Return to the List of 2001 Crop Weather Reports

Released: August 20, 2001 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending August 19, 2001 SD-CW3301 Volume 50 Issue 33

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Cooler temperatures across the state brought some relief to crops and livestock, but producers still wait for moisture to help with row crop maturity, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities for the week included harvesting of small grains, cutting alfalfa, and spraying for insects. Statewide, there were 6.2 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:  Last week brought a welcomed cooling trend to the state with temperatures ranging from the mid 90's during the day to lower 40's at night. Despite the below normal temperatures across the state, Hot Springs still saw a high of 97 degrees. Custer was the coolest site in the state with a low of 43 degrees. Precipitation was scarce again with only trace amounts of rainfall across the area. Yankton received the largest rainfall, measured at 1.85 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:    Without significant rainfall across the state last week, soil conditions continued to decline. Topsoil moisture condition decreased again with 55 percent of the state now reporting short or very short, an increase of 8 percentage points. The same was true for subsoil moisture conditions, as 42 percent consisted of short to very short moisture levels. Subsoil moisture was reported at 57 percent adequate, compared to 64 percent adequate the previous week.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    More comfortable weather conditions for the week aided producers in nearing small grain completion. Spring wheat is 94 percent complete, 12 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Winter rye and oats are 98 and 95 percent harvested, respectively. Barley is 89 percent harvested, an increase of 21 percentage points from the previous week. Corn and soybeans are mostly in good to excellent condition, but lack of rainfall continues to stress these crops. Corn progress indicates 67 percent in dough, ahead of the five-year average by 12 points, while 16 percent is in the dent stage. Corn silage harvest is at 2 percent. Soybeans are 88 percent setting pods and 9 percent dropping leaves, both ahead of the five-year average. Sorghum is 91 percent headed and 33 percent turning color. Harvest of sorghum silage is 3 percent complete. Sunflower ray flowers dry are at 35 percent, with 10 percent bracts yellow.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Cattle and sheep remain in good to excellent condition. Problems with flies are still being reported. Lack of rain is taking its toll on range and pasture, with 51 percent reported to be in fair to poor condition, compared to 42 percent one week ago. However, feed and water supplies are adequate. Alfalfa harvest continues, with second cutting 90 percent and third cutting 43 percent complete.




           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 19, 2001 
               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL

            This  Last Last  This  Last  Last
RATING      Week  Week Year  Week  Week  Year
                         Percent
Very 
 Short     16     9   17     8     4    18
Short      39    38   31    34    31    30
Adeq.      44    52   47    57    64    47
Surplus     1     1    5     1     1     5




                CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                     AS OF August 19, 2001 

ITEM         V POOR    POOR   FAIR    GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Alfalfa        6      15     33      37      9
Corn           1       6     27      47     19
Soybeans       2       8     29      43     18
Sorghum        3       9     33      49      6
Sunflower      1       4     26      58     11
Cattle         0       1     12      71     16
Sheep          0       3     13      65     19
Range & 
   Pasture     3      16     35      37      9


                CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 19, 2001   1/

                      This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                  Week   Week   Year    Ave
                               Percent
Barley  
 harvested           89     68    100      86
Spring wheat
 harvested           94     76     96      82
Oats     
 harvested           95     79    100      90
Corn        
 silked              98     93    100      96
 dough               67     43     71      55
 dented              16      7     25      16
 silage harvested     2      0      5       2
Sorghum     
 headed              91     89     88      76
 coloring            33     17     34      23
 silage harvested     3      0     10       3
Soybeans    
 setting pods        88     75     91      85
 dropping leaves      9      3      4       4
Sunflower   
 blooming            92     78     95      88
 ray flowers dry     35     17     31      26
 bracts yellow       10      4     15      18
Winter rye  
 harvested           98     92    100      96
Alfalfa  
 2nd cutting         90     87     90      86
 3rd cutting         43     28     41      NA
Other Hay
 cut                 90     90     92      89  
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       72  +1  91  50| 0.00  15.47  14.36  +2.43  +3.28|  2058  +245
Buffalo     72  +3  92  49| 0.04  12.51  11.87  +2.06  +2.60|  1923  +200
Dupree      72  -2  91  51| 0.07  10.99   9.54  -1.88  -1.64|  2131  +139
McIntosh    69  -3  90  47| 0.04  14.68  14.07  +2.24  +3.10|  1940   +71
Newell      68  -4  89  46| 0.33  12.19  10.64  +0.74  +0.69|  1899   +92
Timber Lake 69  -3  88  48| 0.00  13.39  11.71  -0.07  +0.21|  2068  +159
Aberdeen    67  -5  87  49| 0.76  16.87  15.02  +3.10  +3.43|  2103  +173
Eureka      69  -2  88  50| 0.28  16.44  15.49  +3.71  +4.34|  2104  +307
Faulkton    69  -2  89  45| 0.45  14.76  11.80  +0.87  +0.01|  2221  +333
Mobridge    71  -2  91  49| 0.08  14.74  14.19  +1.92  +3.27|  2111  +152
Roscoe      67  -5  87  49| 0.54  14.51  13.05  +0.19  +0.65|  1941   +53
Britton     69  -4  85  50| 0.59  15.08  13.59  +1.34  +1.56|  2254  +289
Clear Lake  65  -6  81  48| 0.65  23.05  19.45  +5.74  +5.05|  1951   +52
Sisseton    66  -7  85  45| 0.37  15.39  14.26  +0.22  +1.52|  2024   +14
Webster     68  -4  84  54| 0.30  14.23  13.11  -1.14  +0.03|  2042  +149
Watertown   66  -6  82  47| 0.43  16.21  15.23  +0.18  +1.73|  2031  +127
Faith       73  +0  92  51| 0.00  10.87  10.32  -2.10  -0.84|  2154  +175
Milesville  71  -3  91  49| 0.45  15.61  13.70  +1.94  +1.95|  2238  +128
Long Valley 72  -2  91  48| 0.06  13.97  11.37  -0.11  -0.84|  2251  +173
Philip      72  -3  96  48| 0.02   8.12   7.66  -4.36  -3.18|  2350  +180
Rapid City  70  -1  93  50| 0.80  12.27  11.43  -0.41  +0.69|  2043  +261
Spearfish   72  +3  92  53| 0.16  15.30  12.53  -1.15  -1.13|  2081  +377
Chamberlain 70  -6  94  49| 0.15  20.11  17.20  +6.64  +5.50|  2274   -16
Highmore    70  -4  89  49| 0.31  15.91  14.79  +1.05  +2.00|  2285  +215
Huron       68  -5  86  48| 1.08  21.08  17.52  +6.10  +5.29|  2306  +246
Onida       68  -6  90  49| 1.53  15.54  13.62  +1.54  +1.95|  2154   +21
Pierre      71  -5  92  49| 0.03  15.41  12.72  +1.19  +0.54|  2377  +188
Brookings   64  -5  81  45| 0.53  16.72  14.68  +0.37  +0.31|  1977  +245
Madison     65  -5  84  45| 0.39  17.29  15.22  +0.30  +1.34|  2092  +207
Mitchell    67  -7  87  48| 0.00  17.76  14.24  +2.01  +1.12|  2332  +116
Sioux Falls 66  -6  84  48| 0.12  21.07  18.11  +4.99  +4.82|  2274  +196
Custer      63  -2  81  43| 0.51  16.29  14.65  +1.62  +1.86|  1318  +141
Hot Springs 71  -2  97  47| 0.15  10.69   8.83  -1.54  -1.91|  2007   +40
Oelrichs    70  -4  92  46| 0.21  12.89  10.17  -0.08  -0.88|  2044    -9
Porcupine   68  -5  91  44| 0.41  15.02  12.23  +2.56  +1.25|  1992    -5
Murdo       71  -2  91  52| 0.00  17.13  15.02  +3.15  +3.30|  2210  +152
Winner      71  -5  89  50| 0.32  21.36  18.56  +3.49  +3.52|  2420   +26
Armour      70  -5  88  47| 0.65  22.66  19.56  +5.94  +5.72|  2434  +140
Centerville 65  -7  83  49| 0.43  19.02  16.50  +1.09  +1.35|  2252  +151
Marion      66  -6  84  49| 0.81  22.42  18.95  +5.53  +5.05|  2178  +117
Pickstown   71  -4  90  49| 0.03  20.37  16.78  +4.52  +3.42|  2354  +114
Vermillion  68  -7  87  50| 0.45  16.68  14.42  -1.01  -0.64|  2526  +133
Yankton     67  -6  87  49| 1.85  20.01  16.34  +3.03  +1.87|  2473  +270
 

                                     
    
 


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