Released: April 14, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending April 13, 2003 SD-CW1503 Volume 52 Issue 15

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Snowfall early in the week brought welcome moisture to some areas and caused some farmers to stay out of the fields for most of the week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included caring for newborn livestock, spring grain seeding, fertilizer application, and disking. Statewide, there were 5.3 days reported suitable for fieldwork. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Warmer temperatures were common across most of the state last week, with temperatures averaging 5 degrees above normal. Onida reported the high of 92 degrees, while Madison had the low, at 10 degrees. Twenty-seven of the 43 reporting stations reported precipitation last week; however, several reported only trace amounts. The statewide average amount of precipitation was 0.17 inch. Yankton had the most precipitation, with 1.12 inches received.

SOIL CONDITION:    Mild weather has caused soil temperatures from reporting stations to increase to 45.9 degrees; 7 degrees above normal. Both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels have decreased slightly during the past week. Topsoil is rated at 21 percent very short, 35 percent short, and 44 percent adequate. Subsoil moisture is rated at 33 percent very short, 35 percent short, 31 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Planting of small grains continued last week with barley, oats, and spring wheat seeding ahead of last year's progress and the five-year averages. Barley is 21 percent planted, with no emergence as of yet. Seeding of oats has reached 32 percent, with 2 percent emerged. Spring wheat is 37 percent seeded and 1 percent emerged. The condition of winter wheat is now rated at 6 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 38 percent good, and 9 percent excellent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    The calving and lambing season has gone very well for the majority of producers, due to the mild weather received this winter and spring. Calving is now 57 percent complete, and lambing is 68 percent complete, both a mere 1 percent ahead of the five-year average. Calf and sheep deaths during the last week remained at or below normal levels. The condition of cattle and sheep remains consistent, with the majority in fair to good condition. Range and pastures remain in very poor to poor condition, with 59 percent rated as such. Feed supplies were rated at 26 percent very short, 32 percent short, 40 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. This is an extreme change from last year, when only 11 percent of feed supplies were very short or short. Stock water supplies have decreased slightly from last week, with 21 percent very short, 33 percent short, 45 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current conditions.

     FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
         AS OF April 13, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     26     2     3     21      7    2
Short      32     9     9     33     15    7
Adeq.      40    82    77     45     74   75
Surplus     2     7    11      1      4   16


           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                AS OF April 13, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     21    16     9     33     29    11
Short      35    36    27     35     35    30
Adeq.      44    47    60     31     35    55
Surplus     0     1     4      1      1     4




    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF April 13, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   6      10     37      38      9
Winter Rye     2      17     35      36     10
Cattle         0       4     23      58     15
Sheep          1       3     24      61     11
Range &                                       
   Pasture    23      36     24      14      3




         CROP PROGRESS AS OF April 13, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              21      5      3      15
 emerged              0     NA      0       0
Spring wheat 
 seeded              37     11      8      22
 emerged              1     NA      0       2
Oats        
 seeded              32     10      7      18
 emerged              2     NA      0       1

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



              SOIL TEMPERATURES
 WEEK ENDING April 13, 2003 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      48              Gettysburg   46
Brookings      43              Nisland      49
Caputa         45              Pierre       48
Chamberlain    48              Redfield     42
Cottonwood     51              Watertown    40




            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING April 13, 2003
                                     
             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       53 +12  85  26| 0.00   3.93   0.00  +1.11  -0.86|    46   +35
Buffalo     53 +11  83  27| 0.00   2.12   0.00  +0.47  -0.47|    54   +41
Dupree      55 +12  89  26| 0.00   2.38   0.09  -0.02  -0.62|    55   +42
Mc Intosh   54 +13  89  22| 0.00   1.10   0.00  -1.08  -0.71|    47   +37
Newell      48  +6  83  21| 0.00   2.42   0.00  +0.34  -0.58|    41   +28
Timber Lake 54 +12  89  25| 0.00   2.12   0.01  -0.64  -0.79|    46   +33
Aberdeen    47  +5  78  14| 0.00   1.00   0.00  -1.96  -0.78|    27   +14
Eureka      52 +12  89  19| 0.00   0.54   0.00  -1.78  -0.74|    43   +35
Faulkton    47  +6  77  17| 0.04   2.26   0.04  -0.68  -0.80|    21   +12
Mobridge    51 +10  80  22| 0.00   0.62   0.00  -2.11  -0.83|    46   +33
Roscoe      46  +4  76  19| 0.00   1.68   0.00  -1.16  -0.92|    15    +2
Britton     51  +8  89  22| 0.00   0.49   0.00  -1.91  -0.69|    36   +23
Clear Lake  42  -2  71  16| 0.00   2.24   0.11  -1.58  -0.80|    11    +2
Sisseton    47  +5  74  14| 0.00   0.32   0.00  -2.98  -0.87|    27   +14
Webster     50  +9  86  22| 0.00   1.02   0.00  -1.97  -0.70|    35   +23
Watertown   45  +3  74  15| 0.00   0.98   0.00  -2.41  -0.86|    23   +14
Faith       51  +8  85  24| 0.04   0.96   0.04  -1.56  -0.67|    47   +34
Milesville  54 +10  88  27| 0.05   3.04   0.05  +0.46  -0.61|    57   +39
Long Valley 54 +10  87  25| 0.11   2.95   0.31  +0.25  -0.52|    62   +48
Philip      50  +6  89  27| 0.04   1.68   0.04  -0.59  -0.59|    50   +34
Rapid City  49  +7  86  20| 0.08   1.74   0.14  -0.92  -0.58|    47   +36
Spearfish   55 +13  82  27| 0.00   4.37   0.27  +0.54  -0.77|    60   +47
Chamberlain 45  -2  79  21| 0.32   2.36   0.32  -0.19  -0.46|    40   +21
Highmore    51  +8  90  21| 0.25   1.49   0.25  -1.50  -0.67|    50   +37
Huron       47  +4  78  14| 0.01   1.23   0.03  -2.37  -0.82|    42   +27
Onida       52  +8  92  20| 0.02   2.14   0.02  -1.01  -0.80|    46   +33
Pierre      49  +5  83  22| 0.16   1.30   0.16  -1.54  -0.64|    50   +35
Brookings   44  +3  76  22| 0.14   0.95   0.14  -1.86  -0.69|    20   +13
Madison     41  -3  74  10| 0.33   1.34   0.33  -2.77  -0.67|    21   +11
Mitchell    42  -4  76  15| 0.44   2.55   0.44  -1.06  -0.54|    29   +13
Sioux Falls 42  -3  74  11| 0.80   1.97   0.82  -1.83  -0.19|    30   +16
Custer      43  +5  74  16| 0.14   3.82   0.79  +1.28  +0.13|    14   +14
Hot Springs 50  +6  83  21| 0.05   3.44   0.38  +1.38  -0.19|    38   +17
Oelrichs    46  +1  85  20| 0.13   2.71   0.18  +0.08  -0.53|    38   +21
Porcupine   47  +5  87  22| 0.22   3.45   0.22  +1.37  -0.38|    44   +33
Murdo       49  +6  84  25| 0.31   2.58   0.36  -0.56  -0.52|    54   +44
Winner      49  +2  83  22| 0.14   2.37   0.34  -1.51  -0.71|    66   +40
Armour      49  +3  86  15| 0.18   1.54   0.18  -2.27  -0.75|    58   +34
Centerville 40  -6  74  14| 0.36   2.18   0.36  -1.47  -0.51|    44   +29
Marion      41  -4  75  15| 0.53   2.26   0.53  -1.78  -0.52|    26   +13
Pickstown   44  -3  78  15| 0.85   2.74   0.87  -0.74  -0.12|    46   +29
Vermillion  46  -3  82  17| 0.53   3.71   0.59  +0.16  -0.33|    63   +31
Yankton     43  -3  76  17| 1.12   4.30   1.12  +1.00  +0.33|    35   +17

       

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