Released: October 7, 2002 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending October 6, 2002 SD-CW4002 Volume 51 Issue 40

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Harvest continues throughout the state as rainfall improves moisture conditions, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included hay hauling, winter wheat planting, cutting silage, harvesting row crops, and moving cattle to fall grazing. Statewide, there were 4.6 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:   Slightly below normal temperatures covered the state last week. Average temperatures were in the 40's and 50's, with a low of 28 in McIntosh and Custer and a high of 88 in Vermillion and Yankton. Most stations received some precipitation, aside from Bison and Long Valley which reported no rainfall. Sioux Falls had the most rainfall, with 2.89 inches reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions have improved slightly from last week. Topsoil moisture is rated 15 percent very short, 27 percent short, 55 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 26 percent very short, 34 percent short, 38 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Harvest progress was slowed due to last week's rain. The corn crop is now rated at 91 percent mature and 16 percent harvested. This is similar to last year and the five-year average progress. Soybeans are rated 92 percent mature, with 35 percent harvested, behind last year's 39 percent and the five- year average 42 percent harvested. Sorghum has reached 74 percent mature and 20 percent harvested for grain. Sunflower are at 96 percent with bracts yellowing and 68 percent rated mature. The sunflower harvest is 17 percent complete compared to 23 percent last year. Silage harvest continues, with corn silage 96 percent harvested and sorghum silage 80 percent harvested. Winter wheat seeded is at 84 percent and 47 percent emerged.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Alfalfa harvest continues with third cutting now 85 percent harvested, up 6 percentage points from the previous week. Livestock remain in mostly fair to good condition again this week. 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 October 6, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     24     2    NA     34      4     6
Short      35    16    NA     25     20    14
Adeq.      40    77    NA     39     73    74
Surplus     1     5    NA      2      3     6


    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
         AS OF October 6, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     15    18     8     26     27    12
Short      27    42    30     34     40    37
Adeq.      55    40    62     38     33    51
Surplus     3     0     0      2      0     0
   



    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF October 6, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn          14      19     25      35      7
Soybeans       7      20     31      38      4
Alfalfa       29      24     31      14      2
Sorghum       27      26     32      15      0
Sunflower     21      24     39      15      1
Cattle         4       7     31      50      8
Sheep          2       4     24      60     10
Range & 
   Pasture    29      30     26      13      2         



    CROP PROGRESS AS OF October 6, 2002  1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn          
 mature              91     78     91      91
 grain harvested     16      9     17      18
 silage harvested    96     91     97      95
Sorghum      
 mature              74     54     85      86
 grain harvested     20     14     39      28
 silage harvested    80     77     74      76
Soybeans    
 mature              92     75     88      89
 harvested           35     23     39      42
Sunflower   
 bracts yellow       96     90     99      96
 mature              68     49     83      82
 harvested           17     12     23      27
Winter Wheat
 seeded              84     70     86      86
 emerged             47     29     50      56 
Winter Rye  
 seeded              87     73     95      91  
 emerged             67     38     61      62 
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         85     79     91      83                 


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



                             SOIL TEMPERATURES
               WEEK ENDING October 6, 2002 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
          
Beresford      55              Gettysburg   54
Brookings      52              Nisland      54
Caputa         53              Pierre       56
Chamberlain    57              Redfield     52
Cottonwood     55              Watertown    50



                 TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, and GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                           WEEK ENDING SUNDAY October 6, 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       48  -6  77  30| 0.00   6.76   6.17  -8.38  -7.01|  2714  +355
Buffalo     48  -6  79  32| 0.17   5.26   4.89  -7.16  -6.35|  2605  +368
Dupree      48  -7  76  33| 0.11   7.63   7.01  -7.25  -6.18|  2905  +301
McIntosh    45  -9  78  28| 0.17   7.15   6.36  -7.70  -7.02|  2607  +210
Newell      47  -7  78  30| 0.05  10.60   9.37  -2.78  -2.51|  2554  +209
Timber Lake 47  -8  78  31| 0.10   8.03   7.21  -7.73  -6.59|  2788  +338
Aberdeen    49  -5  81  34| 0.73  14.48  13.64  -2.24  -0.90|  2675  +207
Eureka      47  -6  80  31| 0.39  13.53  12.88  -1.63  -0.70|  2802  +502
Faulkton    49  -5  81  36| 0.59  16.59  15.30  -0.09  +0.72|  2854  +427
Mobridge    49  -6  83  30| 0.10   7.48   7.30  -7.62  -5.90|  2971  +446
Roscoe      47  -8  78  35| 0.22  12.42  11.58  -4.40  -3.32|  2500   +76
Britton     49  -5  81  34| 1.28  11.81  11.05  -4.98  -4.03|  2912  +386
Clear Lake  49  -5  80  33| 2.12  17.96  15.02  -3.14  -3.17|  2532   +92
Sisseton    49  -6  81  32| 1.31  18.46  18.24  -0.04  +2.17|  2618   +33
Webster     46  -7  80  32| 1.51  19.76  18.91  +1.08  +2.52|  2629  +222
Watertown   50  -4  80  35| 1.49  16.45  15.74  -2.95  -1.13|  2652  +211
Faith       49  -7  77  35| 0.11   7.99   7.80  -6.92  -5.30|  2823  +232
Milesville  49  -8  78  36| 0.40  10.42   8.82  -5.68  -5.36|  3113  +349
Long Valley 51  -6  78  33| 0.00   4.18   3.89 -12.03 -10.45|  3217  +469
Philip      52  -5  80  37| 0.02   8.04   7.65  -6.34  -5.09|  3238  +388
Rapid City  50  -4  79  34| 0.23  10.16   9.24  -4.59  -3.57|  2850  +506
Spearfish   47  -7  76  32| 0.12  14.06  11.92  -5.18  -4.53|  2660  +427
Chamberlain 52  -6  84  35| 0.77  13.52  11.80  -2.20  -2.15|  3051   +41
Highmore    48  -8  81  35| 0.20  14.72  14.32  -2.91  -1.24|  3007  +300
Huron       52  -3  84  36| 1.24  12.09  10.68  -5.65  -4.31|  3144  +494
Onida       50  -6  81  34| 0.23  12.97  12.35  -3.36  -1.65|  2906  +122
Pierre      52  -5  82  34| 0.04  13.76  13.28  -2.92  -1.36|  3100  +243
Brookings   51  -2  82  32| 2.29  22.80  19.93  +2.29  +1.40|  2592  +389
Madison     52  -2  83  36| 2.30  15.71  14.44  -5.15  -3.31|  2715  +292
Mitchell    53  -4  84  37| 1.94  18.41  16.11  -1.00  -0.67|  3059  +193
Sioux Falls 54  -2  83  34| 2.89  22.85  21.02  +2.11  +3.07|  3050  +383
Custer      43  -8  67  28| 0.40  16.85  15.35  -0.31  +0.07|  1782  +242
Hot Springs 49  -7  77  35| 0.01  14.14  11.73  -0.16  -1.08|  2746  +146
Oelrichs    50  -7  78  31| 0.06  12.52  10.05  -2.54  -3.09|  2766   +46
Porcupine   50  -4  78  31| 0.08  12.91  11.24  -1.43  -1.62|  2735  +143
Murdo       50  -6  79  34| 0.07   9.30   8.01  -6.67  -5.70|  3051  +366
Winner      53  -6  82  37| 0.34  12.64  11.04  -8.48  -7.25|  3570  +421
Armour      54  -4  86  37| 2.52  15.90  14.87  -4.43  -2.58|  3370  +385
Centerville 54  -1  86  35| 2.56  20.20  19.15  -1.88  -0.15|  2972  +280
Marion      53  -2  84  36| 2.09  20.13  18.65  -1.28  +0.23|  2859  +224
Pickstown   54  -3  86  40| 2.44  15.54  14.42  -4.11  -2.74|  3297  +374
Vermillion  57  -2  88  36| 1.20  22.12  21.00  +0.52  +2.03|  3422  +307
Yankton     54  -2  88  37| 2.08  18.45  16.43  -2.31  -1.82|  3188  +332
       

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