Released: May 27, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending May 25, 2003 SD-CW2103 Volume 52 Issue 21

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Cool weather covered most of the state last week; however, planting progress and crop emergence continued to advance, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included row crop seeding, spraying and applying fertilizer, fixing fences, branding and moving cattle, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 5.1 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:   Below-average temperatures were reported for yet another week across the state. Highs ranged from 70 to 82 degrees across the state, while lows ranged from 19 to 37 degrees. Nearly all stations reported below-average temperatures last week. Precipitation was received at all but one of the forty-three reporting stations, with the most moisture, 0.81 inch, received in Marion.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels fell slightly last week, even though precipitation was common throughout the state. Topsoil moisture rating fell from 94 percent adequate to surplus, to 88 percent adequate to surplus. The subsoil rating also fell 4 percentage points in the adequate to surplus categories. Last week's average soil temperature of 58.4 degrees was 0.5 degree below normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Germination advanced slowly through cool weather, with planting progress going strong. Planting of row crops advanced, with corn 88 percent planted and soybeans 47 percent planted. Planting progress for corn is behind a year ago, but ahead of average, with 47 percent planted. Corn and soybean emergence is behind the five-year average, while soybean progress is behind both last year and average. Sorghum is 29 percent planted, with 1 percent emerged. Planting of sunflower is at 7 percent, well behind the five-year average of 21 percent. Barley, oats, and spring wheat are in mostly good to excellent condition, with emergence of all ahead of the five-year averages. Winter wheat is 63 percent in the boot stage, with 4 percent headed. This is ahead of last year's progress, but behind the five-year average.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Recent precipitation has contributed to the increase in pasture and range condition last week. Previously rated at 37 percent good to excellent, range and pasture are now rated at 46 percent good to excellent. Calving and lambing have both reached 96 percent completion. Cattle moved to pasture is at 72 percent, ahead of last year's 65 percent. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current conditions.

           FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 25, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     12     3     2     11     10    3
Short      30    18     8     27     21    7
Adeq.      56    76    81     60     66   74
Surplus     2     3     9      2      3   16


           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF May 25, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      2     1     7      8      5    12
Short      10     5    28     22     21    24
Adeq.      83    84    62     68     68    58
Surplus     5    10     3      2      6     6




           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF May 25, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   1       5     21      53     20
Winter Rye     0       3     41      55      1
Spring Wheat   0       2     21      54     23
Barley         0       2     26      63      9
Oats           0       2     22      60     16
Corn           0       1     19      67     13
Cattle         0       2     17      64     17
Sheep          0       3     18      65     14
Range &                                       
   Pasture     6      17     31      36     10




                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF May 25, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 emerged             87     81     74      83
 boot                 0      0      0      NA
Spring wheat 
 emerged             99     93     91      91
 boot                 1      0      1      NA 
Oats        
 emerged             95     88     85      87
 boot                 3      0     NA      NA
Corn        
 planted             88     69     92      84
 emerged             38     10     31      50
Sorghum     
 seeded              29     15     20      27
Soybeans    
 planted             47     15     63      55
 emerged              5      1      5      18
Sunflower   
 seeded               7      3     13      21
Winter wheat
 boot                63     41     38      56
 headed               4      1      0       9
Winter rye  
 boot                40     18     28      51
 headed               3      1      4      13

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



                  SOIL TEMPERATURES
        WEEK ENDING May 25, 2003 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      59              Gettysburg   58
Brookings      57              Nisland      59
Caputa         57              Pierre       60
Chamberlain    61              Redfield     57
Cottonwood     62              Watertown    55




            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING May 25, 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       55  -3  75  28| 0.12   8.62   4.69  +2.24  +0.27|   192    +5
Buffalo     55  -3  76  29| 0.20   4.18   2.06  -0.39  -1.33|   214   +44
Dupree      56  -4  76  28| 0.00   5.39   3.10  -0.54  -1.14|   232    +6
Mc Intosh   54  -5  74  27| 0.28   5.75   4.65  +0.39  +0.76|   182   -19
Newell      52  -7  76  24| 0.15   5.67   3.25  +0.46  -0.46|   180    +1
Timber Lake 54  -6  73  27| 0.12   5.79   3.68  -0.53  -0.68|   194   -26
Aberdeen    56  -4  73  32| 0.25   5.12   4.12  -0.88  +0.30|   211   -26
Eureka      55  -4  72  29| 0.23   8.01   7.47  +2.67  +3.71|   213   +18
Faulkton    54  -5  71  31| 0.29   8.99   6.77  +2.69  +2.57|   212    +2
Mobridge    55  -5  75  26| 0.10   5.67   5.05  -0.36  +0.92|   247   +23
Roscoe      54  -6  72  31| 0.06   9.99   8.31  +3.74  +3.98|   138   -80
Britton     56  -5  72  33| 0.54   6.88   6.39  +1.27  +2.49|   252    +1
Clear Lake  52  -8  76  33| 0.59   7.09   4.96  -0.41  +0.37|   173   -59
Sisseton    55  -6  78  35| 0.35   6.27   5.95  -0.73  +1.38|   211   -52
Webster     54  -6  70  33| 0.20   5.81   4.79  -0.54  +0.73|   202   -28
Watertown   55  -5  77  36| 0.45   5.40   4.42  -1.68  -0.13|   202   -19
Faith       54  -5  75  29| 0.09   3.78   2.86  -2.33  -1.44|   211   -11
Milesville  56  -4  76  28| 0.17   6.72   3.73  +0.30  -0.77|   236   -21
Long Valley 56  -4  74  27| 0.73   9.25   6.61  +3.08  +2.31|   257   +15
Philip      57  -5  76  29| 0.76   6.47   4.83  +0.91  +0.91|   268    +9
Rapid City  55  -3  77  25| 0.09   4.94   3.34  -0.98  -0.64|   220   +45
Spearfish   57  +1  82  32| 0.40   8.66   4.56  +0.21  -1.10|   208   +45
Chamberlain 56  -7  75  31| 0.74   8.87   6.83  +2.75  +2.48|   246   -56
Highmore    56  -4  72  31| 0.31   6.48   5.24  -0.10  +0.73|   264   +14
Huron       57  -4  77  31| 0.24   5.40   4.20  -1.69  -0.14|   284   +36
Onida       56  -5  73  29| 0.32   9.08   6.96  +2.62  +2.83|   218   -44
Pierre      56  -5  75  31| 0.25   7.37   6.23  +1.02  +1.92|   277   +14
Brookings   53  -5  77  35| 0.40   5.75   4.94  -0.52  +0.65|   183    -7
Madison     54  -6  78  34| 0.23   6.60   5.59  -1.19  +0.91|   192   -36
Mitchell    55  -7  77  34| 0.56   8.22   6.11  +0.70  +1.22|   216   -86
Sioux Falls 56  -5  78  35| 0.27   7.42   6.27  -0.27  +1.37|   250   -13
Custer      48  -4  72  19| 0.06   7.01   3.98  +0.84  -0.31|    57   -15
Hot Springs 55  -4  80  26| 0.14   7.90   4.84  +2.55  +0.98|   188   -49
Oelrichs    55  -5  76  28| 0.70   7.66   5.13  +1.41  +0.80|   222   -16
Porcupine   54  -6  75  24| 0.09   7.88   4.65  +2.51  +0.76|   224   +14
Murdo       56  -4  74  31| 0.14   8.57   6.35  +1.94  +1.98|   260   +30
Winner      57  -6  74  31| 0.48   8.32   6.29  -0.19  +0.61|   363   +17
Armour      59  -4  75  33| 0.20   7.87   6.51  +0.18  +1.70|   322   -12
Centerville 56  -6  79  37| 0.64   7.47   5.65  -0.24  +0.72|   277   -15
Marion      55  -6  78  35| 0.81   8.10   6.37  +0.11  +1.37|   216   -49
Pickstown   57  -5  78  34| 0.77   8.73   6.86  +1.61  +2.23|   308   +13
Vermillion  58  -6  81  35| 0.43   8.66   5.54  +0.81  +0.32|   358   -32
Yankton     55  -7  82  34| 0.69   9.38   6.20  +1.97  +1.30|   274   -33


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