Released: September 8, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending September 7, 2003 SD-CW3603 Volume 52 Issue 36

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Continued high temperatures and sparse precipitation took it's toll on farmers and ranchers last week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Moisture levels continue to decline, causing stress to crops. Major farm activities included cutting hay, spraying, fixing fence, hauling water to livestock, and preparing for harvesting. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Above-normal temperatures covered the state last week. Average temperatures were in the upper 60's and lower 70's. The high for the week was 101 degrees in Chamberlain, and the low was 37 degrees in Brookings. Precipitation was received in only 2 of the 43 reporting weather stations. Oelrichs received 0.02 inch, and Porcupine received 0.10 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:    With no significant rainfall across the state last week, topsoil and subsoil moisture levels continued to fall even further behind last year's ratings. Topsoil moisture fell 5 percentage points in the adequate category last week and is currently rated 9 percent adequate. With 91 percent either short or very short, topsoil moisture was rated 45 percent adequate to surplus last year. Subsoil moisture also fell last week with 13 percent currently rated adequate, compared to last week's 20 percent. Subsoil moisture was rated 33 percent adequate to surplus last year.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Continued dry weather has caused some farmers to get a jump-start on harvest; however, combining in the majority of the state has not been significant. Corn is 71 percent dented, an increase of 27 percentage points from the previous week, with progress slightly behind both last year and the five-year average. The corn crop is rated at 14 percent mature, behind last year's 23 percent and the five-year average of 18 percent. Soybeans dropping leaves advanced 19 percentage points last week with 47 percent now having dropped leaves, ahead of the five-year average of 41 percent. Soybeans are rated at 6 percent mature, up from 3 percent last week. Sorghum mature, at 9 percent, has fallen behind last year's 16 percent, with sorghum harvested for grain just starting at 1 percent complete. Sunflower progress is behind last year and the five-year average, with 67 percent having ray flowers dry and 43 percent having bracts yellow. Sunflower maturity increased slightly last week, with the current rating of 4 percent behind last year's 6 percent and the five-year average of 7 percent. Silage harvest is in line with last year's progress. Corn and sorghum silage are 39 and 43 percent harvested, respectively, compared to last year's 39 and 42 percent. Winter wheat and winter rye are both rated at 10 percent planted, with no emergence as of yet.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Alfalfa harvest continues where possible with the third cutting harvest 75 percent complete, up 12 points from the previous week. Livestock remain in mostly fair to good condition. Range and pasture condition decreased slightly last week with 15 percent rated good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 20 percent and the five-year average of 45 percent.

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
               AS OF September 7, 2003 

TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING    Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     52    45    26     46     42    34
Short      39    41    29     41     38    33
Adeq.       9    14    44     13     20    32
Surplus     0     0     1      0      0     1

 



           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF September 7, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn           9      17     30      37      7
Alfalfa       15      26     36      21      2
Sorghum       32      14     21      30      3
Soybeans       7      19     31      39      4
Sunflower     19      23     33      24      1
Cattle         0       6     28      54     12
Sheep          0      15     18      53     14
Range &                                       
   Pasture    19      34     32      14      1



                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF September 7, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent

Corn        
 dough               97     89     96      95
 dented              71     44     73      72
 mature              14      6     23      18
 silage harvested    39     21     39      31
Sorghum     
 coloring            81     54     77      71
 mature               9      5     16      15
 grain harvested      1      0      3       2
 silage harvested    43     35     42      24 
Soybeans    
 dropping leaves     47     28     41      33
 mature               6      3      7       8
Sunflower   
 ray flowers dry     67     57     75      77
 bracts yellow       43     34     50      55
 mature               4      3      6       7
Winter wheat
 seeded              10      4     13      11
 emerged              0      0      2       2
Winter rye  
 seeded              10      4     20      14
 emerged              0      0      2       6
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         75     63     65      58

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



            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING September 7, 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       72  +9  94  46| 0.00  12.91   8.98  -1.03  -3.00|  2450  +317
Buffalo     72  +9  95  48| 0.00   7.36   5.24  -3.89  -4.83|  2549  +522
Dupree      73  +8  98  46| 0.00   9.73   7.44  -3.99  -4.59|  2618  +277
Mc Intosh   71  +8  97  43| 0.00  10.94   9.84  -2.57  -2.20|  2320  +135
Newell      67  +4  95  45| 0.00   9.51   7.09  -2.71  -3.63|  2425  +302
Timber Lake 71  +8  95  43| 0.00  11.06   8.95  -3.50  -3.65|  2415  +188
Aberdeen    67  +3  94  39| 0.00  15.33  14.33  +0.27  +1.45|  2258   +12
Eureka      71  +9  94  45| 0.00  15.75  15.21  +1.91  +2.95|  2462  +364
Faulkton    69  +5  95  44| 0.00  15.99  13.77  +0.79  +0.67|  2402  +203
Mobridge    72  +8  97  49| 0.00  10.45   9.83  -3.34  -2.06|  2569  +281
Roscoe      67  +4  93  47| 0.00  15.80  14.12  +0.34  +0.58|  2121   -84
Britton     69  +5  93  41| 0.00  18.22  17.73  +3.15  +4.37|  2488  +198
Clear Lake  67  +3  91  42| 0.00  14.22  12.09  -4.76  -3.98|  2138   -69
Sisseton    69  +5  94  41| 0.00  15.85  15.53  -0.77  +1.34|  2300   -37
Webster     70  +7  92  49| 0.00  17.22  16.20  +0.28  +1.55|  2281   +84
Watertown   68  +4  92  41| 0.00  13.50  12.52  -4.05  -2.50|  2210    -6
Faith       72  +7  97  48| 0.00   7.01   6.09  -6.72  -5.83|  2607  +280
Milesville  73  +7  99  47| 0.00  10.12   7.13  -4.61  -5.68|  2743  +265
Long Valley 73  +7  97  50| 0.00  15.52  12.88  +0.47  -0.30|  2704  +261
Philip      72  +5  99  47| 0.00   9.28   7.64  -4.00  -4.00|  2796  +246
Rapid City  71  +8  97  50| 0.00   8.40   6.80  -5.19  -4.85|  2549  +446
Spearfish   73 +10  94  50| 0.00  16.20  12.10  -1.39  -2.70|  2507  +500
Chamberlain 73  +5 101  48| 0.00  17.41  15.37  +2.89  +2.62|  2617   -67
Highmore    73  +7  96  45| 0.00  13.51  12.27  -2.59  -1.76|  2651  +223
Huron       71  +6  98  44| 0.00  12.37  11.17  -3.75  -2.20|  2585  +188
Onida       73  +6 100  47| 0.00  14.57  12.45  -0.52  -0.31|  2540   +41
Pierre      72  +5 100  46| 0.00  10.58   9.44  -4.59  -3.69|  2700  +134
Brookings   65  +3  91  37| 0.00  14.04  13.23  -4.05  -2.88|  2071   +64
Madison     67  +4  92  39| 0.00  13.37  12.36  -5.32  -3.22|  2219   +28
Mitchell    69  +3  95  45| 0.00  17.87  15.76  +0.64  +1.16|  2391  -184
Sioux Falls 70  +5  93  43| 0.00  14.50  13.35  -3.51  -1.87|  2466   +54
Custer      63  +4  85  44| 0.00  15.49  12.46  -0.31  -1.46|  1563  +171
Hot Springs 69  +3  93  46| 0.00  14.16  11.10  +1.18  -0.39|  2429  +116
Oelrichs    69  +2  97  48| 0.02  13.55  11.02  -0.35  -0.96|  2514   +94
Porcupine   68  +4  97  43| 0.10  11.04   7.81  -2.14  -3.89|  2479  +141
Murdo       72  +7  98  51| 0.00  11.50   9.28  -3.32  -3.28|  2678  +269
Winner      76  +8 100  53| 0.00  14.76  12.73  -4.44  -3.64|  2971  +174
Armour      73  +6  97  45| 0.00  19.38  18.02  +1.26  +2.78|  2699   +28
Centerville 67  +2  92  42| 0.00  19.00  17.18  -0.67  +0.29|  2460   +30
Marion      67  +3  92  44| 0.00  18.23  16.50  -0.48  +0.78|  2332   -51
Pickstown   73  +6  99  47| 0.00  14.65  12.78  -2.73  -2.11|  2714  +100
Vermillion  70  +3  92  43| 0.00  16.29  13.17  -3.11  -3.60|  2729   -43
Yankton     68  +1  91  44| 0.00  22.00  18.82  +3.35  +2.68|  2519   -37
 

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