Released: May 5, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending May 4, 2003 SD-CW1803 Volume 52 Issue 18

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Producers continue to move ahead with spring planting, however cool, damp weather slowed progress, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Recent rains have improved the spring outlook for most crops. Major farm activities included maintaining fences, working cattle, field preparation, and planting small grains and row crops. Statewide, there were 3.3 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:   Cooler-than-normal weather was common throughout most of the state last week. Sisseton and Pierre reported the high of 74, while Aberdeen had the low of 29 degrees. All 43 weather stations reported precipitation last week with Roscoe receiving the most, at 3.13 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:    Temperatures were cooler than normal last week, yet soil temperatures were at 52.9 degrees, 6.1 degrees above normal. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels improved slightly. Currently, 79 percent of the state has adequate or surplus topsoil moisture, compared to last year's 70 percent. Subsoil moisture levels are lower than last year.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Seeding of small grain continued last week, with progress ahead of last year and the five-year averages for all crops. Barley is currently 74 percent seeded and 38 percent emerged. Oats are at 86 percent seeded, with 55 percent emerged. Spring wheat is at 92 percent seeded with 64 percent emerged. Corn progress is slightly behind last year, with 27 percent planted and 1 percent emerged. Soybean planting is just getting started, with 2 percent planted. The condition of winter wheat improved from last week with 1 percent rated very poor, 9 percent poor, 31 percent fair, 47 percent good, and 12 percent excellent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Additional precipitation last week continued to help pastures. Range and pasture condition is currently at 61 percent fair to excellent. Cattle moved to pasture is reported at 28 percent. Calving and lambing progressed last week, with 85 percent of calving and 89 percent of lambing completed. Calf and lamb deaths continue to be mostly below normal to normal. Feed supplies are currently rated at 20 percent very short, 31 percent short, 47 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Stock water supplies have improved slightly from last week with ratings at 16 percent very short, 28 percent short, 54 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current conditions.

           FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 4, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     20     3     2     16     11    2
Short      31    13    10     28     17    6
Adeq.      47    79    79     54     70   75
Surplus     2     5     9      2      2   17


           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 4, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2    10     7     18     25     3
Short      19    21    23     31     33    13
Adeq.      75    68    67     50     42    63
Surplus     4     1     3      1      0    21




           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF May 4, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       9     31      47     12
Winter Rye     4      21     22      38     15
Cattle         1       2     23      61     13
Sheep          1       2     20      63     14
Range &                                       
   Pasture    12      27     37      21      3




                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF May 4, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              74     62     62      65
 emerged             38     18     20      31
Spring wheat 
 seeded              92     85     81      77
 emerged             64     35     28      40 
Oats        
 seeded              86     75     72      69
 emerged             55     27     29      34
Corn        
 planted             27      9     30      25
 emerged              1      0      1       2
Soybeans    
 planted              2      0      3       4
Winter wheat
 boot                14      1      1      19
 headed               0      0      0       0
Winter rye  
 boot                 4      3      1       6
 headed               0      0      0       3

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



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

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

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




            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING May 4, 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       49  -2  70  35| 0.83   5.97   2.04  +1.47  -0.50|   100   +42
Buffalo     50  +0  72  35| 0.82   3.29   1.17  +0.44  -0.50|   120   +66
Dupree      51  -2  73  34| 0.36   3.81   1.52  -0.11  -0.71|   122   +50
Mc Intosh   50  -1  72  31| 0.95   3.01   1.91  -0.60  -0.23|    99   +39
Newell      47  -4  66  34| 1.32   4.68   2.26  +1.29  +0.37|    88   +30
Timber Lake 50  -3  70  34| 1.01   4.00   1.89  -0.37  -0.52|   108   +39
Aberdeen    51  -1  68  29| 0.38   2.72   1.72  -1.69  -0.51|   106   +29
Eureka      51  +1  69  30| 2.10   4.60   4.06  +0.82  +1.86|   113   +57
Faulkton    52  +1  68  32| 1.93   5.79   3.57  +1.27  +1.15|   107   +47
Mobridge    52  +1  69  31| 1.51   3.41   2.79  -0.90  +0.38|   141   +74
Roscoe      49  -3  66  33| 3.13   6.08   4.40  +1.56  +1.80|    60    -7
Britton     52  +0  70  32| 0.68   4.14   3.65  +0.31  +1.53|   126   +46
Clear Lake  51  -2  73  35| 0.58   4.70   2.57  -0.82  -0.04|    99   +33
Sisseton    52  -2  74  30| 0.26   2.93   2.61  -2.12  -0.01|   117   +33
Webster     51  -1  70  37| 0.80   3.26   2.24  -1.19  +0.08|   112   +42
Watertown   51  -2  70  32| 0.44   2.98   2.00  -2.08  -0.53|   111   +48
Faith       49  -3  70  36| 0.64   2.39   1.47  -1.70  -0.81|   114   +41
Milesville  51  -2  72  36| 0.63   5.34   2.35  +1.21  +0.14|   121   +31
Long Valley 49  -4  70  30| 1.75   6.72   4.08  +2.42  +1.65|   137   +57
Philip      52  -2  72  36| 0.30   4.34   2.70  +0.66  +0.66|   143   +56
Rapid City  48  -3  72  35| 1.42   4.12   2.52  -0.02  +0.32|   116   +62
Spearfish   48  -3  67  35| 0.73   5.62   1.52  -0.32  -1.63|   111   +57
Chamberlain 52  -3  72  42| 2.08   6.16   4.12  +2.01  +1.74|   130   +28
Highmore    52  -1  71  38| 1.28   3.69   2.45  -1.02  -0.19|   141   +63
Huron       53  +1  73  32| 0.75   3.30   2.10  -1.86  -0.31|   155   +73
Onida       51  -2  73  37| 1.77   5.66   3.54  +0.96  +1.17|   108   +26
Pierre      53  +0  74  41| 0.71   4.02   2.88  -0.42  +0.48|   152   +66
Brookings   51  +0  71  34| 1.03   3.66   2.85  -0.71  +0.46|   102   +49
Madison     52  -1  70  36| 0.91   4.77   3.76  -1.05  +1.05|   110   +43
Mitchell    52  -3  72  40| 1.37   5.74   3.63  +0.31  +0.83|   120   +23
Sioux Falls 54  +2  72  41| 1.10   5.31   4.16  -0.36  +1.28|   148   +64
Custer      41  -6  64  32| 1.07   6.37   3.34  +2.27  +1.12|    27    +6
Hot Springs 48  -5  71  34| 1.39   6.56   3.50  +3.12  +1.55|    88    -2
Oelrichs    48  -5  70  32| 1.17   5.31   2.78  +1.09  +0.48|   109   +25
Porcupine   47  -5  70  30| 1.78   6.18   2.95  +2.72  +0.97|   111   +48
Murdo       51  -2  73  41| 0.54   6.50   4.28  +1.74  +1.78|   135   +68
Winner      53  -3  72  41| 1.75   5.84   3.81  -0.15  +0.65|   200   +74
Armour      54  -2  72  38| 1.72   5.53   4.17  -0.05  +1.47|   178   +60
Centerville 55  +1  73  43| 1.43   5.28   3.46  -0.14  +0.82|   171   +77
Marion      53  -1  72  41| 1.31   5.29   3.56  -0.64  +0.62|   122   +44
Pickstown   54  +0  73  42| 1.35   6.38   4.51  +1.22  +1.84|   171   +74
Vermillion  57  +0  73  42| 1.55   6.48   3.36  +1.07  +0.58|   216   +69
Yankton     55  +1  72  42| 1.62   7.61   4.43  +2.62  +1.95|   165   +63

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