.78   5.29  +1.64  +1.86|   334  +135
Clear Lake  67  +9  91  48| 0.05  10.82   7.22  +3.82  +3.13|   276   +95
Sisseton    68 +10  95  46| 0.09   6.47   5.34  -0.03  +1.27|   294   +84
Webster     66  +9  89  43| 0.60   6.02   4.90  +0.17  +1.34|   282  +100
Watertown   66  +9  90  46| 0.02   8.86   7.88  +2.29  +3.84|   285  +113
Faith       65  +9  95  44| 0.24   2.69   2.14  -2.92  -1.66|   295  +120
Milesville  65  +7  90  46| 0.09   5.29   3.38  -0.54  -0.53|   329  +123
Long Valley 65  +8  91  42| 0.02   7.30   4.70  +1.62  +0.89|   316  +124
Philip      67 +10  97  44| 0.07   3.09   2.63  -1.98  -0.80|   344  +137
Rapid City  65 +10  92  43| 0.06   3.97   3.13  -1.50  -0.40|   262  +125
Spearfish   62  +8  96  40| 0.20   5.73   2.96  -2.07  -2.05|   255  +127
Chamberlain 67  +8  93  47| 0.01  12.36   9.45  +6.74  +5.60|   339   +97
Highmore    67  +9  92  46| 0.21   7.17   6.05  +1.04  +1.99|   361  +163
Huron       68 +11  93  50| 0.09  11.90   8.34  +5.31  +4.50|   356  +160
Onida       66  +8  91  45| 0.23   6.95   5.03  +0.94  +1.35|   325  +118
Pierre      67  +9  94  43| 0.13   7.77   5.08  +1.92  +1.27|   403  +193
Brookings   66 +11  93  46| 0.00   9.52   7.48  +3.77  +3.71|   279  +132
Madison     67 +10  93  44| 0.04   9.97   7.90  +2.68  +3.72|   304  +125
Mitchell    68  +9  93  46| 0.00  11.84   8.32  +4.87  +3.98|   368  +128
Sioux Falls 68 +10  93  46| 0.00  11.25   8.29  +4.06  +3.89|   365  +157
Custer      59 +10  83  36| 0.12   5.05   3.41  -0.60  -0.36|   141   +87
Hot Springs 62  +6  91  40| 0.43   4.51   2.65  -0.34  -0.71|   232   +40
Oelrichs    65  +9  92  41| 0.00   6.13   3.41  +0.38  -0.42|   247   +56
Porcupine   65  +8  94  43| 0.10   6.67   3.88  +1.80  +0.49|   265  +102
Murdo       67 +10  90  48| 0.08   7.27   5.16  +1.11  +1.26|   329  +149
Winner      68  +8  93  46| 0.00  12.10   9.30  +4.20  +4.23|   410  +129
Armour      68  +8  95  48| 0.20  11.69   8.59  +4.55  +4.33|   395  +124
Centerville 70 +11  94  51| 0.21   9.46   6.94  +2.35  +2.61|   378  +146
Marion      68 +10  94  49| 0.09  12.12   8.65  +4.66  +4.18|   336  +128
Pickstown   70 +11  94  50| 0.00  13.23   9.64  +6.63  +5.53|   389  +154
Vermillion  71 +10  96  51| 0.89  11.31   9.05  +4.09  +4.46|   470  +150
Yankton     71 +12  96  51| 0.26  10.71   7.04  +4.02  +2.86|   433  +188  
                                     
    
 


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