Released: October 27, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending October 26, 2003 SD-CW4303 Volume 52 Issue 43

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Good harvest progress was made in the fields, with another week of excellent weather and soil moisture levels further depleted across the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included row crop harvest, fall tillage, baling corn stalks, weaning calves, working cattle, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork last week. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Average temperatures were in the 50's last week, with Pickstown having the high of 92 degrees. The low of 16 degrees was reported in Aberdeen, Mobridge, and Porcupine. Precipitation was minimal last week, with only 6 of the 43 reporting weather stations receiving trace amounts of precipitation.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels fell last week, with the majority of the state receiving no precipitation. Topsoil moisture is rated 74 percent very short to short, compared to last week's 69 percent. Subsoil moisture is rated 79 percent very short to short, compared to last week's 77 percent.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Minimal precipitation kept farmers in the field most of the week. Corn harvest jumped 26 percentage points last week to 70 percent complete, well ahead of last year's 43 percent and the five-year average of 56 percent. Progress on soybeans is also ahead of last year and the five-year average, with 97 percent harvested. The sorghum crop is 90 percent harvested, ahead of last year's 63 percent and the five-year average of 72 percent. Sunflower harvest is 81 percent complete, compared to last year's and the five-year average of 72 percent. Winter wheat is 75 percent emerged, compared to last year's 88 percent and the five-year average of 84 percent. With continued shortage of moisture and cooler temperatures, winter wheat emergence is falling behind average rates.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Livestock conditions are similar to the previous week, with cattle and sheep ranging from fair to excellent condition. Range and pasture condition fell slightly last week, with many farmers and ranchers continuing to haul water to livestock. As harvest advances, utilization of field residue continues.

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
               AS OF October 26, 2003 

TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING    Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     40    30    17     48     42    28
Short      34    39    23     31     35    24
Adeq.      26    31    57     21     23    47
Surplus     0     0     3      0      0     1
 



           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF October 26, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Corn           7      11     23      40     19
Winter Wheat  14      24     35      23      4
Winter Rye     0      14     54      29      3
Cattle         0       4     24      58     14
Sheep          0       8     23      53     16
Range &                                       
   Pasture    24      34     27      14      1




                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF October 26, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent

Corn        
 grain harvested     70     44     43      56
Sorghum     
 grain harvested     90     82     63      72
Soybeans    
 harvested           97     92     86      91
Sunflower   
 mature              99     93     99     100
 harvested           81     67     72      72
Winter wheat
 emerged             75     62     88      84
Winter rye  
 emerged             98     92     91      94
 

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


      SOIL TEMPERATURES  WEEK ENDING OCT. 26, 2003
                     (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
          
Beresford      52              Gettysburg   53
Brookings      51              Nisland      55
Caputa         53              Pierre       55
Chamberlain    56              Redfield     50
Cottonwood     54              Watertown    48






	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING October 26, 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       54 +10  82  24| 0.00  15.80  11.87  +0.00  -1.97
Buffalo     54 +11  83  26| 0.00  10.66   8.54  -2.39  -3.33
Dupree      52  +7  81  23| 0.00  11.55   9.26  -4.04  -4.64
Mc Intosh   51  +6  80  21| 0.00  12.09  10.99  -3.38  -3.01
Newell      56 +13  86  26| 0.00  11.83   9.41  -2.25  -3.17
Timber Lake 51  +7  80  21| 0.00  12.65  10.54  -3.85  -4.00
Aberdeen    51  +7  85  16| 0.01  17.16  16.16  -0.25  +0.93
Eureka      50  +8  79  18| 0.00  17.28  16.74  +1.39  +2.43
Faulkton    54 +11  87  18| 0.00  17.21  14.99  -0.26  -0.38
Mobridge    53  +9  87  16| 0.00  11.59  10.97  -4.21  -2.93
Roscoe      52  +8  88  20| 0.00  17.09  15.41  -0.47  -0.23
Britton     50  +6  75  22| 0.00  20.53  20.04  +2.90  +4.12
Clear Lake  51  +7  85  17| 0.00  16.80  14.67  -5.58  -4.80
Sisseton    53  +8  88  26| 0.00  16.79  16.47  -2.60  -0.49
Webster     49  +6  75  22| 0.00  19.91  18.89  +0.30  +1.57
Watertown   51  +7  85  20| 0.01  15.66  14.68  -4.97  -3.42
Faith       55 +10  82  24| 0.00   8.98   8.06  -6.62  -5.73
Milesville  54  +7  84  23| 0.00  11.89   8.90  -5.02  -6.09
Long Valley 55  +8  82  21| 0.04  16.45  13.81  -0.41  -1.18
Philip      57 +10  87  24| 0.00  11.06   9.42  -4.01  -4.01
Rapid City  56 +11  83  21| 0.00  10.17   8.57  -5.29  -4.95
Spearfish   56 +11  78  30| 0.00  19.57  15.47  -0.76  -2.07
Chamberlain 55  +8  87  21| 0.00  19.33  17.29  +2.84  +2.57
Highmore    53  +8  88  17| 0.00  14.83  13.59  -3.69  -2.86
Huron       53  +8  84  20| 0.01  14.84  13.64  -3.85  -2.30
Onida       53  +7  82  20| 0.00  16.23  14.11  -0.82  -0.61
Pierre      54  +8  83  21| 0.00  12.44  11.30  -5.01  -4.11
Brookings   50  +7  84  20| 0.00  18.33  17.52  -3.22  -2.05
Madison     51  +7  84  20| 0.00  17.40  16.39  -4.61  -2.51
Mitchell    54  +8  87  21| 0.00  21.69  19.58  +1.43  +1.95
Sioux Falls 53  +8  85  23| 0.01  19.91  18.76  -1.96  -0.32
Custer      52 +11  80  18| 0.00  17.61  14.58  -0.19  -1.34
Hot Springs 54  +7  84  20| 0.00  16.49  13.43  +1.56  -0.01
Oelrichs    55  +8  86  19| 0.00  15.31  12.78  -0.40  -1.01
Porcupine   54  +9  87  16| 0.00  13.22   9.99  -1.76  -3.51
Murdo       57 +11  86  23| 0.00  13.03  10.81  -3.80  -3.76
Winner      59 +11  91  23| 0.00  16.08  14.05  -5.96  -5.16
Armour      53  +6  84  22| 0.00  22.82  21.46  +1.52  +3.04
Centerville 53  +8  86  19| 0.00  25.57  23.75  +2.40  +3.36
Marion      53  +8  86  21| 0.00  23.12  21.39  +0.76  +2.02
Pickstown   58 +10  92  21| 0.00  18.08  16.21  -2.51  -1.89
Vermillion  54  +6  89  19| 0.01  24.20  21.08  +1.50  +1.01
Yankton     55  +8  90  22| 0.00  27.57  24.39  +5.81  +5.14

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