Released: October 21, 2002 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending October 20, 2002 SD-CW4202 Volume 51 Issue 42

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Cool dry conditions have allowed producers to move ahead on harvest progress, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included hay hauling, harvesting row crops, fencing, weaning calves, and moving cattle to fall grazing and harvested fields with crop residue. Statewide, there were 5.2 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:   Temperatures ranged from lower 20's to lower 70's last week, with temperatures averaging 6 degrees below normal across the state. A high of 71 degrees was reported in Oelrichs, while Faulkton and Philip reported the low of 21 degrees. Little precipitation fell across the state, with reporting stations recording trace amounts of rainfall. Vermillion reported the greatest amount of precipitation, at 0.40 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil moisture conditions have remained somewhat steady throughout the state. The eastern portion of the state remains at mostly adequate for soil moisture, while many western counties continue to see short or very short moisture levels. Topsoil moisture is rated 22 percent very short, 23 percent short, 52 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 31 percent very short, 25 percent short, 43 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Row crop harvest continues, yet progress is slipping behind recent five-year averages. The corn crop is now 33 percent harvested, compared to 41 percent last year, and the five-year average of 43 percent. Soybeans are rated 77 percent harvested, behind the five-year average of 81 percent. Sorghum for grain has reached 48 percent harvested, while sunflower are now 57 percent harvested. Silage harvest is winding down with sorghum silage 92 percent harvested. Winter wheat seeded is at 97 percent, and 80 percent is emerged, both slightly ahead of last year's percentages. Winter rye seeded is at 96 percent, and 82 percent is emerged, both behind the recent five-year averages.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Producers continue to move cattle and wean calves. Cattle are being moved to winter pasture, or to crop residue. Alfalfa harvest winds down, with third cutting now 98 percent harvested. Livestock remain in mostly fair to good condition again this week. The condition of range and pastures decreased slightly this week, with 60 percent rated very poor or poor, compared to 57 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 20, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     25     3    NA     35      5    7
Short      33    16    NA     22     17   11
Adeq.      41    75    NA     42     73   75
Surplus     1     6    NA      1      5    7


    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
         AS OF October 20, 2002 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     22    19     6     31     30    10
Short      23    27    24     25     27    31
Adeq.      52    50    67     43     41    56
Surplus     3     4     3      1      2     3
   



    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF October 20, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn          18      14     21      39      8
Alfalfa       34      24     21      18      3
Sorghum       30      27     25      17      1
Sunflower     33      23     30      12      2
Cattle         6       9     24      51     10
Sheep          4       8     21      51     16
Range & 
   Pasture    33      27     26      13      1         



    CROP PROGRESS AS OF October 20, 2002  1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn          
 grain harvested     33     25     41      43
Sorghum      
 mature              95     87     99      98
 grain harvested     48     28     75      61
 silage harvested    92     88     94      96
Soybeans    
 harvested           77     46     83      81
Sunflower   
 mature              96     91     99      97
 harvested           57     34     52      58
Winter Wheat
 seeded              97     92     95      95
 emerged             80     67     79      81 
Winter Rye  
 seeded              96     94    100      99  
 emerged             82     80     97      91 
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         98     91    100      99                 

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



                             SOIL TEMPERATURES
               WEEK ENDING October 20, 2002 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
          
Beresford      47              Gettysburg   47
Brookings      45              Nisland      48
Caputa         46              Pierre       51
Chamberlain    51              Redfield     45
Cottonwood     49              Watertown    43



                   TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                WEEK ENDING SUNDAY OCTOBER 20, 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       44  -4  63  24| 0.08   6.84   6.25  -8.78  -7.41
Buffalo     45  -2  67  24| 0.02   5.30   4.93  -7.55  -6.74
Dupree      43  -7  62  23| 0.13   7.78   7.16  -7.63  -6.56
McIntosh    39  -9  56  24| 0.05   7.24   6.45  -8.10  -7.42
Newell      42  -5  66  23| 0.00  10.73   9.50  -3.17  -2.90
Timber Lake 41  -8  56  25| 0.00   8.07   7.25  -8.25  -7.11
Aberdeen    41  -7  59  24| 0.16  14.68  13.84  -2.55  -1.21
Eureka      40  -8  52  26| 0.00  13.57  12.92  -2.15  -1.22
Faulkton    43  -5  61  21| 0.11  16.29  15.00  -0.96  -0.15
Mobridge    43  -6  62  28| 0.05   7.60   7.42  -8.02  -6.30
Roscoe      39  -9  57  26| 0.02  12.47  11.63  -4.91  -3.83
Britton     39 -10  59  28| 0.20  12.07  11.31  -5.34  -4.39
Clear Lake  38 -11  60  26| 0.08  18.30  15.36  -3.72  -3.75
Sisseton    39 -11  61  28| 0.17  18.90  18.68  -0.30  +1.91
Webster     38 -10  56  26| 0.20  20.01  19.16  +0.64  +2.08
Watertown   40  -8  59  28| 0.21  17.01  16.30  -3.28  -1.46
Faith       44  -6  64  24| 0.13   8.12   7.93  -7.30  -5.68
Milesville  45  -6  61  22| 0.05  10.52   8.92  -6.16  -5.84
Long Valley 46  -6  65  29| 0.00   4.24   3.95 -12.44 -10.86
Philip      46  -5  68  21| 0.07   8.22   7.83  -6.67  -5.42
Rapid City  46  -3  66  26| 0.03  10.43   9.51  -4.85  -3.83
Spearfish   48  -2  64  29| 0.00  14.32  12.18  -5.71  -5.06
Chamberlain 44  -8  64  26| 0.15  13.73  12.01  -2.55  -2.50
Highmore    42  -8  58  25| 0.00  14.76  14.36  -3.52  -1.85
Huron       44  -5  63  24| 0.09  12.23  10.82  -6.21  -4.87
Onida       44  -7  58  28| 0.16  13.13  12.51  -3.76  -2.05
Pierre      46  -5  64  30| 0.15  13.93  13.45  -3.33  -1.77
Brookings   39  -8  62  24| 0.03  22.95  20.08  +1.67  +0.78
Madison     40  -7  62  25| 0.20  16.11  14.84  -5.60  -3.76
Mitchell    44  -6  62  27| 0.34  19.24  16.94  -0.86  -0.53
Sioux Falls 43  -6  65  27| 0.20  23.31  21.48  +1.74  +2.70
Custer      41  -5  56  25| 0.00  17.09  15.59  -0.53  -0.15
Hot Springs 45  -6  66  25| 0.00  14.14  11.73  -0.62  -1.54
Oelrichs    46  -5  71  22| 0.00  12.52  10.05  -3.01  -3.56
Porcupine   43  -5  70  22| 0.12  13.13  11.46  -1.67  -1.86
Murdo       44  -6  65  26| 0.06   9.48   8.19  -7.11  -6.14
Winner      49  -4  67  28| 0.07  12.76  11.16  -9.04  -7.81
Armour      45  -6  62  26| 0.30  16.34  15.31  -4.72  -2.87
Centerville 42  -8  67  26| 0.35  20.89  19.84  -1.99  -0.26
Marion      42  -7  64  28| 0.25  20.63  19.15  -1.56  -0.05
Pickstown   45  -7  65  28| 0.22  15.96  14.84  -4.39  -3.02
Vermillion  48  -5  68  26| 0.40  22.61  21.49  +0.21  +1.72
Yankton     44  -7  66  25| 0.34  19.15  17.13  -2.35  -1.86
       
       

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