Released: September 3, 2002 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending September 1, 2002 SD-CW3502 Volume 51 Issue 35

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Above normal temperatures prevailed, with rain showers moving across the state again last week, providing much needed precipitation for row crops and pastures, 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 5.5 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:  Above normal temperatures covered the state last week. Average temperatures were in the 60's and 70's, with highs in the 80's, 90's and a few 100's. Precipitation varied across the state, with some areas reporting only trace amounts of rainfall and other areas reporting an inch or more. Eureka received the most rain, with 1.57 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:   Topsoil moisture conditions remained mostly unchanged from the previous week, even with scattered rain showers last week. Topsoil moisture is rated 19 percent very short, 30 percent short, 47 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 32 percent very short, 33 percent short, 32 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Recent rains have provided some relief to heat and drought stressed crops. Corn is 93 percent in the dough stage, 57 percent dented, and 17 percent rated mature. All progress is similar to last year, but ahead of the five-year average. Soybeans are at 26 percent dropping leaves and 2 percent mature, also similar to last year's progress. Sorghum is 96 percent headed and 64 percent turning color, an increase of 19 percentage points from last week. Sunflower is 99 percent blooming, 56 percent have ray flowers dry, and 35 percent have bracts yellowing. Silage harvest continues, with corn silage 28 percent harvested and sorghum silage 36 percent harvested.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Alfalfa harvest continues, with second cutting 98 percent harvested and third cutting 56 percent harvested. 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 SEPTEMBER 1, 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     3    NA     32      3     5
Short      36    17    NA     28     19    13
Adeq.      30    75    NA     37     75    73
Surplus     1     5    NA      3      3     9



    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
         AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     19    21    31     32     33    21
Short      30    26    48     33     32    44
Adeq.      47    50    21     32     34    35
Surplus     4     3     0      3      1     0



    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn          19      19     24      32      6
Soybeans       9      17     31      38      5
Alfalfa       40      21     26      11      2
Sorghum       33      37     21       9      0
Sunflower     27      23     36      13      1
Cattle         4      10     31      47      8
Sheep          4       9     26      56      5
Range & 
   Pasture    31      29     25      13      2



    CROP PROGRESS AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2002  1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn          
 dough               93     82     92      88
 dented              57     39     60      52
 mature              17     13      6       8
 silage harvested    28     20     17      11
Sorghum      
 headed              96     93     99      96
 coloring            64     45     69      52
 mature               6      3      4       6
 silage harvested    36     26     18      11
Soybeans    
 dropping leaves     26     18     28      19
 mature               2      0      2       3
Sunflower   
 blooming            99     93     97      96 
 ray flowers dry     56     39     67      60
 bracts yellow       35     22     40      40
 mature               1      0      2       4
Winter Wheat
 seeded               7      1      2       5
 emerged              0      0      0       2 
Winter Rye  
 seeded               9      0      1       8  
 emerged              0      0      0       5 
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         98     95     95      94 
 3rd cutting         56     48     51      41 
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 



                 TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                           WEEK ENDING SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 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       73  +6  95  55| 0.29   6.40   5.81  -7.24  -5.87|  2305  +256
Buffalo     73  +8  97  55| 0.03   4.91   4.54  -6.10  -5.29|  2213  +266
Dupree      75  +7  96  56| 0.31   6.20   5.58  -7.28  -6.21|  2459  +212
McIntosh    72  +6  95  52| 0.39   6.55   5.76  -6.64  -5.96|  2241  +139
Newell      71  +5  97  52| 0.27   8.39   7.16  -3.59  -3.32|  2217  +178
Timber      73  +7  94  54| 0.05   7.26   6.44  -7.00  -5.86|  2379  +236
Aberdeen    74  +8  88  57| 0.58  12.86  12.02  -1.78  -0.44|  2282  +120
Eureka      74  +9  92  59| 1.57  12.41  11.76  -1.10  -0.17|  2384  +364
Faulkton    75 +10  92  60| 0.59  15.18  13.89  +0.34  +1.15|  2417  +302
Mobridge    76 +10  95  58| 0.11   6.75   6.57  -6.74  -5.02|  2511  +311
Roscoe      72  +7  89  59| 1.22  10.56   9.72  -4.54  -3.46|  2142   +21
Britton     75  +8  88  60| 0.57  10.30   9.54  -4.35  -3.40|  2451  +248
Clear Lake  74  +8  88  62| 0.00  14.77  11.83  -3.72  -3.75|  2155   +31
Sisseton    74  +7  90  58| 0.44  16.15  15.93  -0.14  +2.07|  2171   -77
Webster     73  +8  86  63| 0.65  17.36  16.51  +0.87  +2.31|  2252  +135
Watertown   73  +7  85  60| 0.79  13.59  12.88  -3.53  -1.71|  2263  +130
Faith       73  +5  96  56| 0.59   6.83   6.64  -6.66  -5.04|  2407  +174
Milesville  75  +6 102  54| 0.35   7.98   6.38  -6.45  -6.13|  2664  +286
Long Valley 76  +7  99  62| 0.00   3.91   3.62 -10.84  -9.26|  2744  +402
Philip      76  +6 103  54| 0.31   5.35   4.96  -7.69  -6.44|  2753  +307
Rapid City  73  +7  99  46| 0.06   7.38   6.46  -5.95  -4.93|  2443  +426
Spearfish   71  +6  91  54| 0.75   9.54   7.40  -7.69  -7.04|  2277  +351
Chamberlain 75  +5  94  59| 0.16  10.76   9.04  -3.46  -3.41|  2602   +27
Highmore    75  +7  93  61| 0.41  13.04  12.64  -2.70  -1.03|  2562  +231
Huron       77  +9  90  65| 0.98  10.12   8.71  -5.64  -4.30|  2667  +360
Onida       74  +5  89  58| 0.27  10.90  10.28  -3.89  -2.18|  2490   +91
Pierre      76  +6  99  58| 0.15  11.54  11.06  -3.33  -1.77|  2631  +167
Brookings   73  +9  85  56| 0.00  18.88  16.01  +1.34  +0.45|  2217  +283
Madison     72  +7  84  56| 0.35  12.00  10.73  -6.16  -4.32|  2335  +227
Mitchell    76  +7  90  61| 0.00  15.26  12.96  -1.49  -1.16|  2607  +131
Sioux Falls 74  +7  85  59| 0.00  18.59  16.76  +1.22  +2.18|  2596  +275
Custer      66  +6  97  49| 1.43  13.60  12.10  -1.84  -1.46|  1552  +217
Hot Springs 72  +4  94  51| 0.15  10.94   8.53  -1.80  -2.72|  2375  +157
Oelrichs    72  +4  94  53| 0.18   9.80   7.33  -3.81  -4.36|  2404   +85
Porcupine   72  +5  95  52| 0.32   9.35   7.68  -3.62  -3.81|  2363  +117
Murdo       75  +7  98  59| 0.06   7.55   6.26  -7.03  -6.06|  2610  +297
Winner      76  +6  94  54| 0.45  11.05   9.45  -7.73  -6.50|  3032  +348
Armour      74  +5  88  60| 0.13  11.40  10.37  -6.24  -4.39|  2894  +327
Centerville 73  +6  85  61| 0.55  16.63  15.58  -2.48  -0.75|  2548  +209
Marion      73  +7  86  60| 0.49  16.63  15.15  -1.48  +0.03|  2451  +156
Pickstown   76  +7  91  61| 1.38  11.27  10.15  -5.61  -4.24|  2820  +308
Vermillion  75  +5  86  61| 0.40  19.88  18.76  +1.02  +2.53|  2908  +243
Yankton     74  +6  90  61| 0.53  14.86  12.84  -3.29  -2.80|  2716  +258
 
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.