Released: September 22, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending September 21, 2003 SD-CW3803 Volume 52 Issue 38

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Cool temperatures and rain were welcomed by farmers across the state last week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. The majority of the state received precipitation, keeping some farmers out of the field. However, gains were still made in crop maturity and harvest progress. Major farm activities included cutting silage, fixing fences, planting fall crops, weaning calves, caring for livestock, and preparing for harvest. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Temperatures were slightly below normal last week, with averages in the upper 50's. The high for the week was 97 degrees in Chamberlain, with the low of 29 degrees in Aberdeen and Custer. All of the 43 reporting weather stations received precipitation last week, with Madison, at 1.69 inches, receiving the most precipitation.

SOIL CONDITION:    Slight gains were made in topsoil and subsoil moisture ratings last week. In the adequate to surplus categories, topsoil moisture increased 3 percentage points, with 35 percent rated adequate to surplus. Subsoil increased 2 percentage points in the adequate category, with 26 percent adequate, compared to last year's 35 percent. No subsoil was rated with surplus moisture.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Crops continue to advance to maturity as harvest season is beginning. The corn crop is now 98 percent dented, ahead of last year's 96 percent. Corn rated mature, at 50 percent, and corn harvested, at 3 percent, have fallen behind last year and the five-year average of 54 percent mature and 5 percent harvested. Soybeans dropping leaves are in line with last year, at 85 percent, while soybeans mature and soybeans harvested, at 32 percent and 3 percent respectively, are behind last year and the five-year average. The sorghum crop is 96 percent coloring, compared to last year and the five-year average of 94 percent. Sorghum rated mature, at 39 percent, is in line with last year; while sorghum harvest, at 4 percent, falls behind last year's 11 percent and the five-year average of 8 percent. Sunflower are rated 92 percent with ray flowers dry and 75 percent have bracts yellowing. Sunflower rated mature, at 36 percent, is in line with last year, yet behind the five-year average of 38 percent. Sunflower harvested jumped 8 points last week, with 9 percent of sunflower currently harvested, compared to last year's 3 percent and the five-year average of 5 percent. Silage harvest advanced significantly last week, with 85 percent of corn silage and 86 percent of sorghum silage now harvested. Winter wheat is 43 percent seeded, slightly ahead of average. The lack of moisture has slowed emergence which, at only 7 percent, is behind average.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Beneficial rains swept across the majority of the state; however, livestock, stock water supplies, and range and pastures continue to feel stress. Livestock remain in mostly fair to good condition, with 62 percent of range and pastures in poor to fair condition. Stock water supplies are 38 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last year's 39 percent and the five-year average of 69 percent. Alfalfa harvest continues, with third cutting now 86 percent harvested, up only 3 points from the previous week.

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
               AS OF September 21, 2003 

TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING    Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     29    43    18     43     42    33
Short      36    25    34     31     34    32
Adeq.      34    31    48     26     24    35
Surplus     1     1     0      0      0     0

 



           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF September 21, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn           7      14     31      39      9
Alfalfa       17      25     33      22      3
Sorghum       18      12     36      26      8
Soybeans       6      17     32      41      4
Sunflower     21      29     34      15      1
Cattle         0       5     26      58     11
Sheep          0      10     24      53     13
Range &                                       
   Pasture    21      33     29      15      2



                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF September 21, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent

Corn        
 dented              98     93     96      96
 mature              50     33     54      54
 grain harvested      3      1      5       5
 silage harvested    85     63     78      76
Sorghum     
 coloring            96     91     94      94
 mature              39     17     39      45
 grain harvested      4      2     11       8
 silage harvested    86     64     61      50 
Soybeans    
 dropping leaves     85     66     85      79
 mature              32     20     40      41
 harvested            3      0      5       6
Sunflower   
 ray flowers dry     92     88     95      96
 bracts yellow       75     62     79      83
 mature              36     21     36      38
 harvested            9      1      3       5
Winter wheat
 seeded              43     21     41      42
 emerged              7      1     13      15
Winter rye  
 seeded              44     25     57      52
 emerged             10      1     25      20
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         86     83     70      74

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



            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING September 21, 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       57  -2  80  35| 0.46  15.64  11.71  +1.10  -0.87|  2599  +323
Buffalo     56  -3  82  37| 0.36  10.50   8.38  -1.36  -2.30|  2693  +532
Dupree      58  -3  84  35| 0.25  10.96   8.67  -3.32  -3.92|  2777  +273
Mc Intosh   57  -1  82  31| 0.23  11.83  10.73  -2.38  -2.01|  2476  +156
Newell      54  -5  80  34| 0.37  11.55   9.13  -1.23  -2.15|  2547  +282
Timber Lake 58  -1  82  35| 0.38  12.32  10.21  -2.84  -2.99|  2582  +214
Aberdeen    59  +1  85  29| 0.64  16.51  15.51  +0.58  +1.76|  2453   +66
Eureka      60  +3  84  32| 0.51  17.01  16.47  +2.47  +3.51|  2650  +422
Faulkton    59  +2  87  32| 0.21  16.84  14.62  +0.91  +0.79|  2610  +267
Mobridge    59  +1  87  32| 0.36  11.35  10.73  -3.14  -1.86|  2779  +342
Roscoe      56  -3  83  33| 0.20  16.79  15.11  +0.63  +0.87|  2288   -57
Britton     60  +2  82  32| 0.63  19.29  18.80  +3.32  +4.54|  2691  +253
Clear Lake  56  -3  82  36| 0.83  16.18  14.05  -3.87  -3.09|  2289   -62
Sisseton    59  +0  83  38| 0.15  16.23  15.91  -1.27  +0.84|  2469   -21
Webster     57  -2  78  36| 1.25  18.80  17.78  +0.96  +2.23|  2415   +84
Watertown   59  +2  83  36| 0.88  14.96  13.98  -3.50  -1.95|  2385   +28
Faith       58  -3  83  36| 0.49   8.41   7.49  -5.90  -5.01|  2781  +291
Milesville  59  -2  89  37| 0.45  11.22   8.23  -4.20  -5.27|  2918  +264
Long Valley 60  -2  95  35| 0.45  16.13  13.49  +0.52  -0.25|  2884  +256
Philip      59  -3  93  33| 0.54  10.45   8.81  -3.35  -3.35|  2995  +261
Rapid City  57  -2  88  33| 0.27   9.74   8.14  -4.41  -4.07|  2697  +446
Spearfish   55  -3  78  34| 0.75  19.37  15.27  +1.03  -0.28|  2617  +471
Chamberlain 60  -4  97  36| 0.35  18.19  16.15  +3.07  +2.80|  2831   -52
Highmore    60  -2  91  32| 0.30  14.26  13.02  -2.62  -1.79|  2853  +252
Huron       61  +2  87  33| 0.65  13.74  12.54  -3.22  -1.67|  2801  +247
Onida       59  -3  92  31| 0.61  15.84  13.72  +0.11  +0.32|  2721   +47
Pierre      60  -2  92  31| 0.41  11.69  10.55  -4.24  -3.34|  2919  +173
Brookings   56  -2  82  34| 1.17  17.49  16.68  -1.86  -0.69|  2207   +76
Madison     57  -3  83  33| 1.69  16.57  15.56  -3.24  -1.14|  2372   +36
Mitchell    59  -3  87  34| 0.70  20.62  18.51  +2.25  +2.77|  2574  -179
Sioux Falls 61  +2  83  35| 0.98  19.07  17.92  -0.40  +1.24|  2654   +83
Custer      50  -4  74  29| 0.38  17.16  14.13  +0.66  -0.49|  1627  +141
Hot Springs 57  -5  85  32| 0.50  16.09  13.03  +2.42  +0.85|  2559   +74
Oelrichs    57  -6  90  35| 0.84  15.26  12.73  +0.80  +0.19|  2660   +57
Porcupine   55  -6  92  30| 0.98  12.47   9.24  -1.27  -3.02|  2617  +120
Murdo       59  -2  94  36| 0.55  12.42  10.20  -2.95  -2.91|  2876  +296
Winner      63  +0  95  38| 0.30  15.06  13.03  -5.12  -4.32|  3221  +215
Armour      63  +1  88  30| 0.90  21.79  20.43  +2.55  +4.07|  2905   +45
Centerville 58  -3  84  32| 0.52  24.79  22.97  +3.86  +4.82|  2630   +39
Marion      58  -2  85  35| 0.83  22.12  20.39  +1.96  +3.22|  2500   -39
Pickstown   61  -2  89  34| 0.39  17.01  15.14  -1.57  -0.95|  2935  +135
Vermillion  64  +2  86  33| 0.30  23.41  20.29  +2.86  +2.37|  2952   -23
Yankton     58  -4  85  34| 0.76  26.42  23.24  +6.65  +5.98|  2683   -53


 

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