Released: May 20, 2002 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending May 19, 2002 SD-CW2002 Volume 51 Issue 20

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Producers continue to make planting progress but cool temperatures have slowed crop development, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included row crop seeding, spraying and applying fertilizer, fixing fences, and moving cattle to pasture. Statewide, there were 5.2 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:  Below-average temperatures were reported for the fourth week in a row. Average temperatures were mainly in the 50's, which is 2 to 11 degrees below normal. Highmore reported the low for the week at 22 degrees, while Philip recorded a high of 88 degrees. Most of the state received only trace amounts of precipitation, with Oelrichs reporting the greatest amount at 0.55 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil moisture conditions remained relatively unchanged from the previous week. Topsoil is now at 5 percent very short, 19 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 9 percent very short, 21 percent short, 67 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Little improvement was seen in average soil temperatures, as many areas of the state received freeze and frost warnings. The average soil temperature for the state was 54.6 degrees. Watertown reported the lowest soil temperature at 45 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Favorable weather for planting has allowed producers to make continued progress seeding row crops, but cool temperatures have held germination to a minimum. Corn planted is at 79 percent complete, ahead of the previous and five-year averages. Corn emerged is reported at 11 percent, which is behind the previous year's mark of 19 percent. Soybeans are 29 percent planted and 1 percent emerged. Sorghum is 12 percent planted and sunflower is 5 percent planted. Spring small grain seeding nears completion as barley, oats, and spring wheat are 95, 96, and 98 percent planted, respectively. Winter wheat in boot stage is reported at 15 percent, while winter rye in boot is at 19 percent. Small grain remains mostly in good to excellent condition, with the exception of barley.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Livestock continue in mostly good to excellent condition. Calving is 94 percent complete and lambing is 94 percent complete. Cattle moved to pasture are reported at 54 percent complete, which is behind the previous year and the five-average. Producers are moving cattle to pasture slowly as they are waiting for pastures to grow. Range and pasture conditions are 4 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 43 percent good, and 7 percent excellent.

    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
           AS OF MAY 19, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      5     5     2     9     8     2
Short      19    17     6    21    22     7
Adeq.      73    72    73    67    67    65
Surplus     3     6    19     3     3    26



                              
        CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
               AS OF MAY 19, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   3       9     34      44     10
Winter Rye     0       3     26      58     13
Spring Wheat   1       3     42      48      6
Barley         2       4     47      43      4
Oats           1       3     33      54      9
Cattle         1       1     11      70     17
Sheep          1       2     10      66     21
Range & 
   Pasture     4      11     35      43      7



           CROP PROGRESS AS OF MAY 19, 2002   1/
                                                        
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley      
 seeded              95     77     88      86
 emerged             59     42     65      66
Spring Wheat
 seeded              98     93     89      92
 emerged             79     58     65      74
Oats        
 seeded              96     84     87      88
 emerged             70     53     67      66
Corn        
 planted             79     64     57      66
 emerged             11      3     19      NA
Sorghum     
 seeded              12      3      8      13
Soybeans    
 planted             29     10     19      29
 emerged              1      0      3      NA
Sunflower
 seeded               5      1      3       9 
Winter Wheat
 boot                15      7     13      37
 headed               0      0      0       2 
Winter Rye  
 boot                19      9     12      35
 headed               0      0      0       7
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 

     

    SOIL TEMPERATURES  WEEK ENDING MAY 19, 2002
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION  TEMP
          
Beresford      55              Gettysburg   55
Brookings      51              Nisland      56
Caputa         58              Pierre       55
Chamberlain    58              Redfield     55
Cottonwood     57              Watertown    45



 
                TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        FOR WEEK ENDING SUNDAY MAY 19, 2002  

                                                                                             
             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       54  -3  82  33| 0.00   1.95   1.36  -3.89  -2.52|    87   -52
Buffalo     53  -3  79  35| 0.03   1.42   1.05  -2.61  -1.80|    75   -51
Dupree      54  -4  84  29| 0.00   2.20   1.58  -3.13  -2.06|   108   -62
McIntosh    51  -6  81  26| 0.00   1.96   1.17  -2.86  -2.18|    78   -71
Newell      54  -3  82  34| 0.00   3.54   2.31  -1.11  -0.84|    86   -48
Timber Lake 52  -5  81  31| 0.00   2.17   1.35  -3.55  -2.41|   104   -61
Aberdeen    50  -8  76  28| 0.17   3.63   2.79  -1.88  -0.54|   100   -80
Eureka      51  -6  76  29| 0.05   2.55   1.90  -2.31  -1.38|    99   -45
Faulkton    51  -7  76  25| 0.08   3.84   2.55  -1.92  -1.11|   114   -41
Mobridge    52  -6  78  32| 0.01   1.47   1.29  -4.04  -2.32|   122   -45
Roscoe      49  -9  75  28| 0.04   2.52   1.68  -3.20  -2.12|    64   -99
Britton     51  -8  76  29| 0.02   3.11   2.35  -1.94  -0.99|   128   -62
Clear Lake  47 -11  75  31| 0.02   6.93   3.99  +0.03  +0.00|    83   -89
Sisseton    49 -10  78  29| 0.08   4.79   4.57  -1.61  +0.60|   110   -90
Webster     49  -9  75  33| 0.00   5.64   4.79  -0.11  +1.33|    88   -85
Watertown   47 -10  76  25| 0.02   3.23   2.52  -3.24  -1.42|   109   -54
Faith       53  -4  83  36| 0.02   1.60   1.41  -3.91  -2.29|    98   -69
Milesville  54  -5  84  36| 0.00   4.36   2.76  -1.36  -1.04|   122   -75
Long Valley 55  -3  83  33| 0.09   2.70   2.41  -2.89  -1.31|   168   -15
Philip      56  -3  88  33| 0.00   2.79   2.40  -2.19  -0.94|   175   -22
Rapid City  53  -2  82  38| 0.02   4.50   3.58  -0.88  +0.14|   118   -12
Spearfish   55  +2  77  39| 0.00   4.88   2.74  -2.79  -2.14|   112   -10
Chamberlain 52  -8  81  30| 0.04   4.58   2.86  -0.94  -0.89|   119  -112
Highmore    50  -8  80  22| 0.00   2.43   2.03  -3.61  -1.94|   151   -37
Huron       51  -7  79  26| 0.02   3.89   2.48  -2.60  -1.26|   180    -7
Onida       52  -7  81  26| 0.00   2.01   1.39  -3.91  -2.20|   116   -81
Pierre      52  -7  84  26| 0.00   1.83   1.35  -3.92  -2.36|   148   -52
Brookings   49  -8  77  30| 0.00   6.81   3.94  +1.16  +0.27|   104   -35
Madison     48 -10  78  26| 0.01   3.17   1.90  -4.02  -2.18|   114   -56
Mitchell    51  -9  78  30| 0.00   4.38   2.08  -2.49  -2.16|   150   -79
Sioux Falls 51  -8  78  28| 0.03   5.03   3.20  -2.06  -1.10|   201    +3
Custer      45  -5  71  28| 0.23   5.22   3.72  -0.33  +0.05|    29   -22
Hot Springs 54  -4  82  29| 0.42   5.66   3.25  +0.90  -0.02|   126   -58
Oelrichs    53  -5  83  31| 0.55   5.48   3.01  -0.17  -0.72|   136   -46
Porcupine   53  -5  85  28| 0.43   5.56   3.89  +0.79  +0.60|   114   -41
Murdo       53  -6  84  31| 0.03   3.23   1.94  -2.84  -1.87|   126   -45
Winner      56  -5  82  35| 0.35   5.50   3.90  -2.28  -1.05|   225   -44
Armour      55  -6  79  32| 0.21   4.24   3.21  -2.79  -0.94|   219   -40
Centerville 52  -8  81  32| 0.07   5.10   4.05  -1.89  -0.16|   175   -46
Marion      50  -9  79  31| 0.04   5.03   3.55  -2.33  -0.82|   143   -55
Pickstown   52  -8  80  31| 0.18   5.23   4.11  -1.27  +0.10|   171   -53
Vermillion  55  -8  80  30| 0.12   5.36   4.24  -1.74  -0.23|   298    -9
Yankton     52  -8  83  32| 0.04   5.71   3.69  -0.94  -0.45|   178   -56                                    
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.