Released: July 29, 2002 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending July 28, 2002 SD-CW3002 Volume 51 Issue 30

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   High temperatures were felt again last week, accelerating small grain harvest, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included cutting hay, harvesting small grain, spraying, fixing fences, working summer fallow, and moving cattle to market. Statewide, there were 5.9 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:  Although precipitation varied across the state, most areas received some rain last week. Eureka received the greatest amount of precipitation, with 2.52 inches reported. Temperatures ranged from highs in the 90's and 100's to lows mainly in the 50's with a high of 103 degrees reported in Oelrichs.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil moisture conditions remain mostly unchanged from last week, with a slight improvement in topsoil conditions. Topsoil moisture is rated 49 percent very short, 35 percent short, and 16 percent adequate.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Small grain harvest continues, as winter wheat is 96 percent harvested and spring wheat is 47 percent harvested, both well ahead of last year and the five-year average. Corn is 77 percent tasseled, 53 percent silking, and 4 percent in the dough stage, all equal to or ahead of last year. Soybeans are 84 percent in bloom with 39 percent setting pods, both ahead of the five-year average of 72 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    The continued hot weather and poor range and pasture conditions have put stress on livestock, but producers feel livestock are fairing well considering the conditions. Cattle are 49 percent and sheep are 61 percent in good to excellent condition. Second cutting alfalfa is 66 percent harvested, and third cutting is underway with 3 percent harvested. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current drought conditions.

           FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                  AS OF JULY 28, 2002 

              FEED           STOCK WATER 
            SUPPLIES           SUPPLIES 
         This  Last 5-Yr.    This  Last  5-Yr.
RATING   Year  Year  Ave.    Year  Year   Ave.

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     36     2    NA     46      1     2
Short      33    13    NA     25      4     6
Adeq.      30    78    NA     28     75    78
Surplus     1     7    NA      1     20    14



           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF July 28, 2002 

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

                        Percent
Very 
 Short     49    58     5     56     54     2
Short      35    33    14     32     35    19
Adeq.      16     9    72     12     11    70
Surplus     0     0     9      0      0     9





          CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                AS OF JULY 28, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                           Percent
Winter Rye    20      38     18      23      1
Spring Wheat  44      30     16       9      1
Barley        46      31     12      11      0
Oats          43      33     16       8      0
Corn          19      26     28      24      3
Soybeans       9      19     34      35      3
Alfalfa       53      29     12       6      0
Sorghum       34      30     29       6      1
Sunflower     32      41     23       4      0
Cattle         6       9     36      43      6
Sheep          3       5     31      52      9
Range & 
   Pasture    46      32     15       7      0






            CROP PROGRESS AS OF JULY 28, 2002   1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave  
                             Percent
Barley      
 turning color       89     72     86      87
 ripe                80     48     40      49
 harvested           36     17      4      13 
Spring Wheat
 turning color       98     96     87      87
 ripe                85     51     40      47
 harvested           47     18      6      11
Oats        
 turning color       98     94     89      89
 ripe                87     60     48      58
 harvested           60     37     15      28 
Corn          
 2nd cult or sprayed 100     88     93      95
 tasseling            77     43     72      72
 silked               53     15     42      47
 dough                 4      0      4       7
Sorghum     
 headed              30     14     28      25
 coloring            14      9      0       5
Soybeans    
 blooming            84     67     70      72
 setting pods        39     18     22      31
Sunflower   
 blooming            13      8     13      18 
 ray flowers dry      3      0      0       1
 bracts yellow        1      0      0       0
Winter Wheat
 ripe               100     95     83      91
 harvested           96     73     29      58 
Winter Rye  
 ripe                97     81     60      84
 harvested           55     29      6      31 
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         66     52     66      62 
 3rd cutting          3      0      3      NA 
Other Hay   
 cut                 81     74     81      76

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



                TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                            WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 28, 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       75  +3  95  55| 0.38   5.05   4.46  -6.88  -5.51|  1585  +264
Buffalo     74  +3  96  54| 0.36   4.47   4.10  -5.16  -4.35|  1497  +243
Dupree      74  -2  95  56| 0.42   5.26   4.64  -6.46  -5.39|  1655  +191
McIntosh    72  -2  92  54| 1.19   5.46   4.67  -5.66  -4.98|  1536  +164
Newell      72  -2  93  55| 0.36   7.00   5.77  -3.41  -3.14|  1510  +193
Timber Lake 73  -1  91  54| 0.66   5.37   4.55  -6.62  -5.48|  1626  +213
Aberdeen    71  -4  88  50| 0.80   8.26   7.42  -3.94  -2.60|  1601  +164
Eureka      73  +1  91  54| 2.52   9.02   8.37  -2.17  -1.24|  1642  +317
Faulkton    73  -2  94  55| 0.08  11.59  10.30  -0.60  +0.21|  1678  +272
Mobridge    74  +0  96  56| 0.29   4.97   4.79  -6.53  -4.81|  1715  +263
Roscoe      71  -3  95  53| 0.85   6.97   6.13  -5.81  -4.73|  1482   +83
Britton     72  -2  92  53| 0.73   6.49   5.73  -5.70  -4.75|  1716  +252
Clear Lake  71  -2  90  50| 0.48  10.39   7.45  -4.64  -4.67|  1477   +47
Sisseton    70  -5  90  46| 0.87  12.81  12.59  -0.35  +1.86|  1474   -35
Webster     71  -3  87  53| 1.75  11.91  11.06  -1.30  +0.14|  1543  +128
Watertown   71  -3  90  47| 0.92   6.76   6.05  -7.29  -5.47|  1554  +133
Faith       75  +0  97  56| 0.35   4.97   4.78  -6.91  -5.29|  1630  +177
Milesville  78  +2 101  57| 0.00   6.19   4.59  -6.03  -5.71|  1804  +244
Long Valley 77  +2 101  62| 0.04   3.91   3.62  -8.75  -7.17|  1818  +282
Philip      78  +2 101  57| 0.11   3.87   3.48  -7.40  -6.15|  1888  +286
Rapid City  75  +2  96  58| 0.26   6.61   5.69  -4.83  -3.81|  1647  +354
Spearfish   74  +2  92  55| 0.39   6.89   4.75  -8.33  -7.68|  1541  +305
Chamberlain 76  -2 101  57| 0.46   7.74   6.02  -4.21  -4.16|  1774   +58
Highmore    73  -3  94  50| 0.27   6.16   5.76  -6.93  -5.26|  1744  +207
Huron       76  +1  96  54| 0.23   6.11   4.70  -7.41  -6.07|  1846  +307
Onida       74  -3  96  56| 0.27   6.45   5.83  -5.95  -4.24|  1702  +115
Pierre      75  -2  98  60| 0.93   8.20   7.72  -4.73  -3.17|  1818  +196
Brookings   71  +0  92  43| 0.21  11.12   8.25  -3.25  -4.14|  1527  +228
Madison     72  +0  92  44| 0.23   5.46   4.19  -9.40  -7.56|  1616  +195
Mitchell    74  -3  94  52| 0.80   8.23   5.93  -5.98  -5.65|  1776   +97
Sioux Falls 74  -1  92  49| 0.69  10.37   8.54  -3.81  -2.85|  1801  +233
Custer      67  +0  88  48| 0.62   9.38   7.88  -3.69  -3.31|  1040  +208
Hot Springs 76  +2  96  53| 0.00   8.66   6.25  -2.50  -3.42|  1597  +141
Oelrichs    76  +0 103  54| 0.36   7.31   4.84  -4.48  -5.03|  1630  +122
Porcupine   75  -1 102  53| 0.12   7.25   5.58  -4.11  -4.30|  1615  +141
Murdo       76  +1 100  58| 0.96   5.17   3.88  -7.52  -6.55|  1772  +242
Winner      80  +3 101  59| 0.00   7.56   5.96  -8.51  -7.28|  2067  +256
Armour      79  +3 101  55| 0.30   6.86   5.83  -8.30  -6.45|  2010  +267
Centerville 75  +1  93  53| 1.58  10.54   9.49  -5.25  -3.52|  1795  +187
Marion      74  -1  92  52| 0.77   9.98   8.50  -5.10  -3.59|  1700  +133
Pickstown   80  +4 102  59| 0.00   6.11   4.99  -8.20  -6.83|  1939  +254
Vermillion  77  +1  94  54| 1.25  15.47  14.35  -0.05  +1.46|  2055  +206
Yankton     76  +1  95  54| 1.07   8.64   6.62  -6.44  -5.95|  1894  +216
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.