Released: August 26, 2002 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Week Ending August 25, 2002 SD-CW3402 Volume 51 Issue 34

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Below normal temperatures and rain showers moved across the state again last week, providing much needed precipitation for row crops, pastures, and range, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included cutting hay, spraying, fixing fences, working summer fallow, and moving cattle to market. Statewide, there were 4.7 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 highs in the 80's and 90's. Precipitation varied across the state, with some areas reporting only trace amounts of rainfall and other areas reporting an inch or more. Watertown received the most rain.

SOIL CONDITION:   Topsoil moisture conditions improved from the previous week due to scattered rain showers last week. Topsoil moisture is rated 21 percent very short, 26 percent short, 50 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 33 percent very short, 32 percent short, 34 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Moderate temperatures and recent rains have provided some relief to heat and drought stressed crops. Corn is 82 percent in the dough stage, 39 percent dented, and 13 percent rated mature, all ahead of the five-year average. Soybeans are 99 percent setting pods and 18 percent dropping leaves, also ahead of average. Sorghum is 93 percent headed, an increase of 21 percentage points from last week, and 45 percent turning color. Sunflower is 93 percent blooming, 39 percent have ray flowers dry, and 22 percent have bracts yellowing, all behind the five- year average. Silage harvest continues, with corn silage 20 percent harvested and sorghum silage 26 percent harvested.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Alfalfa harvest continues, with second cutting 95 percent harvested and third cutting 48 percent harvested. Other hay harvested is rated at 97 percent complete. Livestock remain in mostly good condition, while range and pastures remain in mostly very poor to poor condition. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current drought conditions.

           FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                  AS OF AUGUST 25, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     33     2    NA     33      3     5
Short      36    15    NA     31     14    13
Adeq.      30    80    NA     33     80    74
Surplus     1     3    NA      3      3     8



           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF AUGUST 25, 2002 

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

                        Percent
Very 
 Short     21    28    25     33     41    11
Short      26    35    40     32     39    41
Adeq.      50    36    35     34     20    48
Surplus     3     1     0      1      0     0





               CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF AUGUST 25, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                           Percent
Corn          21      17     24      32      6
Soybeans      10      17     25      44      4
Alfalfa       43      24     19      13      1
Sorghum       35      29     27       9      0
Sunflower     29      19     41      11      0
Cattle         5      10     30      48      7
Sheep          4       8     26      55      7
Range & 
   Pasture    40      25     23      11      1






            CROP PROGRESS AS OF AUGUST 25, 2002   1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave  
                             Percent
Corn          
 dough               82     63     83      78
 dented              39     22     39      33
 mature              13      3      1       5
 silage harvested    20     11      5       4
Sorghum      
 headed              93     72     98      88
 coloring            45     31     46      35
 mature               3      2      1       2
 silage harvested    26     14      5       6
Soybeans    
 setting pods        99     91     95      94
 dropping leaves     18      6     19      10
 mature               0      0      0       1
Sunflower   
 blooming            93     87     96      94 
 ray flowers dry     39     32     49      43
 bracts yellow       22     19     15      26
 mature               0      0      0       2
Winter Wheat
 seeded               1      0      0       2 
Winter Rye  
 seeded               0      0      0       4 
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         95     89     93      90 
 3rd cutting         48     45     49      NA 
Other Hay   
 cut                 97     95     95      93

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



                TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                           WEEK ENDING SUNDAY AUGUST 25, 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       70  +1  89  45| 0.68   6.19   5.60  -7.15  -5.78|  2155  +225
Buffalo     69  +1  86  44| 0.13   4.88   4.51  -5.85  -5.04|  2051  +217
Dupree      70  -2  91  49| 0.05   5.89   5.27  -7.28  -6.21|  2285  +168
McIntosh    68  -3  92  38| 0.07   6.16   5.37  -6.64  -5.96|  2084   +99
Newell      67  -3  86  45| 0.58   8.53   7.30  -3.16  -2.89|  2061  +139
Timber Lake 69  +0  90  49| 0.08   7.21   6.39  -6.63  -5.49|  2219  +194
Aberdeen    67  -4  83  40| 1.61  12.28  11.44  -1.90  -0.56|  2114   +69
Eureka      69  +2  89  44| 0.57  10.84  10.19  -2.25  -1.32|  2211  +303
Faulkton    67  -2  85  43| 1.24  14.59  13.30  +0.24  +1.05|  2236  +236
Mobridge    70  -1  90  48| 0.10   6.64   6.46  -6.50  -4.78|  2327  +249
Roscoe      65  -5  85  43| 0.59   9.34   8.50  -5.34  -4.26|  1984   -19
Britton     69  -1  86  46| 0.55   9.73   8.97  -4.43  -3.48|  2273  +190
Clear Lake  67  -3  83  47| 2.53  14.77  11.83  -3.09  -3.12|  1989   -21
Sisseton    67  -3  86  43| 0.75  15.71  15.49  +0.00  +2.21|  2000  -127
Webster     68  -1  85  52| 1.68  16.71  15.86  +0.80  +2.24|  2087   +83
Watertown   67  -3  82  44| 4.40  12.80  12.09  -3.76  -1.94|  2099   +82
Faith       69  -2  87  47| 0.70   6.24   6.05  -6.97  -5.35|  2249  +145
Milesville  72  -1  92  46| 0.18   7.63   6.03  -6.40  -6.08|  2490  +249
Long Valley 73  +2  91  44| 0.00   3.91   3.62 -10.49  -8.91|  2560  +353
Philip      72  -1  90  43| 0.33   5.04   4.65  -7.72  -6.47|  2573  +268
Rapid City  71  +2  89  44| 0.18   7.32   6.40  -5.66  -4.64|  2278  +380
Spearfish   70  +3  92  44| 0.30   8.79   6.65  -8.02  -7.37|  2127  +313
Chamberlain 71  -3  86  45| 0.86  10.60   8.88  -3.23  -3.18|  2426    -3
Highmore    70  -3  87  45| 3.45  12.63  12.23  -2.65  -0.98|  2383  +185
Huron       70  -2  88  42| 0.11   9.14   7.73  -6.20  -4.86|  2479  +297
Onida       70  -3  88  44| 1.25  10.63  10.01  -3.74  -2.03|  2321   +58
Pierre      70  -3  87  46| 0.48  11.39  10.91  -3.13  -1.57|  2449  +125
Brookings   66  -2  82  43| 1.76  18.88  16.01  +1.99  +1.10|  2057  +226
Madison     67  -2  82  43| 2.23  11.65  10.38  -5.88  -4.04|  2180  +185
Mitchell    71  +0  88  46| 2.73  15.26  12.96  -0.93  -0.60|  2427   +84
Sioux Falls 70  +0  83  47| 3.87  18.59  16.76  +1.92  +2.88|  2423  +226
Custer      62  -2  80  38| 1.22  12.17  10.67  -2.86  -2.48|  1436  +180
Hot Springs 71  +0  87  48| 0.48  10.79   8.38  -1.67  -2.59|  2221  +131
Oelrichs    69  -4  90  42| 0.52   9.62   7.15  -3.65  -4.20|  2248   +65
Porcupine   69  -2  89  42| 1.08   9.03   7.36  -3.67  -3.86|  2209   +89
Murdo       72  +2  88  49| 1.30   7.49   6.20  -6.79  -5.82|  2432  +249
Winner      74  +0  92  47| 1.96  10.60   9.00  -7.69  -6.46|  2846  +311
Armour      72  +0  88  47| 1.40  11.27  10.24  -5.87  -4.02|  2722  +295
Centerville 70  +1  85  47| 0.98  16.08  15.03  -2.39  -0.66|  2388  +170
Marion      68  -2  84  46| 1.88  16.14  14.66  -1.29  +0.22|  2288  +112
Pickstown   72  -2  91  49| 0.93   9.89   8.77  -6.43  -5.06|  2639  +266
Vermillion  72  +0  86  49| 0.49  19.48  18.36  +1.25  +2.76|  2734  +209
Yankton     70  -2  86  45| 1.11  14.33  12.31  -3.25  -2.76|  2544  +217

Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.