Released: October 14, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending October 12, 2003 SD-CW4103 Volume 52 Issue 41

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Rain fell in small amounts across the state last week. However, with drying winds and warm temperatures, farmers and ranchers were still able to make good progress, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included row crop harvest, winter wheat seeding, fall tillage, weaning cattle, and caring for livestock. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Scattered rainfall was reported in several areas of the state, with only Buffalo and Newell reporting no precipitation last week. Britton, at 1.10 inches, reported the greatest rainfall. Average temperatures were in the upper 50's to mid-60's, with a low of 30 degrees in Newell and Oelrichs. The high for the week was 92 degrees in Philip, Chamberlain, and Rapid City.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels remain relatively unchanged with the trace amounts of precipitation last week. Topsoil is rated at 36 percent very short, 35 percent short and 29 percent adequate. Subsoil is rated at 46 percent very short, 33 percent short, and 21 percent adequate.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Despite a week with scattered precipitation, harvest continues, with progress ahead of both last year and the recent five-year averages. The corn crop is 32 percent harvested, compared to last year's 24 percent and the five-year average of 29 percent. Soybean harvest increased 31 percentage points last week, with harvest now 78 percent complete; well ahead of last year's 44 percent and the five-year average of 56 percent. Sorghum harvest also increased 30 percentage points, with harvest now 68 percent complete. The sunflower crop is 88 percent mature, in line with last year, but slightly behind the five-year average of 90 percent. Sunflower harvest is 50 percent complete, well ahead of last year's 32 percent and the five-year average of 39 percent. Winter wheat seeding, at 93 percent, is ahead of last year's 91 percent and the five-year average of 89 percent. Winter wheat emergence, at 50 percent, is behind last year's 64 percent and the five-year average of 65 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Some alfalfa harvest continues, with third cutting now 94 percent harvested. Livestock remain in fair to excellent condition. Several farmers and ranchers report turning cattle into field residues to prolong their feed supplies. Range and pasture conditions remain similar to last week, with stock water supplies remaining stressed due to the minimal precipitation of last week.

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
               AS OF October 12, 2003 

TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING    Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     36    40    18     46     44    29
Short      35    35    27     33     36    28
Adeq.      29    25    51     21     20    41
Surplus     0     0     4      0      0     2

 



           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF October 12, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn           6      12     24      41     17
Alfalfa       16      26     30      24      4
Sorghum       34      16     24      23      3
Soybeans       7      13     33      38      9
Sunflower     29      30     25      15      1
Cattle         1       3     23      59     14
Sheep          0       5     18      60     17
Range &                                       
   Pasture    22      34     29      14      1




                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF October 12, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent

Corn        
 mature              99     94     96      96
 grain harvested     32     18     24      29
Sorghum     
 mature              98     90     85      91
 grain harvested     68     38     27      41
Soybeans    
 mature              99     96     96      96
 harvested           78     47     44      56
Sunflower   
 bracts yellow       95     91     99      99
 mature              88     80     88      90
 harvested           50     32     32      39
Winter wheat
 seeded              93     84     91      89
 emerged             50     33     64      65
Winter rye  
 seeded              98     91     93      95
 emerged             60     27     78      76
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         94     90     90      95

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


      SOIL TEMPERATURES  WEEK ENDING OCT. 12, 2003
                     (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
          
Beresford      63              Gettysburg   61
Brookings      61              Nisland      58
Caputa         57              Pierre       62
Chamberlain    64              Redfield     60
Cottonwood     61              Watertown    57






	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING October 12, 2003
                                     
             TEMPERATURE       -----  PRECIPITATION -----    
             -----------          SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE 
            CURRENT WEEK    CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1 
STATION     AVG DFN HI  LO  WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN 
-------     --  --  --  -- -----  -----  -----  -----  ----- 
Bison       60 +10  85  35| 0.18  15.80  11.87  +0.42  -1.55
Buffalo     59  +9  84  35| 0.00  10.52   8.40  -2.13  -3.07
Dupree      60  +8  88  36| 0.32  11.34   9.05  -3.78  -4.38
Mc Intosh   59  +9  86  32| 0.26  12.09  10.99  -2.95  -2.58
Newell      58  +8  86  30| 0.00  11.60   9.18  -2.02  -2.94
Timber Lake 59  +9  85  35| 0.20  12.65  10.54  -3.35  -3.50
Aberdeen    63 +13  87  31| 0.54  17.13  16.13  +0.17  +1.35
Eureka      62 +12  86  34| 0.27  17.28  16.74  +1.93  +2.97
Faulkton    65 +15  89  38| 0.33  17.21  14.99  +0.28  +0.16
Mobridge    63 +12  87  35| 0.11  11.59  10.97  -3.75  -2.47
Roscoe      62 +12  87  37| 0.22  17.09  15.41  +0.03  +0.27
Britton     66 +15  88  36| 1.10  20.53  20.04  +3.44  +4.66
Clear Lake  63 +12  85  37| 0.55  16.80  14.67  -4.72  -3.94
Sisseton    66 +14  88  39| 0.44  16.79  16.47  -1.91  +0.20
Webster     65 +16  85  46| 1.02  19.91  18.89  +0.93  +2.20
Watertown   64 +14  86  35| 0.65  15.65  14.67  -4.16  -2.61
Faith       62 +10  87  36| 0.35   8.80   7.88  -6.35  -5.46
Milesville  61  +9  90  31| 0.32  11.69   8.70  -4.67  -5.74
Long Valley 63 +10  90  37| 0.18  16.33  13.69  -0.11  -0.88
Philip      63 +10  92  35| 0.25  10.74   9.10  -3.88  -3.88
Rapid City  61 +10  92  36| 0.39  10.16   8.56  -4.83  -4.49
Spearfish   61 +10  84  35| 0.14  19.57  15.47  -0.03  -1.34
Chamberlain 66 +12  92  41| 0.98  19.21  17.17  +3.25  +2.98
Highmore    64 +12  88  37| 0.57  14.83  13.59  -3.10  -2.27
Huron       65 +14  90  37| 0.85  14.82  13.62  -3.22  -1.67
Onida       61  +8  90  35| 0.38  16.22  14.10  -0.31  -0.10
Pierre      65 +12  91  34| 0.28  12.08  10.94  -4.86  -3.96
Brookings   61 +12  85  33| 0.84  18.33  17.52  -2.54  -1.37
Madison     63 +12  83  35| 0.80  17.40  16.39  -3.83  -1.73
Mitchell    64 +12  86  39| 0.96  21.64  19.53  +1.99  +2.51
Sioux Falls 64 +13  82  37| 0.65  19.90  18.75  -1.23  +0.41
Custer      56  +9  78  34| 0.31  17.50  14.47  +0.12  -1.03
Hot Springs 59  +6  87  28| 0.34  16.47  13.41  +1.95  +0.38
Oelrichs    59  +6  89  30| 0.14  15.31  12.78  +0.02  -0.59
Porcupine   60  +9  89  33| 0.63  13.16   9.93  -1.40  -3.15
Murdo       64 +12  89  39| 0.26  12.70  10.48  -3.57  -3.53
Winner      68 +13  90  41| 1.02  16.08  14.05  -5.34  -4.54
Armour      66 +12  86  35| 1.01  22.80  21.44  +2.13  +3.65
Centerville 64 +13  85  40| 0.88  25.80  23.98  +3.35  +4.31
Marion      63 +12  84  40| 0.92  23.12  21.39  +1.44  +2.70
Pickstown   65 +11  88  42| 1.07  18.08  16.21  -1.90  -1.28
Vermillion  65 +11  87  37| 0.65  24.19  21.07  +2.23  +1.74
Yankton     64 +11  87  39| 0.99  27.41  24.23  +6.31  +5.64


 

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