Released: July 28, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending July 27, 2003 SD-CW3003 Volume 52 Issue 30

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    While the hot, dry weather of last week allowed field work to progress, it's effect on crop development worries farmers and ranchers across the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation was scarce last week, depleting moisture levels and stressing row crops, pastures, and water supplies. Major farm activities included harvesting small grain, cutting and baling hay, spraying, fixing fences, and working with livestock. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Rain was scarce last week with only half of the reporting weather stations receiving moisture. Yankton received the most precipitation, with 0.6 inches reported. Temperatures varied, however highs were in the 100's and lows were in the upper 40's to mid 50's. Chamberlain had the highest temperature last week, at 113 degrees. Brookings and Madison both had the low temperature, at 47 degrees.

SOIL CONDITION:    Last week's heat stressed topsoil and subsoil moisture levels. Topsoil is rated at 54 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last week's 57 percent and last year's 15 percent. Subsoil is rated at 58 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last week's 59 percent, and last year's 12 percent.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Small grain harvest continues, as winter wheat is 82 percent harvested and spring wheat is 20 percent harvested, both behind last year, but ahead of the five-year average. Barley is 12 percent harvested, behind last year and the five-year average; oats are rated at 36 percent harvested, also behind last year but ahead of the five-year average. Row crops are being stressed and need moisture. Corn is 67 percent tasseled and 29 percent silked, both behind last year and the five-year average. Soybean progress is also behind compared to last year, with 80 percent blooming and 23 percent setting pods. Sorghum headed is rated at 37 percent, ahead of last year, with only 9 percent coloring. Sunflowers progressed last week with 11 percent blooming, in line with last year, yet behind the five-year average.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Last week's excessive heat has been detrimental to range and pasture conditions, as well as stock water supplies. While cattle and sheep remain in mostly good to excellent condition, range and pasture condition are rated at 47 percent good to excellent, down 5 percentage points from the previous week. Stock water supplies are currently rated 55 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last week's 60 percent and last year's 29 percent. Second cutting alfalfa harvest is rated at 76 percent complete while third cutting harvest is rated at 3 percent complete. Other hay harvested is rated at 88 percent, ahead of last year and the five-year average. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current conditions.

           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF July 27, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     13    11    50     19     14    56
Short      33    32    35     23     27    32
Adeq.      53    51    15     57     53    12
Surplus     1     6     0      1      6     0




           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF July 27, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   2       9     28      48     13
Winter Rye     0       2     33      35     30
Spring Wheat   2       5     32      42     19
Barley         1       3     39      47     10
Oats           1       6     31      49     13
Corn           2       3     16      56     23
Alfalfa        4      10     31      45     10
Sorghum        5      16     28      44      7
Soybeans       1       1     19      53     26
Sunflower      2       8     37      46      7
Cattle         0       2     18      66     14
Sheep          0       1     13      67     19
Range &                                       
   Pasture     4      13     36      41      6




                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF July 27, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 turning color       89     85     87      88
 ripe                47     20     75      56
 harvested           12      3     33      17 
Spring wheat 
 turning color       98     87     98      92
 ripe                59     14     80      56
 harvested           20      2     43      18 
Oats        
 turning color       97     86     97      92
 ripe                74     34     83      64
 harvested           36     10     57      34
Corn        
 2nd cult or sprayed 96     90     98      95
 tasseling           67     26     72      70
 silked              29      6     48      47
 dough                0      0      3       6
Sorghum     
 headed              37     24     28      26
 coloring             9      5     13       6 
Soybeans    
 blooming            80     60     82      74
 setting pods        23      8     36      31
Sunflower   
 blooming            11      4     12      16
 ray flowers dry      0      0      3       1
 bracts yellow        0      0      1       0
Winter wheat
 ripe                98     89     99      95
 harvested           82     51     93      70
Winter rye  
 turning color      100     98    100      99
 ripe                96     52     95      84
 harvested           14      4     51      35
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         76     58     64      64
 3rd cutting          3      0      3      NA
Other hay   
 cut                 88     83     80      77   


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



            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING July 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       79  +6 105  55| 0.00  12.91   8.98  +1.04  -0.93|  1374   +76
Buffalo     79  +7 107  57| 0.04   6.79   4.67  -2.79  -3.73|  1416  +185
Dupree      79  +4 105  53| 0.00   9.08   6.79  -2.58  -3.18|  1508   +69
Mc Intosh   75  +2 104  52| 0.10   9.71   8.61  -1.35  -0.98|  1296   -52
Newell      79  +6 107  59| 0.23   8.49   6.07  -1.87  -2.79|  1409  +116
Timber Lake 77  +4  99  53| 0.09  10.50   8.39  -1.43  -1.58|  1372   -17
Aberdeen    72  -2  90  52| 0.00  13.68  12.68  +1.56  +2.74|  1359   -54
Eureka      75  +3  96  54| 0.00  14.60  14.06  +3.48  +4.52|  1427  +125
Faulkton    74  +1  99  55| 0.00  15.76  13.54  +3.64  +3.52|  1413   +30
Mobridge    76  +2 101  53| 0.01  10.05   9.43  -1.39  -0.11|  1483   +55
Roscoe      72  -2  92  53| 0.00  15.15  13.47  +2.44  +2.68|  1223  -153
Britton     72  -2  88  56| 0.00  17.01  16.52  +4.89  +6.11|  1489   +49
Clear Lake  70  -4  89  52| 0.28  12.78  10.65  -2.14  -1.36|  1250  -157
Sisseton    72  -3  88  55| 0.05  15.13  14.81  +2.16  +4.27|  1351  -134
Webster     71  -3  90  57| 0.00  15.45  14.43  +2.34  +3.61|  1325   -67
Watertown   71  -4  89  51| 0.05  11.71  10.73  -2.25  -0.70|  1308   -90
Faith       80  +5 108  56| 0.05   6.77   5.85  -5.05  -4.16|  1487   +59
Milesville  80  +5 110  55| 0.00   9.93   6.94  -2.22  -3.29|  1566   +32
Long Valley 81  +5 107  53| 0.03  15.14  12.50  +2.55  +1.78|  1581   +71
Philip      82  +6 112  58| 0.00   8.97   7.33  -2.24  -2.24|  1635   +60
Rapid City  80  +7 109  55| 0.25   7.93   6.33  -3.45  -3.11|  1469  +199
Spearfish   78  +6 101  59| 0.26  14.73  10.63  -0.44  -1.75|  1427  +214
Chamberlain 77  -2 113  55| 0.04  15.47  13.43  +3.59  +3.32|  1526  -163
Highmore    76  +2 104  51| 0.00  11.79  10.55  -1.21  -0.38|  1576   +65
Huron       75  +0 102  53| 0.00  10.60   9.40  -2.85  -1.30|  1548   +34
Onida       78  +2 103  55| 0.00  13.85  11.73  +1.53  +1.74|  1476   -85
Pierre      78  +1 106  54| 0.00  10.36   9.22  -2.50  -1.60|  1590    -5
Brookings   70  -2  90  47| 0.08  11.21  10.40  -3.07  -1.90|  1256   -22
Madison     72  +0  93  47| 0.08  11.41  10.40  -3.36  -1.26|  1323   -75
Mitchell    73  -3  99  52| 0.16  15.51  13.40  +1.37  +1.89|  1413  -240
Sioux Falls 74  -2  93  49| 0.00  12.39  11.24  -1.71  -0.07|  1478   -65
Custer      72  +6  95  49| 0.16  13.01   9.98  +0.03  -1.12|   843   +28
Hot Springs 80  +6 105  55| 0.14  13.01   9.95  +1.92  +0.35|  1404   -27
Oelrichs    80  +5 108  57| 0.00  12.59  10.06  +0.86  +0.25|  1436   -46
Porcupine   81  +6 108  52| 0.00  10.52   7.29  -0.77  -2.52|  1442    -7
Murdo       79  +5 109  57| 0.00  11.04   8.82  -1.58  -1.54|  1563   +59
Winner      81  +4 112  58| 0.00  13.03  11.00  -2.94  -2.14|  1784    +1
Armour      76  -1  98  54| 0.00  17.04  15.68  +1.96  +3.48|  1638   -79
Centerville 73  -2  92  52| 0.49  17.69  15.87  +2.00  +2.96|  1514   -70
Marion      72  -3  95  51| 0.34  15.74  14.01  +0.74  +2.00|  1394  -149
Pickstown   76  +0 103  53| 0.00  13.79  11.92  -0.45  +0.17|  1591   -67
Vermillion  76  -2  94  51| 0.00  15.04  11.92  -0.38  -0.87|  1712  -111
Yankton     73  -3  94  51| 0.60  18.95  15.77  +3.96  +3.29|  1541  -112


 

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