Released: August 4, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending August 3, 2003 SD-CW3103 Volume 52 Issue 31

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    With another week of hot and dry conditions across the state, moisture levels, crops, and livestock are feeling the strain, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Pasture conditions as well as stock water supplies have begun to worry many producers, with several ranchers hauling water to livestock. Major farm activities included harvesting small grain, cutting and baling hay, spraying, fixing fences, working summer fallow, and tending to livestock. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Temperatures last week ranged from the high 40's to high 90's, with much of the state receiving little to no precipitation. Philip, at 99 degrees, had the high temperature for the week, while Porcupine had the low temperature of 46 degrees. Brookings received the most precipitation, with 0.62 inch reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    Moisture conditions continued to deteriorate last week, with both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels falling. Topsoil moisture is rated at 35 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last week's 54 percent and last year's 13 percent. Subsoil moisture is rated at 48 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last week's 58 percent and last year's 15 percent.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Small grain harvest advanced significantly last week with oats now 71 percent harvested, a 35 percentage point gain over the previous week. Barley and spring wheat are rated at 36 percent and 57 percent harvested, respectively. Row crop conditions deteriorated last week with the hot weather and lack of precipitation. Corn is 91 percent tasseled, 71 percent silking, and 7 percent in the dough stage. Soybeans are 90 percent in bloom, 45 percent setting pods, and 1 percent dropping leaves. Sorghum is rated at 57 percent headed, ahead of last year and the five- year average. Sorghum coloring is rated at 13 percent, behind last year's 17 percent. Sunflower blooming advanced 15 percentage points, with 26 percent currently in bloom and 1 percent of the ray flowers dry, both behind last year and the five-year average.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Livestock conditions remained mostly unchanged from last week, but producers continue to worry as stock water supplies become an increasing concern. Alfalfa is currently rated at 45 percent good to excellent, with the second harvest 89 percent complete. Third cutting harvest is 12 percent complete, behind last year and the five-year average. Other hay is 92 percent harvested. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current conditions.

           SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 3, 2003 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     22    13    54     25     19    56
Short      43    33    33     27     23    29
Adeq.      34    53    13     47     57    15
Surplus     1     1     0      1      1     0




           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF August 3, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Spring Wheat   5       8     34      37     16
Barley         1       6     32      43     18
Oats           2       8     31      42     17
Corn           2       6     21      50     21
Alfalfa       10      12     33      38      7
Sorghum       11      23     25      39      2
Soybeans       1       5     24      52     18
Sunflower      9       6     38      44      3
Cattle         1       2     21      61     15
Sheep          0       2     13      57     28
Range &                                       
   Pasture     8      18     36      32      6



                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF August 3, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 turning color       97     89     98      98
 ripe                66     47     91      81
 harvested           36     12     53      42 
Spring wheat 
 turning color      100     98    100      98
 ripe                87     59     95      82
 harvested           57     20     66      43 
Oats        
 turning color      100     97    100      98
 ripe                90     74     97      86
 harvested           71     36     80      61
Corn        
 tasseling           91     67     90      90
 silked              71     29     73      73
 dough                7      0     19      20
 dented               0      0      3       3
Sorghum     
 headed              57     37     47      41
 coloring            13      9     17      12 
Soybeans    
 blooming            90     80     91      87
 setting pods        45     23     57      49
 dropping leaves      1      0      0       0
Sunflower   
 blooming            26     11     40      38
 ray flowers dry      1      0      8       6
 bracts yellow        0      0      4       2
Winter wheat
 harvested           98     82     99      89
Winter rye  
 harvested           76     14     81      65
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         89     76     74      74
 3rd cutting         12      3     21      17
Other hay   
 cut                 92     88     88      82  


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



            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING August 3, 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       73  -1  94  54| 0.00  12.91   8.98  +0.67  -1.30|  1520   +61
Buffalo     74  +2  96  54| 0.00   6.79   4.67  -3.08  -4.02|  1589  +203
Dupree      72  -3  93  52| 0.00   9.08   6.79  -2.99  -3.59|  1665   +51
Mc Intosh   72  -3  94  51| 0.00   9.71   8.61  -1.77  -1.40|  1451   -64
Newell      74  +1  94  55| 0.00   8.47   6.05  -2.24  -3.16|  1577  +121
Timber Lake 72  -2  91  53| 0.00  10.50   8.39  -1.85  -2.00|  1526   -30
Aberdeen    68  -6  86  51| 0.06  13.74  12.74  +1.09  +2.27|  1489   -89
Eureka      71  -3  89  53| 0.12  14.72  14.18  +3.11  +4.15|  1576  +117
Faulkton    70  -4  89  53| 0.16  15.92  13.70  +3.31  +3.19|  1553    +9
Mobridge    71  -4  93  53| 0.11  10.16   9.54  -1.70  -0.42|  1632   +36
Roscoe      69  -5  88  53| 0.10  15.25  13.57  +2.05  +2.29|  1357  -180
Britton     70  -4  86  55| 0.00  17.01  16.52  +4.39  +5.61|  1641   +33
Clear Lake  70  -3  88  56| 0.44  13.22  11.09  -2.47  -1.69|  1393  -170
Sisseton    71  -3  91  57| 0.00  15.13  14.81  +1.53  +3.64|  1504  -149
Webster     70  -4  87  58| 0.15  15.60  14.58  +1.79  +3.06|  1468   -85
Watertown   69  -5  88  52| 0.26  11.97  10.99  -2.62  -1.07|  1444  -115
Faith       73  -3  95  55| 0.00   6.77   5.85  -5.46  -4.57|  1650   +47
Milesville  75  -1  98  55| 0.00   9.93   6.94  -2.71  -3.78|  1745   +29
Long Valley 74  -3  97  55| 0.03  15.17  12.53  +2.09  +1.32|  1749   +58
Philip      75  -2  99  53| 0.00   8.97   7.33  -2.66  -2.66|  1811   +47
Rapid City  74  +0  94  54| 0.00   7.93   6.33  -3.86  -3.52|  1635  +204
Spearfish   74  +3  91  53| 0.00  14.73  10.63  -0.79  -2.10|  1598  +229
Chamberlain 73  -5  98  55| 0.09  15.56  13.52  +3.19  +2.92|  1692  -186
Highmore    73  -3  93  54| 0.20  11.99  10.75  -1.63  -0.80|  1734   +47
Huron       72  -4  93  53| 0.27  10.87   9.67  -3.07  -1.52|  1703   +14
Onida       72  -4  92  51| 0.07  13.92  11.80  +1.04  +1.25|  1634  -109
Pierre      73  -5  98  53| 0.03  10.39   9.25  -2.93  -2.03|  1751   -33
Brookings   68  -4  86  53| 0.62  11.83  11.02  -3.08  -1.91|  1382   -43
Madison     69  -4  86  52| 0.49  11.90  10.89  -3.51  -1.41|  1459   -94
Mitchell    71  -5  90  55| 0.36  15.87  13.76  +1.24  +1.76|  1565  -268
Sioux Falls 71  -4  87  56| 0.29  12.68  11.53  -1.98  -0.34|  1629   -85
Custer      64  -3  83  47| 0.57  13.58  10.55  +0.00  -1.15|   946   +13
Hot Springs 74  +0  94  52| 0.00  13.01   9.95  +1.47  -0.10|  1577   -23
Oelrichs    75  -2  96  50| 0.11  12.70  10.17  +0.55  -0.06|  1613   -51
Porcupine   73  -3  96  46| 0.00  10.52   7.29  -1.22  -2.97|  1604   -20
Murdo       74  -2  96  58| 0.07  11.11   8.89  -1.97  -1.93|  1731   +50
Winner      75  -4  98  55| 0.32  13.35  11.32  -3.28  -2.48|  1960   -18
Armour      72  -5  91  55| 0.00  17.04  15.68  +1.41  +2.93|  1796  -103
Centerville 72  -2  86  56| 0.10  17.79  15.97  +1.40  +2.36|  1671   -79
Marion      71  -3  87  56| 0.43  16.17  14.44  +0.61  +1.87|  1543  -168
Pickstown   74  -3  93  57| 0.30  14.09  12.22  -0.64  -0.02|  1761   -81
Vermillion  72  -4  90  55| 0.00  15.04  11.92  -1.08  -1.57|  1871  -134
Yankton     72  -4  88  56| 0.59  19.54  16.36  +3.92  +3.25|  1694  -134



 

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