Released: November 3, 2003 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending November 2, 2003 SD-CW4403 Volume 52 Issue 44

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    While the cool, wet weather of last week delayed crop harvest for some farmers, progress is still ahead of average for the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included row crop harvest, fall tillage and fertilization, baling corn stalks, weaning calves, working cattle, and caring for livestock. Statewide, there were 5.2 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:   Cool temperatures, snow, and rain were the dominant weather characteristics across the state last week. Temperatures ranged from 6 degrees in McIntosh to 73 degrees in Oelrichs, with averages in the 30's. Scattered snow and rain fell across much of the state, with moisture amounts ranging from no precipitation in Winner to 0.69 inch in Spearfish.

SOIL CONDITION:    The precipitation received last week did little to improve soil conditions. Topsoil moisture is rated very short or short across 76 percent of the state. Subsoil moisture is rated at 82 percent very short or short. Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 41.9 degrees last week.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    As row crop harvest nears completion, emergence of winter wheat has fallen further behind last year's progress. Corn harvest advanced 17 percentage points last week, with harvest 87 percent complete, well ahead of last year's 53 percent and the five-year average of 71 percent. Sorghum harvest, rated 96 percent complete, is also ahead of last year and the five-year average. Sunflower harvest is 90 percent complete, compared to last year's 79 percent and the five-year average of 83 percent. Winter wheat emergence is rated at 81 percent, compared to last year's 92 percent and the five-year average of 87 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Producers continued to utilize crop residues and stalk bales as feed sources last week. Feed supplies are similar to last week, with stock water supplies improving slightly. Livestock remained in mostly fair to good condition last week. The condition of range and pastures remains unchanged, with the majority in very poor to fair condition.

        SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
               AS OF November 2, 2003 

TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING    Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     40    40    18     50     48    29
Short      36    34    24     32     31    26
Adeq.      24    26    53     18     21    43
Surplus     0     0     5      0      0     2
 



           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF November 2, 2003 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat  11      22     37      27      3
Winter Rye     0      36     33      28      3
Cattle         1       2     24      61     12
Sheep          0       2     15      65     18
Range &                                       
   Pasture    22      35     29      13      1




                   CROP PROGRESS 
               AS OF November 2, 2003  1/
                                                      
                                                                       
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent

Corn        
 grain harvested     87     70     53      71
Sorghum     
 grain harvested     96     90     77      83
Sunflower   
 harvested           90     81     79      83
Winter wheat
 emerged             81     75     92      87
 

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


      SOIL TEMPERATURES  WEEK ENDING November 2, 2003
                     (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
          
Beresford      40              Gettysburg   42
Brookings      39              Nisland      47
Caputa         44              Pierre       46
Chamberlain    46              Redfield     39
Cottonwood     43              Watertown    38






	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  WEEK ENDING November 2, 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       33  -9  61  13| 0.34  16.14  12.21  +0.16  -1.81
Buffalo     35  -6  64  14| 0.54  11.20   9.08  -1.99  -2.93
Dupree      32 -11  60   9| 0.39  11.94   9.65  -3.83  -4.43
Mc Intosh   29 -12  57   6| 0.47  12.56  11.46  -3.05  -2.68
Newell      36  -5  66  15| 0.18  12.01   9.59  -2.26  -3.18
Timber Lake 31 -11  57  10| 0.60  13.25  11.14  -3.46  -3.61
Aberdeen    33  -8  53  19| 0.31  17.47  16.47  -0.12  +1.06
Eureka      33  -7  55  15| 0.30  17.58  17.04  +1.48  +2.52
Faulkton    34  -7  55  16| 0.36  17.57  15.35  -0.11  -0.23
Mobridge    34  -8  59  12| 0.20  11.79  11.17  -4.19  -2.91
Roscoe      31 -10  53  12| 0.62  17.71  16.03  -0.06  +0.18
Britton     34  -7  52  19| 0.21  20.74  20.25  +2.90  +4.12
Clear Lake  30 -12  47  17| 0.25  17.05  14.92  -5.68  -4.90
Sisseton    34  -8  52  20| 0.26  17.05  16.73  -2.62  -0.51
Webster     31 -10  48  18| 0.47  20.38  19.36  +0.52  +1.79
Watertown   33  -8  49  19| 0.28  15.94  14.96  -5.03  -3.48
Faith       35  -8  63  14| 0.26   9.24   8.32  -6.54  -5.65
Milesville  35  -9  64  18| 0.40  12.29   9.30  -4.83  -5.90
Long Valley 38  -7  67  23| 0.23  16.68  14.04  -0.34  -1.11
Philip      39  -5  67  19| 0.07  11.13   9.49  -4.13  -4.13
Rapid City  38  -5  72  19| 0.10  10.27   8.67  -5.40  -5.06
Spearfish   35  -9  67  16| 0.69  20.26  16.16  -0.36  -1.67
Chamberlain 37  -8  59  18| 0.12  19.45  17.41  +2.77  +2.50
Highmore    35  -8  53  19| 0.05  14.88  13.64  -3.86  -3.03
Huron       36  -7  53  18| 0.29  15.13  13.93  -3.82  -2.27
Onida       33 -10  56  14| 0.22  16.45  14.33  -0.81  -0.60
Pierre      38  -6  58  24| 0.08  12.52  11.38  -5.13  -4.23
Brookings   31  -9  49  18| 0.23  18.56  17.75  -3.27  -2.10
Madison     33  -8  50  19| 0.21  17.61  16.60  -4.75  -2.65
Mitchell    36  -8  54  21| 0.18  21.87  19.76  +1.33  +1.85
Sioux Falls 36  -7  50  22| 0.26  20.17  19.02  -1.98  -0.34
Custer      33  -7  61  14| 0.40  18.01  14.98  +0.07  -1.08
Hot Springs 39  -6  70  21| 0.45  16.94  13.88  +1.87  +0.30
Oelrichs    40  -5  73  18| 0.36  15.67  13.14  -0.22  -0.83
Porcupine   39  -3  71  21| 0.24  13.46  10.23  -1.67  -3.42
Murdo       37  -6  63  22| 0.16  13.19  10.97  -3.87  -3.83
Winner      40  -7  67  27| 0.00  16.08  14.05  -6.20  -5.40
Armour      37  -8  55  20| 0.03  22.85  21.49  +1.29  +2.81
Centerville 36  -7  52  20| 0.11  25.68  23.86  +2.23  +3.19
Marion      35  -7  52  22| 0.18  23.30  21.57  +0.66  +1.92
Pickstown   39  -7  60  22| 0.09  18.17  16.30  -2.66  -2.04
Vermillion  40  -6  56  24| 0.05  24.25  21.13  +1.21  +0.72
Yankton     38  -7  56  23| 0.10  27.67  24.49  +5.63  +4.96


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