Released: April 28, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending April 27, 2003 SD-CW1703 Volume 52 Issue 17

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Damp conditions limited the amount of time some producers spent in the field last week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Optimism may have been restored for some farmers due to the moisture received across the state. More moisture and warm temperatures are now needed for pasture and crop growth. Major farm activities included working cattle, fixing fence, fertilizing, field preparation, and small grain seeding. Statewide, there were 3.9 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:   Above-average temperatures were reported for the majority of the state last week. Philip and Porcupine reported the high of 82 degrees, while Custer had the low of 26 degrees. All but 4 weather stations received precipitation. The greatest amount of precipitation, 1.10 inches, was received in Murdo.

SOIL CONDITION:    Warm temperatures last week caused soil temperatures to raise slightly, up 2.7 degrees from the previous week. Not enough moisture was received to influence topsoil and subsoil moisture levels significantly. Topsoil is now rated at 10 percent very short, 21 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil is rated at 25 percent very short, 33 percent short, and 42 percent adequate.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Despite the moisture in the fields, producers remained busy seeding small grains. Seeding of barley, oats, and spring wheat is ahead of the five-year average. Barley is at 62 percent planted and 18 percent emerged. Oats is at 75 percent planted and 27 percent emerged. Spring wheat is at 85 percent planted and 35 percent emerged. The planting of corn has begun and is 9 percent complete, while a few scattered reports also noted some producers planting soybeans. The winter wheat condition remains rated at mostly fair to good.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Recent precipitation has helped pastures to green-up across the state. Moisture received was beneficial, but warm days are needed for growth to begin. Cattle moved to pasture are reported at 17 percent. Range and pasture condition is rated at 17 percent very poor, 33 percent poor, 31 percent fair, 17 percent good and 2 percent excellent. Cattle and sheep remain in fair to good condition. Calving is reported at 79 percent complete, while lambing is 81 percent complete. Calf and lamb deaths are mostly below normal to normal. Rains have caused stock water supplies to improve slightly from last week, and stock water is currently rated at 17 percent very short, 30 percent short, 52 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Feed supplies are rated at mostly short to adequate. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current conditions.

     FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
         AS OF April 27, 2003 

              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     3     17      9    2
Short      32    12    10     30     14    6
Adeq.      42    81    78     52     75   77
Surplus     2     5     9      1      2   15


           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                AS OF April 27, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     10    11     6     25     25     9
Short      21    21    22     33     37    28
Adeq.      68    67    69     42     38    60
Surplus     1     1     3      0      0     3




    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF April 27, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   2      14     35      41      8
Winter Rye     0       2     24      68      6
Cattle         0       3     27      58     12
Sheep          1       3     26      59     11
Range &                                       
   Pasture    17      33     31      17      2




         CROP PROGRESS AS OF April 27, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              62     41     43      46
 emerged             18      3      8      12
Spring wheat 
 seeded              85     66     58      58
 emerged             35      8     11      19
Oats        
 seeded              75     53     52      50
 emerged             27     12     11      16
Corn        
 planted              9      0     10       8
Soybeans    
 planted              0     NA     NA      NA
Winter wheat
 boot                 1     NA      0      10
Winter rye  
 boot                 3     NA     NA      NA

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



              SOIL TEMPERATURES
 WEEK ENDING April 27, 2003 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      55              Gettysburg   52
Brookings      51              Nisland      52
Caputa         50              Pierre       53
Chamberlain    54              Redfield     51
Cottonwood     53              Watertown    47




            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING April 27, 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       54  +6  72  36| 0.08   5.22   1.29  +1.28  -0.69|    86   +51
Buffalo     54  +7  72  36| 0.02   2.47   0.35  +0.08  -0.86|   108   +73
Dupree      54  +5  78  33| 0.34   3.45   1.16  +0.09  -0.51|   108   +64
Mc Intosh   54  +7  75  34| 0.20   2.06   0.96  -1.06  -0.69|    90   +55
Newell      49  +2  73  32| 0.50   3.59   1.17  +0.69  -0.23|    78   +42
Timber Lake 54  +6  77  33| 0.25   2.99   0.88  -0.82  -0.97|   101   +59
Aberdeen    53  +5  76  28| 0.00   2.34   1.34  -1.58  -0.40|    89   +42
Eureka      55  +8  76  33| 0.08   2.50   1.96  -0.79  +0.25|   102   +70
Faulkton    54  +7  75  31| 0.12   3.86   1.64  -0.10  -0.22|    89   +54
Mobridge    55  +7  77  33| 0.15   1.90   1.28  -1.85  -0.57|   118   +78
Roscoe      51  +3  74  33| 0.09   2.95   1.27  -1.01  -0.77|    57   +16
Britton     56  +8  75  30| 0.00   3.46   2.97  +0.12  +1.34|   113   +65
Clear Lake  52  +3  73  31| 0.11   4.12   1.99  -0.82  -0.04|    80   +43
Sisseton    52  +3  77  30| 0.07   2.67   2.35  -1.75  +0.36|    97   +47
Webster     54  +6  72  33| 0.00   2.46   1.44  -1.45  -0.18|    98   +57
Watertown   51  +3  73  28| 0.05   2.54   1.56  -1.93  -0.38|    95   +59
Faith       53  +5  75  38| 0.08   1.75   0.83  -1.76  -0.87|   102   +56
Milesville  54  +4  77  34| 0.60   4.71   1.72  +1.19  +0.12|   109   +51
Long Valley 54  +5  80  33| 0.41   4.97   2.33  +1.23  +0.46|   123   +73
Philip      54  +4  82  33| 0.70   4.04   2.40  +0.88  +0.88|   121   +66
Rapid City  51  +4  79  33| 0.49   2.70   1.10  -0.91  -0.57|   102   +69
Spearfish   53  +6  75  33| 0.16   4.89   0.79  -0.29  -1.60|   105   +70
Chamberlain 52  +0  73  35| 0.85   4.04   2.00  +0.46  +0.19|   110   +46
Highmore    55  +6  75  33| 0.00   2.41   1.17  -1.71  -0.88|   122   +75
Huron       52  +4  75  29| 0.08   2.55   1.35  -2.05  -0.50|   128   +77
Onida       53  +3  76  34| 0.57   3.89   1.77  -0.25  -0.04|    92   +42
Pierre      54  +5  79  35| 0.55   3.31   2.17  -0.57  +0.33|   125   +72
Brookings   50  +3  73  27| 0.07   2.63   1.82  -1.18  -0.01|    85   +55
Madison     50  +2  74  27| 0.04   3.86   2.85  -1.37  +0.73|    88   +50
Mitchell    51  -2  73  32| 0.34   4.37   2.26  -0.43  +0.09|    99   +40
Sioux Falls 52  +3  74  28| 0.06   4.21   3.06  -0.83  +0.81|   114   +63
Custer      43  -1  67  26| 0.90   5.30   2.27  +1.79  +0.64|    27   +13
Hot Springs 51  +1  78  29| 0.96   5.17   2.11  +2.26  +0.69|    81   +20
Oelrichs    51  +1  78  28| 0.68   4.14   1.61  +0.51  -0.10|    98   +44
Porcupine   52  +4  82  28| 0.02   4.40   1.17  +1.46  -0.29|   106   +68
Murdo       53  +5  78  38| 1.10   5.96   3.74  +1.76  +1.80|   116   +78
Winner      55  +3  74  40| 0.48   4.09   2.06  -1.13  -0.33|   168   +87
Armour      55  +3  73  36| 0.83   3.81   2.45  -1.14  +0.38|   147   +72
Centerville 52  +1  74  31| 0.55   3.85   2.03  -0.93  +0.03|   135   +79
Marion      50  +1  73  31| 0.27   3.98   2.25  -1.32  -0.06|    97   +52
Pickstown   51  +1  73  32| 0.43   5.03   3.16  +0.43  +1.05|   131   +72
Vermillion  55  +2  75  29| 0.63   4.93   1.81  +0.20  -0.29|   161   +65
Yankton     53  +2  75  32| 0.19   5.99   2.81  +1.65  +0.98|   130   +67

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