Released: September 10, 2001 -- 3:00 p.m. CST
For Week Ending September 9, 2001
SD-CW3601 Volume 50 Issue 36
AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY: Row crops continued in
need of moisture to progress toward maturity, while
livestock welcomed the change in weather at week's
end, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural
Statistics Service. Major farm activities for the week
included cutting silage and preparing equipment for
soybean and corn harvest. Statewide, there were 6.3
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: Hot, dry, and windy
conditions moderated to cool and cloudy with widely
separated showers at week's end. Temperatures
ranged from 1 to 10 degrees above normal. Highs in
the upper 90's were common, with 22 stations
between 100 and 108. Lows ranged from 30 in Custer
to 50 in Sioux Falls. Precipitation was scarce, with
only eight stations reporting over a half inch. The
southeast and east central regions had the most
rainfall.
SOIL CONDITION: Another in a series of weeks with little to no rain has left most of the state too dry for crop development. Only 20 percent of the state was rated as having adequate topsoil moisture, an increase of 1 percentage point over a week earlier. Areas of the state rated as having very short topsoil moisture increased by 2 percentage points to 34. Subsoil moisture availability decreased 7 percentage points to 74 percent of the state reported as short or very short.
FIELD CROPS REPORT: Hot, dry weather is pushing crop progress toward maturity, while crop conditions decrease as moisture stress takes its toll. Many reporters expressed concern over soybean pods filling. Soybeans are 42 percent dropping leaves and 12 percent mature, compared to last year's 38 percent dropping leaves and 14 percent mature. Corn reached 82 percent dented last week and 21 percent mature, compared to last year's 73 and 21 percent, respectively. Grain sorghum rated mature, at 22 percent, is just ahead of last year's 17 percent, while harvest started at 1 percent. Silage harvest continued, with sorghum silage 36 percent and corn silage 47 percent complete. Sunflower crop progress rated behind last year's pace, with 58 percent of the crop bracts yellowing, compared to 59 a year ago, while 8 percent is mature versus 14 last year. Topsoil moisture shortages are limiting the seeding of winter crops, with winter wheat and rye 10 and 9 percent seeded, compared to the five-year averages of 15 and 17 percent, respectively.
LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT: Ranchers remain concerned as to how long they can pasture cattle on dry, browning range and pastures, with a few reporting that they have begun supplemental feeding. Range and pasture conditions continued to decline, with only 29 percent of the state in good to excellent condition, down 11 points from a week earlier. Feed and water supplies remain mostly adequate, however, one fourth of the state now has short or very short stock water supplies. Cattle and sheep remain mostly in good to excellent condition.
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
AS OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2001
TOPSOIL SUBSOIL
This Last Last This Last Last
RATING Week Week Year Week Week Year
Percent
Very
Short 34 32 29 23 23 28
Short 46 49 42 51 44 37
Adeq. 20 19 26 26 33 32
Surplus 0 0 3 0 0 3
CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
AS OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2001
ITEM V POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCEL
Percent
Alfalfa 7 20 36 32 5
Corn 6 11 30 38 15
Soybeans 9 18 29 34 10
Sorghum 2 5 51 37 5
Sunflower 1 4 39 45 11
Cattle 0 1 21 63 15
Sheep 0 2 16 65 17
Range &
Pasture 10 21 40 24 5
CROP PROGRESS AS OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2001 1/
This Last Last 5-Yr.
ITEM Week Week Year Ave
Percent
Corn
dough 97 93 93 93
dented 82 63 73 67
mature 21 7 21 16
silage harvested 47 19 38 22
Sorghum
coloring 83 72 68 71
mature 22 4 17 18
grain harvested 1 0 3 2
silage harvested 36 20 31 14
Soybeans
dropping leaves 42 29 38 35
mature 12 2 14 11
Sunflower
ray flowers dry 90 70 81 80
bracts yellow 58 44 59 58
mature 8 2 14 11
Winter wheat
seeded 10 2 8 15
emerged 1 0 1 4
Winter rye
seeded 9 1 6 17
emerged 0 0 1 8
Alfalfa
3rd cutting 52 51 55 NA
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.
TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
WEEK ENDING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2001
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 68 +5 102 37 0.25 15.95 14.84 +1.91 +2.76 2528 +370
Buffalo 67 +6 101 38 0.15 12.81 12.17 +1.53 +2.07 2396 +345
Dupree 69 +4 101 37 0.00 11.05 9.60 -2.75 -2.51 2597 +228
Mc Intosh 67 +5 100 35 0.06 14.74 14.13 +1.13 +1.99 2383 +174
Newell 67 +5 101 34 0.00 12.11 10.56 -0.19 -0.24 2364 +216
Timber Lake 69 +7 99 37 0.06 13.45 11.77 -1.21 -0.93 2540 +288
Aberdeen 69 +6 94 43 0.03 16.92 15.07 +1.72 +2.05 2540 +269
Eureka 69 +7 98 39 0.00 16.44 15.49 +2.50 +3.13 2561 +440
Faulkton 71 +9 100 40 0.02 14.78 11.82 -0.54 -1.40 2707 +483
Mobridge 71 +8 100 37 0.02 14.76 14.21 +0.87 +2.22 2612 +298
Roscoe 68 +6 98 42 0.00 14.55 13.09 -1.01 -0.55 2364 +135
Britton 71 +8 97 47 0.42 15.91 14.42 +0.70 +0.92 2748 +432
Clear Lake 67 +5 88 47 0.23 24.15 20.55 +5.01 +4.32 2352 +120
Sisseton 69 +5 94 48 0.58 16.22 15.09 -0.64 +0.66 2430 +67
Webster 68 +6 92 48 0.06 14.87 13.75 -2.21 -1.04 2478 +257
Watertown 69 +7 91 49 0.05 16.32 15.34 -1.37 +0.18 2466 +226
Faith 69 +4 104 36 0.04 10.91 10.36 -2.90 -1.64 2642 +287
Milesville 70 +5 107 36 0.00 15.71 13.80 +0.88 +0.89 2735 +227
Long Valley 70 +5 103 34 0.18 14.34 11.74 -0.79 -1.52 2750 +276
Philip 73 +7 108 37 0.01 8.47 8.01 -4.89 -3.71 2884 +303
Rapid City 68 +6 103 32 0.19 12.52 11.68 -1.15 -0.05 2521 +392
Spearfish 68 +6 99 40 0.08 15.40 12.63 -2.31 -2.29 2556 +525
Chamberlain 73 +7 104 39 0.12 20.23 17.32 +5.61 +4.47 2779 +62
Highmore 73 +8 101 38 0.00 15.91 14.79 -0.31 +0.64 2803 +346
Huron 72 +8 100 43 0.16 21.24 17.68 +5.00 +4.19 2794 +370
Onida 70 +5 102 37 0.00 15.54 13.62 +0.35 +0.76 2657 +128
Pierre 75 +10 105 42 0.00 15.42 12.73 +0.14 -0.51 2934 +337
Brookings 69 +7 90 49 0.83 17.89 15.85 -0.38 -0.44 2387 +358
Madison 69 +7 91 47 1.40 19.06 16.99 +0.21 +1.25 2520 +304
Mitchell 71 +5 95 46 0.30 18.39 14.87 +0.99 +0.10 2797 +192
Sioux Falls 70 +6 88 50 0.41 22.72 19.76 +4.49 +4.32 2729 +290
Custer 61 +4 90 30 0.22 17.75 16.11 +1.85 +2.09 1637 +229
Hot Springs 66 +1 100 33 0.28 10.99 9.13 -2.08 -2.45 2438 +96
Oelrichs 70 +4 103 33 0.32 13.44 10.72 -0.54 -1.34 2514 +63
Porcupine 69 +5 101 33 0.55 15.88 13.09 +2.62 +1.31 2438 +73
Murdo 73 +8 104 43 0.09 17.33 15.22 +2.43 +2.58 2736 +298
Winner 75 +8 103 44 0.28 21.60 18.80 +2.26 +2.29 2992 +161
Armour 71 +6 96 45 0.40 23.32 20.22 +5.04 +4.82 2929 +226
Centerville 70 +6 88 49 1.12 20.49 17.97 +0.64 +0.90 2691 +234
Marion 70 +6 90 48 0.74 23.64 20.17 +4.71 +4.23 2615 +206
Pickstown 73 +8 98 44 1.07 21.58 17.99 +4.02 +2.92 2869 +224
Vermillion 71 +5 92 49 0.59 17.31 15.05 -2.27 -1.90 3011 +206
Yankton 72 +7 93 47 0.67 21.16 17.49 +2.43 +1.27 2953 +367
Map to weather reporting stations
Topsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
Subsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
Return to the List of 2001 Crop Weather Reports