Released: July 14, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending July 13, 2003 SD-CW2803 Volume 52 Issue 28

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Some farmers and ranchers got a break from the excessive heat of the previous week, as many areas of the state received rain showers and below-normal temperatures, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Although showers did move across the state, damaging hail was also brought to some areas. Major farm activities included harvesting small grains, cutting hay, spraying, fixing fences, cultivating, and working with cattle. Statewide there were 5.2 days 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:   Farmers and ranchers in some areas welcomed the rains of last week, while in other areas, excess rain brought flooding to some low- lying fields. Temperatures ranged from highs in the 100's to lows in the 40's. Milesville was the warmest spot, with the high of 109 degrees. Oelrichs, at 47 degrees, felt the low for the week. Centerville received the most precipitation, with 3.05 inches reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil moisture conditions improved last week, with adequate to surplus moisture levels increasing and very short moisture levels decreasing. Topsoil moisture is currently rated 77 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last week's 75 percent and last year's 18 percent. Subsoil moisture is rated 67 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last week's 64 percent and last year's 20 percent.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Small grain harvest has begun, with a few areas harvesting small grains for hay due to either dry conditions or recent hail and wind. Winter wheat is 10 percent harvested, behind both last year and the five-year average. Barley, oats, and spring wheat turning color advanced, with ratings at 46, 41, and 50 percent, respectively. Barley is only 1 percent ripe, behind last year's 15 percent and the five-year average of 10 percent. Oats are also slow to ripen, with a current rating of 6 percent, behind last year's 27 percent and the five-year average of 19 percent. Spring wheat is 2 percent ripe, behind last year's 24 percent and the five-year average of 12 percent. Row crops remain in good to excellent condition. Corn height has reached 47 inches, in line with last year and the five- year average. The first cultivation or spray of corn has reached completion, with the second cultivation or spray rated at 78 percent. Corn tasseled has reached 7 percent, while silking has yet to begin. Soybeans blooming are rated at 38 percent, with 1 percent setting pods. Both blooming and setting pods are behind last year's progress. Sorghum has reached 12 percent headed, ahead of last year and the five-year average. Sunflower are rated at 2 percent blooming, ahead of last year but behind the five-year average.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Livestock remain in mostly good to excellent condition, with pasture and alfalfa conditions improving slightly last week. Second cutting alfalfa is 35 percent harvested, and other hay is 71 percent harvested. Many farmers report that the production of second cutting alfalfa was approximately less than half of the production from the first cutting. Severe storms in some areas and dry conditions in others may have contributed to this problem. Some ranchers have dry dams and continued to haul water to their livestock last week. Stock water supplies are rated at 65 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last year's 32 percent. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current conditions.

           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF July 13, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      4     6    45     10     12    44
Short      19    19    37     23     24    36
Adeq.      65    66    18     54     58    19
Surplus    12     9     0     13      6     1




           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF July 13, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   6      11     28      41     14
Winter Rye     0       2     44      43     11
Spring Wheat   2       6     28      44     20
Barley         0       4     29      47     20
Oats           0       5     29      51     15
Corn           1       2     13      59     25
Alfalfa        2       6     28      48     16
Sorghum        2       6     21      57     14
Soybeans       1       1     18      57     23
Sunflower      1       4     36      50      9
Cattle         0       2     15      63     20
Sheep          0       2     11      59     28
Range &                                       
   Pasture     5       9     25      49     12




                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF July 13, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 headed              97     87     96      93
 turning color       46     21     46      46
 ripe                 1      0     15      10
Spring wheat 
 headed             100     96     97      96
 turning color       50     26     64      51
 ripe                 2      0     24      12 
Oats        
 headed              98     93     98      94
 turning color       41     19     67      51
 ripe                 6      0     27      19
 harvested            1      0     14       5
Corn        
 ave. height (in.)   47     32     47      46
 1st cult or sprayed 100     97     94      95
 2nd cult or sprayed 78     60     78      68
 tasseling            7     NA     NA      NA
 silked               0      0      1       3
Sorghum     
 headed              12      9      4       5
Soybeans    
 blooming            38     20     41      34
 setting pods         1      0      7       8
Sunflower   
 blooming             2      1      1       6
Winter wheat
 turning color       98     81     97      91
 ripe                51      9     74      50
 harvested           10      0     23      14
Winter rye  
 turning color       92     60     88      83
 ripe                13      4     39      29
 harvested            0      0      2       2
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         35     12     30      31
Other hay   
 cut                 71     63     57      57     


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



            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING July 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       71  +0 104  53| 0.47  11.93   8.00  +0.93  -1.04|   964   -15
Buffalo     70  -2  92  51| 0.09   6.49   4.37  -2.35  -3.29|   990   +68
Dupree      71  -3 106  53| 1.00   9.00   6.71  -1.78  -2.38|  1088    -5
Mc Intosh   69  -4 100  49| 0.59   9.61   8.51  -0.55  -0.18|   925   -96
Newell      69  -3  91  51| 0.25   8.51   6.09  -1.12  -2.04|   970    +4
Timber Lake 70  -3  97  52| 1.54  10.41   8.30  -0.68  -0.83|   979   -82
Aberdeen    68  -5  85  52| 0.60  12.97  11.97  +2.03  +3.21|  1031   -55
Eureka      70  -3  92  52| 0.97  14.37  13.83  +4.25  +5.29|  1058   +69
Faulkton    68  -5  88  52| 1.42  15.61  13.39  +4.47  +4.35|  1048    -6
Mobridge    69  -5  85  50| 1.45   9.96   9.34  -0.64  +0.64|  1092    +3
Roscoe      66  -6  84  51| 1.22  14.86  13.18  +3.23  +3.47|   902  -153
Britton     69  -4  88  54| 0.57  15.50  15.01  +4.45  +5.67|  1152   +39
Clear Lake  67  -5  86  55| 0.54  11.46   9.33  -1.91  -1.13|   945  -144
Sisseton    69  -5  89  55| 0.26  13.86  13.54  +2.12  +4.23|  1021  -129
Webster     68  -5  86  56| 0.86  14.96  13.94  +3.25  +4.52|  1006   -67
Watertown   68  -5  87  51| 0.37  10.67   9.69  -1.96  -0.41|   986   -90
Faith       71  -3  90  54| 0.69   6.72   5.80  -4.15  -3.26|  1049   -35
Milesville  74  -1 109  54| 0.17   9.73   6.74  -1.44  -2.51|  1126   -47
Long Valley 74  -2 103  52| 0.04  15.11  12.47  +3.69  +2.92|  1152    +0
Philip      72  -4  93  51| 0.23   8.86   7.22  -1.36  -1.36|  1172   -32
Rapid City  73  +3  95  54| 0.00   7.65   6.05  -2.89  -2.55|  1036   +88
Spearfish   73  +2 101  51| 0.00  14.30  10.20  -0.14  -1.45|  1016  +116
Chamberlain 71  -6  91  54| 0.85  15.34  13.30  +4.58  +4.31|  1133  -175
Highmore    71  -3  94  53| 1.06  11.68  10.44  +0.00  +0.83|  1181   +22
Huron       71  -4  90  51| 0.54  10.56   9.36  -1.74  -0.19|  1170    +6
Onida       72  -4  97  53| 1.09  13.85  11.73  +2.65  +2.86|  1078  -122
Pierre      71  -5  91  54| 1.18  10.34   9.20  -1.44  -0.54|  1175   -46
Brookings   67  -4  86  50| 1.18  10.44   9.63  -2.44  -1.27|   957   -27
Madison     69  -4  87  52| 1.07  11.28  10.27  -2.16  -0.06|  1000   -79
Mitchell    70  -6  88  54| 0.99  15.10  12.99  +1.98  +2.50|  1065  -224
Sioux Falls 70  -5  86  53| 0.77  12.38  11.23  -0.58  +1.06|  1133   -61
Custer      65  -1  85  48| 0.02  12.01   8.98  +0.50  -0.65|   529   -50
Hot Springs 72  -2 102  49| 0.00  12.67   9.61  +2.74  +1.17|   980  -111
Oelrichs    71  -4  95  47| 0.00  12.52   9.99  +1.73  +1.12|  1002  -121
Porcupine   72  -3  96  48| 0.00  10.35   7.12  +0.18  -1.57|  1008   -87
Murdo       72  -4  87  56| 0.06  11.04   8.82  -0.53  -0.49|  1133   -12
Winner      73  -4  95  57| 0.65  13.03  11.00  -1.43  -0.63|  1348   -47
Armour      70  -6  87  52| 2.86  16.84  15.48  +3.08  +4.60|  1250   -97
Centerville 70  -4  84  54| 3.05  17.13  15.31  +2.88  +3.84|  1178   -70
Marion      70  -5  87  54| 1.15  15.23  13.50  +1.44  +2.70|  1064  -138
Pickstown   71  -5  89  55| 0.06  13.79  11.92  +0.68  +1.30|  1204   -83
Vermillion  72  -5  86  55| 0.60  15.04  11.92  +1.02  +0.53|  1332  -122
Yankton     70  -5  88  54| 0.88  18.31  15.13  +4.66  +3.99|  1196   -98


 

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