Released: July 22, 2002 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending July 21, 2002 SD-CW2902 Volume 51 Issue 29

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Hot, dry weather came again last week, with high temperatures reaching the 100's putting further stress on livestock and crops, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included cutting hay, harvesting small grain, spraying, fixing fences, cultivating, and moving cattle to market. Statewide, there were 6.5 days reported suitable for fieldwork last week. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:  Rain fell in scattered areas of the state last week but, with highs in the 100's, much more rain will be needed to combat the high temperatures. Temperatures ranged from 6 to 12 degrees above normal with a high of 111 degrees recorded in Chamberlain. Many areas of the state experienced temperatures above 100 degrees last week. Precipitation varied, as some areas of the state received no rain last week and others received an inch or more. Bison received the greatest amount of precipitation, with 1.53 inches reported. Nearly all reporting stations are well below average rainfall for the year.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil moisture conditions continue to decline with the hot weather. Topsoil moisture is rated at 58 percent very short, 33 percent short, and 9 percent adequate. Subsoil is 54 percent very short, 35 percent short, and 11 percent adequate.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Good gains were made harvesting small grain, as the state experienced another hot, dry week. Winter wheat is now 73 percent harvested, an increase of 47 percentage points from last week. Oats are 37 percent harvested well ahead of last year and the five-year average. Spring wheat is 51 percent ripe and 18 percent harvested, also ahead of last year and average. Row crop conditions declined last week with the hot weather. Rain is crucial in the near future as row crops progress through important stages of development. Corn is 43 percent tassled and 15 percent silked. Soybeans blooming, at 67 percent, increased 23 percentage points from the previous week, and 18 percent are setting pods. Sorghum is 14 percent headed, a little behind last year's progress.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Alfalfa and pasture conditions continue to decline with lack of moisture and persistent hot weather. Range and pasture conditions are now rated 75 percent very poor or poor, statewide. Although conditions are unfavorable, livestock remain mostly in good to excellent condition. Second cutting alfalfa is 52 percent harvested and other hay is 74 percent harvested.

           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF July 21, 2002 

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

                        Percent
Very 
 Short     58    45     9     54     45     5
Short      33    37    35     35     36    27
Adeq.       9    18    51     11     18    62
Surplus     0     0     5      0      1     6





          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                AS OF JULY 21, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                           Percent
Winter Wheat  43      29     19       8      1
Winter Rye    11      46     25      18      0
Spring Wheat  36      35     20       9      0
Barley        41      38     14       7      0
Oats          33      40     21       6      0
Corn          18      25     34      22      1
Soybeans      12      23     36      28      1
Alfalfa       49      30     16       5      0
Sorghum       26      34     34       6      0
Sunflower     17      31     47       5      0
Cattle         2      11     35      46      6
Sheep          3       8     29      53      7
Range & 
   Pasture    45      30     19       6      0






            CROP PROGRESS AS OF JULY 21, 2002   1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave  
                             Percent
Barley      
 turning color       72     49     61      70
 ripe                48     17     10      22
 harvested           17      4      1       3 
Spring Wheat
 turning color       96     69     66      73
 ripe                51     26     11      21
 harvested           18      9      1       3
Oats        
 turning color       94     72     70      71
 ripe                60     30     21      34
 harvested           37     16      5      11 
Corn          
 ave. height (in.)   57     49     60      59
 2nd cult or sprayed 88     80     89      87
 tasseling           43      7     35      37
 silked              15      1     15      18
Sorghum     
 headed              14      5     20      13
 coloring             9      0      0       1
Soybeans    
 blooming            67     44     50      53
 setting pods        18      7     10      18
Sunflower   
 blooming             8      1      6      10 
Winter Wheat
 turning color      100     98     93      97
 ripe                95     78     55      74
 harvested           73     26      6      36 
Winter Rye  
 turning color      100     91     92      94
 ripe                81     44     29      54
 harvested           29      2      2      15 
Alfalfa     
 lst cutting        100     94    100      99 
 2nd cutting         52     32     51      47 
Other Hay   
 cut                 74     59     71      67

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



                TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                            WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 21, 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       81  +9 107  59| 1.53   4.67   4.08  -6.84  -5.47|  1409  +249
Buffalo     83 +12 108  66| 0.34   4.11   3.74  -5.17  -4.36|  1325  +227
Dupree      84 +10 106  65| 0.63   4.84   4.22  -6.46  -5.39|  1488  +199
McIntosh    80  +8 106  63| 0.81   4.27   3.48  -6.43  -5.75|  1380  +175
Newell      81  +8 103  60| 0.72   6.53   5.30  -3.53  -3.26|  1338  +188
Timber Lake 82  +9 102  65| 0.54   4.71   3.89  -6.86  -5.72|  1465  +220
Aberdeen    81  +9  98  65| 1.51   7.46   6.62  -4.18  -2.84|  1453  +183
Eureka      83 +11 101  66| 0.73   6.50   5.85  -4.20  -3.27|  1482  +317
Faulkton    82 +10 101  65| 0.49  11.51  10.22  -0.19  +0.62|  1519  +279
Mobridge    83 +10 103  68| 0.53   4.68   4.50  -6.40  -4.68|  1545  +264
Roscoe      80  +8 101  61| 0.45   6.12   5.28  -6.15  -5.07|  1337   +99
Britton     82 +10 101  66| 0.53   5.76   5.00  -5.93  -4.98|  1559  +262
Clear Lake  79  +7  99  65| 0.12   9.91   6.97  -4.35  -4.38|  1326   +57
Sisseton    79  +6  95  62| 1.46  11.94  11.72  -0.59  +1.62|  1330   -11
Webster     79  +7  96  64| 1.00  10.16   9.31  -2.35  -0.91|  1394  +140
Watertown   81  +9 102  61| 0.17   5.84   5.13  -7.58  -5.76|  1403  +143
Faith       83  +9 106  67| 0.72   4.62   4.43  -6.82  -5.20|  1454  +176
Milesville  85 +10 109  68| 0.65   6.19   4.59  -5.54  -5.22|  1610  +232
Long Valley 83  +9 105  65| 0.00   3.87   3.58  -8.24  -6.66|  1624  +270
Philip      87 +11 108  67| 0.55   3.76   3.37  -7.04  -5.79|  1691  +278
Rapid City  84 +12 106  66| 0.67   6.35   5.43  -4.67  -3.65|  1473  +342
Spearfish   81 +10 104  63| 0.63   6.50   4.36  -8.37  -7.72|  1371  +295
Chamberlain 86 +10 111  67| 0.00   7.28   5.56  -4.12  -4.07|  1587   +63
Highmore    85 +11 104  68| 0.53   5.89   5.49  -6.57  -4.90|  1583  +224
Huron       85 +11 110  66| 0.11   5.88   4.47  -7.09  -5.75|  1665  +301
Onida       83  +8 104  63| 0.57   6.18   5.56  -5.66  -3.95|  1532  +127
Pierre      86 +10 107  66| 0.70   7.27   6.79  -5.16  -3.60|  1638  +205
Brookings   80  +9 102  61| 1.01  10.91   8.04  -2.79  -3.68|  1377  +225
Madison     81  +9 104  61| 0.00   5.23   3.96  -9.00  -7.16|  1457  +197
Mitchell    83  +8 108  63| 0.00   7.43   5.13  -6.29  -5.96|  1602  +105
Sioux Falls 81  +7 101  66| 0.00   9.68   7.85  -3.94  -2.98|  1629  +236
Custer      76 +11  95  59| 0.83   8.76   7.26  -3.62  -3.24|   918  +205
Hot Springs 82  +8 102  60| 0.54   8.66   6.25  -1.97  -2.89|  1415  +132
Oelrichs    84  +9 103  64| 0.22   6.95   4.48  -4.40  -4.95|  1444  +118
Porcupine   84 +10 104  62| 0.42   7.13   5.46  -3.71  -3.90|  1439  +144
Murdo       86 +12 106  67| 0.01   4.21   2.92  -7.99  -7.02|  1591  +243
Winner      89 +12 110  69| 0.13   7.56   5.96  -7.79  -6.56|  1857  +242
Armour      85  +9 107  61| 0.01   6.56   5.53  -7.99  -6.14|  1806  +251
Centerville 81  +7 101  62| 0.04   9.00   7.95  -6.09  -4.36|  1618  +178
Marion      81  +7 102  62| 0.15   9.21   7.73  -5.30  -3.79|  1532  +135
Pickstown   87 +11 109  63| 0.00   6.11   4.99  -7.67  -6.30|  1728  +232
Vermillion  82  +6  99  62| 0.00  14.22  13.10  -0.60  +0.91|  1862  +197
Yankton     84  +9 104  63| 0.00   7.57   5.55  -6.88  -6.39|  1710  +211
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.