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Released: September 17, 2001 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending September 16, 2001 SD-CW3601 Volume 50 Issue 37

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Cooler temperatures, combined with much-needed rain toward week's end, were beneficial for winter wheat seeding, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities for the week included cutting silage and gearing up for row crop harvest. Statewide, there were 5.1 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:  Below normal temperatures existed across the state last week, accompanied by measurable amounts of rainfall. Temperatures ranged from 2 to 6 degrees below normal. Oelrichs reported the high of 93 degrees, while Custer recorded a low of 33 degrees. Chamberlain received the greatest amount of rainfall, at 3.36 inches, while nine other sites reported over two inches of precipitation.

SOIL CONDITION:   A week ending in showers was much needed and welcomed by producers across the state. Fifty percent of the state is now rated with adequate topsoil moisture, an increase of 30 percentage points over last week. Only 20 percent is now rated very short of topsoil moisture, compared to 34 percent the previous week. Subsoil moisture improved to 64 percent short or very short, compared to 74 percent the previous week. The state rated as 35 percent adequate for subsoil.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Winter wheat jumped to 22 percent planted last week, ahead of last year's 18 percent, yet 12 percentage points behind the five-year average. Winter wheat reached 3 percent emerged. Corn dented was at 91 percent, mature at 35 percent, and harvested at 1 percent, compared to 90 percent dented, 38 percent mature, and 2 percent harvested a year ago. Soybeans are 57 percent dropping leaves and 21 percent mature, behind last year's 77 percent dropping leaves and 31 percent mature. Soybean harvest has just begun, with 1 percent reported harvested. Harvest of sorghum silage came in at 47 percent and corn silage 69 percent complete. Sunflower progress is at 77 percent bracts yellowing, ahead of last year and the five-year average, while 19 percent is mature and 1 percent harvested, slightly behind last year.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Farmers and ranchers are still reporting dry, browning pastures, with supplemental feeding occurring in some areas. Range and pasture conditions held steady with only 29 percent rated in good to excellent condition. Feed supplies are at 76 percent adequate to surplus, a 2 percentage point decrease from the previous week. Stock water supplies were rated as 67 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus, very similar to the previous week. Cattle were in mostly good to excellent condition, at 81 percent, while sheep rated 73 percent good to excellent.




       SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON                                           
               AS OF SEPTEMBER 16, 2001 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     20    34   32    20    23    27
Short      30    46   45    44    51    39
Adeq.      50    20   23    35    26    33
Surplus     0     0    0     1     0     1



             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                AS OF SEPTEMBER 16, 2001 
  
ITEM       V POOR    POOR   FAIR    GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa        9      19     39      31      2
Corn           1      10     29      45     15
Soybeans       5      17     31      36     11
Sorghum        1       3     48      37     11
Sunflower      1       4     36      48     11
Cattle         0       1     18      62     19
Sheep          0       3     24      54     19
Range & 
   Pasture     8      21     42      26      3


   CROP PROGRESS AS OF SEPTEMBER 16, 2001   1/
                                                   
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
                               Percent
Corn        
 dough               98     97     98      98
 dented              91     82     90      85
 mature              35     21     38      30
 grain harvested      1      0      2       1
 silage harvested    69     47     74      44
Sorghum     
 coloring            95     83     84      86
 mature              37     22     26      29
 grain harvested      4      1      5       3
 silage harvested    47     36     46      26
Soybeans    
 dropping leaves     57     42     77      61
 mature              21     12     31      24
 harvested            1      0      3       2
Sunflower   
 ray flowers dry     95     90     93      93
 bracts yellow       77     58     73      75
 mature              19      8     21      22
 harvested            1      0      2       2
Winter wheat
 seeded              22     10     18      34
 emerged              3      1      2      10
Winter rye  
 seeded              33      9     29      38
 emerged              5      0      4      16
Alfalfa  
 3rd cutting         61     52     67      NA
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 

           
                  TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 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       57  -4  81  40| 0.74  16.69  15.58  +2.35  +3.20|  2579  +346
Buffalo     56  -4  80  42| 0.38  13.19  12.55  +1.58  +2.12|  2442  +321
Dupree      57  -5  83  40| 0.61  11.66  10.21  -2.42  -2.18|  2649  +195
McIntosh    57  -3  85  41| 1.50  16.24  15.63  +2.28  +3.14|  2436  +156
Newell      56  -5  82  37| 0.48  12.59  11.04  +0.01  -0.04|  2403  +180
Timber Lake 57  -4  82  40| 1.13  14.58  12.90  -0.38  -0.10|  2592  +266
Aberdeen    58  -3  81  37| 1.59  18.51  16.66  +2.88  +3.21|  2600  +255
Eureka      57  -3  82  38| 1.32  17.76  16.81  +3.47  +4.10|  2613  +423
Faulkton    58  -3  77  42| 1.48  16.26  13.30  +0.58  -0.28|  2764  +464
Mobridge    60  -2  86  39| 1.17  15.93  15.38  +1.69  +3.04|  2682  +290
Roscoe      57  -4  81  41| 1.44  15.99  14.53  +0.08  +0.54|  2413  +110
Britton     58  -4  79  39| 1.77  17.68  16.19  +2.01  +2.23|  2809  +416
Clear Lake  56  -5  79  42| 1.04  25.19  21.59  +5.49  +4.80|  2399   +92
Sisseton    57  -5  76  43| 1.13  17.35  16.22  +0.05  +1.35|  2479   +36
Webster     57  -4  82  45| 2.02  16.89  15.77  -0.65  +0.52|  2526  +235
Watertown   58  -3  82  44| 1.48  17.80  16.82  -0.36  +1.19|  2525  +210
Faith       57  -5  83  42| 0.80  11.71  11.16  -2.38  -1.12|  2694  +254
Milesville  58  -5  86  42| 0.76  16.43  14.52  +1.25  +1.26|  2792  +192
Long_Valley 60  -4  89  39| 0.44  14.78  12.18  -0.63  -1.36|  2825  +255
Philip      61  -4  89  37| 0.17   8.64   8.18  -5.00  -3.82|  2960  +283
Rapid City  59  -2  87  39| 0.58  13.10  12.26  -0.85  +0.25|  2588  +382
Spearfish   57  -3  84  40| 0.09  15.49  12.72  -2.60  -2.58|  2607  +504
Chamberlain 61  -5  90  42| 3.36  23.59  20.68  +8.67  +7.53|  2855   +34
Highmore    57  -6  85  41| 1.50  17.41  16.29  +0.78  +1.73|  2856  +308
Huron       60  -2  85  41| 1.45  22.69  19.13  +6.03  +5.22|  2868  +362
Onida       58  -5  88  41| 1.08  16.62  14.70  +1.09  +1.50|  2718   +98
Pierre      61  -3  90  41| 2.00  17.42  14.73  +1.74  +1.09|  3013  +322
Brookings   58  -2  83  45| 0.96  18.85  16.81  -0.05  -0.11|  2445  +351
Madison     59  -3  84  43| 1.21  20.27  18.20  +0.86  +1.90|  2583  +291
Mitchell    60  -4  88  45| 2.38  20.77  17.25  +2.80  +1.91|  2870  +172
Sioux Falls 60  -3  85  46| 1.54  24.26  21.30  +5.29  +5.12|  2801  +278
Custer      53  -3  81  33| 0.91  18.66  17.02  +2.41  +2.65|  1668  +210
Hot Springs 60  -3  89  41| 0.07  11.06   9.20  -2.36  -2.73|  2515   +83
Oelrichs    62  -2  93  39| 0.20  13.64  10.92  -0.62  -1.42|  2599   +53
Porcupine   59  -4  87  37| 0.22  16.10  13.31  +2.56  +1.25|  2501   +52
Murdo       60  -3  89  46| 1.48  18.81  16.70  +3.64  +3.79|  2808  +281
Winner      62  -4  88  42| 2.67  24.27  21.47  +4.44  +4.47|  3081  +141
Armour      62  -3  87  42| 3.34  26.72  23.62  +7.88  +7.66|  3017  +216
Centerville 60  -3  85  45| 2.08  22.57  20.05  +2.09  +2.35|  2760  +219
Marion      59  -3  85  45| 1.85  25.49  22.02  +5.83  +5.35|  2684  +193
Pickstown   62  -3  89  45| 2.49  24.00  20.41  +5.82  +4.72|  2961  +219
Vermillion  63  -2  87  46| 2.98  20.29  18.03  +0.14  +0.51|  3108  +198
Yankton     60  -4  84  45| 2.93  24.09  20.42  +4.80  +3.64|  3028  +349
 


Map to weather reporting stations

Soybean Progress As Of September 16, 2001


 
 
 
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
 

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