Released: August 19, 2002 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending August 18, 2002 SD-CW3302 Volume 51 Issue 33

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Below normal temperatures and rain showers moved across the state last week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included cutting hay, harvesting small grains, spraying, fixing fences, working summer fallow, and moving cattle to market. Statewide, there were 5.6 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:  Below normal temperatures covered the state last week. Average temperatures were in the 60's and 70's, with Philip and Winner reporting a daytime high of 105 degrees. Precipitation varied across the state, with Centerville receiving the most rainfall, at 2.3 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:   Topsoil moisture conditions improved from the previous week. Topsoil moisture is rated 28 percent very short, 35 percent short, 36 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 41 percent very short, 39 percent short, and 20 percent adequate.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Small grain harvest nears completion, with barley 96 percent and spring wheat and oats both at 99 percent harvested. Moderate temperatures and recent rains have helped improve row crop conditions. Corn is 97 percent silked, 63 percent in the dough stage, and 22 percent in dent, all ahead of average. Soybeans are 91 percent setting pods and 6 percent dropping leaves, close to last year's progress but ahead of average. Sunflower are 87 percent blooming, 32 percent ray flowers dry, and 19 percent bracts yellowing, also ahead of the five-year average. Sorghum is 72 percent headed, slightly behind average, with 31 percent coloring. Silage harvest continues with corn silage 11 percent harvested and sorghum silage 14 percent harvested.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Alfalfa harvest continues, with second cutting 89 percent harvested and third cutting 45 percent harvested. Other hay harvested is rated at 95 percent complete. Livestock remain in mostly good to excellent condition, with improving range and pasture conditions. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current drought conditions.

           FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                  AS OF AUGUST 18, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     26     4    NA     31      4     4
Short      43    12    NA     36     11    10
Adeq.      30    80    NA     32     82    77
Surplus     1     4    NA      1      3     9



           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF AUGUST 18, 2002 

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

                        Percent
Very 
 Short     28    35    15     41     47     7
Short      35    33    39     39     31    34
Adeq.      36    32    45     20     22    58
Surplus     1     0     1      0      0     1




               CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF AUGUST 18, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                           Percent
Corn          20      22     27      25      6
Soybeans       8      19     30      38      5
Alfalfa       35      31     20      13      1
Sorghum       27      37     29       7      0
Sunflower     18      34     40       8      0
Cattle         2      10     30      52      6
Sheep          2       5     26      63      4
Range & 
   Pasture    35      33     22      10      0






            CROP PROGRESS AS OF AUGUST 18, 2002   1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave  
                             Percent
Barley      
harvested            96     88     86      85 
Spring Wheat
 harvested           99     91     91      84
Oats        
 harvested           99     94     93      90 
Corn          
 silked              97     92     97      96
 dough               63     38     64      59
 dented              22     11     15      16
 mature               3      0      0       2
 silage harvested    11      3      2       2
Sorghum      
 headed              72     66     91      77
 coloring            31     24     31      25
 mature               2      0      0       1
 silage harvested    14      5      3       3
Soybeans    
 setting pods        91     79     86      84
 dropping leaves      6      5      8       4
Sunflower   
 blooming            87     68     90      86 
 ray flowers dry     32     22     32      26
 bracts yellow       19      7      9      16
Winter Wheat
 seeded               0      0      0       1 
Winter Rye  
 seeded               0      0      0       1 
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         89     82     90      86 
 3rd cutting         45     33     41      NA 
Other Hay   
 cut                 95     93     90      88

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



                TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                           WEEK ENDING SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 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       66  -7  89  42| 0.34   5.51   4.92  -7.48  -6.11|  2012  +220
Buffalo     64  -8  92  40| 0.11   4.75   4.38  -5.72  -4.91|  1918  +215
Dupree      68  -6  96  44| 0.17   5.84   5.22  -6.98  -5.91|  2145  +175
McIntosh    62 -11  84  38| 0.03   6.09   5.30  -6.29  -5.61|  1960  +111
Newell      65  -7  95  40| 0.00   7.95   6.72  -3.46  -3.19|  1939  +152
Timber Lake 64  -8  88  44| 0.32   7.13   6.31  -6.26  -5.12|  2083  +194
Aberdeen    63  -9  89  38| 0.32  10.67   9.83  -3.03  -1.69|  1996   +86
Eureka      64  -7  84  45| 0.39  10.27   9.62  -2.39  -1.46|  2075  +297
Faulkton    64  -8  92  41| 0.18  13.35  12.06  -0.46  +0.35|  2115  +247
Mobridge    67  -6  92  45| 0.28   6.54   6.36  -6.22  -4.50|  2187  +249
Roscoe      64  -8  91  43| 0.37   8.75   7.91  -5.50  -4.42|  1875    +7
Britton     64  -9  82  40| 0.57   9.26   8.50  -4.41  -3.46|  2136  +192
Clear Lake  64  -7  89  41| 0.68  12.24   9.30  -4.97  -5.00|  1870   -10
Sisseton    65  -7  90  41| 0.23  14.96  14.74  -0.12  +2.09|  1878  -111
Webster     65  -7  85  47| 0.39  15.03  14.18  -0.25  +1.19|  1958   +85
Watertown   65  -7  90  41| 0.43   8.40   7.69  -7.54  -5.72|  1979   +95
Faith       68  -6  96  43| 0.16   5.54   5.35  -7.39  -5.77|  2112  +155
Milesville  69  -6 101  46| 0.06   7.45   5.85  -6.16  -5.84|  2336  +249
Long Valley 74  +2 103  55| 0.00   3.91   3.62 -10.11  -8.53|  2398  +343
Philip      70  -6 105  44| 0.00   4.71   4.32  -7.72  -6.47|  2417  +271
Rapid City  68  -5 101  39| 0.01   7.14   6.22  -5.49  -4.47|  2133  +371
Spearfish   64  -7  91  37| 0.00   8.49   6.35  -7.90  -7.25|  1983  +298
Chamberlain 67  -9  97  47| 0.18   9.74   8.02  -3.67  -3.62|  2280   +14
Highmore    67  -7  92  44| 0.60   9.18   8.78  -5.61  -3.94|  2245  +197
Huron       67  -6  96  42| 0.45   9.03   7.62  -5.89  -4.55|  2340  +301
Onida       67  -7  92  45| 0.61   9.38   8.76  -4.55  -2.84|  2183   +73
Pierre      67  -8  96  44| 1.27  10.91  10.43  -3.26  -1.70|  2306  +141
Brookings   64  -5  86  43| 0.56  17.12  14.25  +0.86  -0.03|  1945  +231
Madison     65  -6  85  40| 1.26   9.42   8.15  -7.48  -5.64|  2057  +191
Mitchell    68  -6  97  44| 0.58  12.53  10.23  -3.15  -2.82|  2276   +82
Sioux Falls 67  -6  84  44| 1.64  14.72  12.89  -1.27  -0.31|  2283  +226
Custer      60  -6  89  35| 0.12  10.95   9.45  -3.66  -3.28|  1348  +185
Hot Springs 67  -6  99  43| 0.12  10.31   7.90  -1.88  -2.80|  2076  +130
Oelrichs    67  -7  99  41| 0.04   9.10   6.63  -3.82  -4.37|  2114   +84
Porcupine   67  -6 100  41| 0.00   7.95   6.28  -4.47  -4.66|  2073   +97
Murdo       69  -4 103  45| 0.02   6.19   4.90  -7.74  -6.77|  2276  +240
Winner      76  +0 105  47| 0.05   8.64   7.04  -9.16  -7.93|  2678  +308
Armour      69  -6  95  46| 0.15   9.87   8.84  -6.78  -4.93|  2564  +293
Centerville 65  -7  85  45| 2.30  15.39  14.34  -2.45  -0.72|  2247  +166
Marion      66  -6  88  44| 1.01  14.26  12.78  -2.54  -1.03|  2158  +117
Pickstown   71  -4  98  52| 0.30   8.96   7.84  -6.82  -5.45|  2487  +270
Vermillion  69  -6  86  47| 1.81  18.99  17.87  +1.39  +2.90|  2579  +209
Yankton     67  -6  91  46| 1.26  13.22  11.20  -3.75  -3.26|  2402  +221
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.