Released: October 15, 2002 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending October 13, 2002 SD-CW4102 Volume 51 Issue 41

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Rain showers fell across the state, slowing crop harvest, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included hay hauling, winter wheat planting, cutting silage, harvesting row crops, tillage of harvested acres, weaning calves, and moving cattle to fall grazing. Statewide, there were 4.8 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:   There was scattered rainfall reported in several areas of the state, with only 6 reporting stations reporting no precipitation last week. Those stations which reported no precipitation included Bison, Faith, Onida, Hot Springs, Oelrichs, and Winner. Mitchell reported the greatest rainfall, with 0.68 inch. Average temperatures were in the 40's and 50's, with a low of 20 in McIntosh, Aberdeen, Oelrichs, and Porcupine. The high for the week was 80 in Pierre.

SOIL CONDITION:    Subsoil moisture conditions have improved slightly due to the recent precipitation. Topsoil moisture is rated 19 percent very short, 27 percent short, 50 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 30 percent very short, 27 percent short, 41 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Despite a week with scattered precipitation, harvest continues, but progress now lags behind both last year and the recent five-year average. The corn crop is now rated at 97 percent mature and 25 percent harvested, compared to 28 percent harvested last year. Soybeans are rated 97 percent mature with 46 percent harvested, behind last year's 62 percent and the five-year average of 64 percent harvested. Sorghum for grain has reached 28 percent harvested, while sunflower are now 34 percent harvested. Silage harvest continues, with corn silage 98 percent and sorghum silage 88 percent harvested. Winter wheat seeded is at 92 percent, and 67 percent is emerged, both a point ahead of last year's pace.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Some alfalfa harvest continues, with third cutting now 91 percent harvested, up 6 percentage points from the previous week. Livestock remain in mostly fair to good condition again this week. The condition of range and pastures improved slightly with 57 percent rated very poor or poor, compared to 59 percent a week earlier. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current drought conditions.

     FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
         AS OF October 13, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     30     2    NA     35      7     7
Short      34    17    NA     23     20    13
Adeq.      35    76    NA     40     70    73
Surplus     1     5    NA      2      3     7


    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
         AS OF October 13, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     19    15     6     30     26     9
Short      27    27    23     27     34    34
Adeq.      50    55    69     41     38    56
Surplus     4     3     2      2      2     1
   



    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF October 13, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn          19      17     26      31      7
Soybeans       9      18     28      39      6
Alfalfa       36      17     28      16      3
Sorghum       34      28     26      12      0
Sunflower     25      24     37      14      0
Cattle         6       8     28      48     10
Sheep          5       7     26      53      9
Range & 
   Pasture    32      25     26      14      3         



    CROP PROGRESS AS OF October 13, 2002  1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn          
 mature              97     91     96      96
 grain harvested     25     16     28      29
 silage harvested    98     96     99      98
Sorghum      
 mature              87     74     95      94
 grain harvested     28     20     63      44
 silage harvested    88     80     88      90
Soybeans    
 mature              97     92     98      97
 harvested           46     35     62      64
Sunflower   
 mature              91     68     94      92
 harvested           34     17     37      42
Winter Wheat
 seeded              92     84     91      91
 emerged             67     47     66      70 
Winter Rye  
 seeded              94     87     99      96  
 emerged             80     67     85      81 
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         91     85     98      97                 

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



                             SOIL TEMPERATURES
               WEEK ENDING October 13, 2002 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
          
Beresford      54              Gettysburg   51
Brookings      50              Nisland      52
Caputa         50              Pierre       54
Chamberlain    53              Redfield     48
Cottonwood     52              Watertown    47



                   TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                WEEK ENDING SUNDAY OCTOBER 13, 2002
                                     
             TEMPERATURE  |    -----  PRECIPITATION -----   
             -----------  |       SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE
            CURRENT WEEK  | CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1
STATION    AVG DFN  HI  LO| WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN
-------     --  --  --  --|-----  -----  -----  -----  -----
Bison       50  -2  77  25| 0.00   6.76   6.17  -8.65  -7.28
Buffalo     48  -2  78  24| 0.02   5.28   4.91  -7.36  -6.55
Dupree      49  -4  76  23| 0.02   7.65   7.03  -7.51  -6.44
McIntosh    46  -5  76  20| 0.04   7.19   6.40  -7.94  -7.26
Newell      47  -4  74  24| 0.19  10.79   9.56  -2.87  -2.60
Timber Lake 47  -5  73  21| 0.04   8.07   7.25  -7.97  -6.83
Aberdeen    46  -5  75  20| 0.04  14.52  13.68  -2.48  -1.14
Eureka      48  -2  74  22| 0.04  13.57  12.92  -1.87  -0.94
Faulkton    47  -4  76  25| 0.03  16.18  14.89  -0.79  +0.02
Mobridge    48  -4  78  21| 0.07   7.55   7.37  -7.83  -6.11
Roscoe      45  -7  73  26| 0.03  12.45  11.61  -4.65  -3.57
Britton     48  -4  69  25| 0.08  11.85  11.09  -5.28  -4.33
Clear Lake  45  -7  74  24| 0.26  18.22  15.28  -3.37  -3.40
Sisseton    47  -6  72  26| 0.27  18.73  18.51  -0.12  +2.09
Webster     45  -5  70  25| 0.05  19.81  18.96  +0.78  +2.22
Watertown   46  -5  71  25| 0.35  16.80  16.09  -3.07  -1.25
Faith       48  -5  76  26| 0.00   7.99   7.80  -7.20  -5.58
Milesville  51  -3  77  23| 0.05  10.47   8.87  -5.93  -5.61
Long Valley 53  -2  79  32| 0.06   4.24   3.95 -12.23 -10.65
Philip      50  -4  79  21| 0.11   8.15   7.76  -6.51  -5.26
Rapid City  49  -3  78  23| 0.24  10.40   9.48  -4.63  -3.61
Spearfish   50  -2  73  30| 0.26  14.32  12.18  -5.34  -4.69
Chamberlain 48  -7  76  26| 0.06  13.58  11.86  -2.42  -2.37
Highmore    50  -3  76  24| 0.04  14.76  14.36  -3.22  -1.55
Huron       49  -3  76  26| 0.05  12.14  10.73  -5.95  -4.61
Onida       50  -4  77  23| 0.00  12.97  12.35  -3.64  -1.93
Pierre      50  -4  80  23| 0.02  13.78  13.30  -3.20  -1.64
Brookings   45  -5  75  22| 0.12  22.92  20.05  +1.99  +1.10
Madison     46  -5  74  24| 0.23  15.91  14.64  -5.38  -3.54
Mitchell    48  -5  76  26| 0.68  18.90  16.60  -0.88  -0.55
Sioux Falls 50  -2  77  27| 0.26  23.11  21.28  +1.92  +2.88
Custer      45  -4  66  25| 0.24  17.09  15.59  -0.32  +0.06
Hot Springs 49  -5  77  21| 0.00  14.14  11.73  -0.41  -1.33
Oelrichs    49  -5  76  20| 0.00  12.52  10.05  -2.80  -3.35
Porcupine   48  -3  78  20| 0.10  13.01  11.34  -1.58  -1.77
Murdo       49  -4  79  28| 0.12   9.42   8.13  -6.89  -5.92
Winner      53  -4  75  29| 0.00  12.64  11.04  -8.83  -7.60
Armour      52  -3  72  25| 0.23  16.04  15.01  -4.68  -2.83
Centerville 49  -3  74  27| 0.37  20.57  19.52  -1.94  -0.21
Marion      48  -4  74  27| 0.25  20.38  18.90  -1.46  +0.05
Pickstown   50  -5  75  29| 0.20  15.74  14.62  -4.29  -2.92
Vermillion  55  +0  77  26| 0.09  22.21  21.09  +0.19  +1.70
Yankton     50  -5  76  28| 0.38  18.83  16.81  -2.32  -1.83
       
       

Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.