Released: April 5, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending April 4, 2004 SD-CW1404 Volume 53 Issue 14

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    South Dakota had another week of predominately dry weather, with temperatures above normal for the majority of the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included hauling grain, calving and lambing, feeding livestock, fixing fences, and preparing for and seeding of small grains. Statewide there were 5.3 days reported suitable for fieldwork. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Temperatures averaged above normal last week. Porcupine had both the high for the week, at 84 degrees, and the low for the week, at 15 degrees. Only 10 of the 43 reporting weather stations received precipitation last week. Sioux Falls received the most moisture, with 0.08 inch reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil moisture has improved slightly last week, while subsoil moisture levels continue to decline. Topsoil moisture is currently rated at 64 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 61 percent. Subsoil moisture is rated at 34 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 39 percent. Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 45.9 degrees for the week, nearly 9 degrees above normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Spring activity has begun for many farmers and ranchers, with March 31 rated as the statewide average date for the beginning of fieldwork. Seeding of small grains is well ahead of last year and the five-year averages. Barley is 7 percent seeded, with 1 percent emerged. Oats are 12 percent planted, with 2 percent emerged. Spring wheat seeding has advanced 12 percentage points last week, with 19 percent seeded, compared to last year's 8 percent and the five-year average of 11 percent. Spring wheat is also 1 percent emerged. The majority of winter wheat remains in fair to excellent condition, with 94 percent of the state's crop breaking dormancy.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Last week's mild weather has been beneficial to farmers and ranchers, with calving now rated at 48 percent complete and lambing 54 percent complete. Calf death losses improved last week with the below-average rating at 30 percent, compared to the previous week's 23 percent below average. Sheep and lamb deaths were rated at 19 percent below average and 81 percent average. Cattle condition improved slightly last week with 81 percent rated good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 74 percent good to excellent. Sheep condition also improved with 87 percent rated good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 76 percent. Range and pasture conditions are similar to the previous week, with 64 percent of the state's range and pastures in fair to excellent condition. Minimal precipitation last week did little to improve stock water supplies, with ratings currently at 29 percent very short, 24 percent short, and 47 percent adequate. Feed supplies are rated at 73 percent adequate to surplus.

                FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                           AS OF April 4, 2004 

       FEED SUPPLIES      STOCK WATER
        This  Last 5-Yr.   This  Last  5-Yr.
RATING   Week  Year  Ave.   Week  Year   Ave.

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      6    15    NA     29     16   NA
Short      21    35    NA     24     33   NA
Adeq.      70    47    NA     47     50   NA
Surplus     3     3    NA      0      1   NA



                    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                           AS OF April 4, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     10    13    16     31     32    29
Short      26    26    36     35     29    35
Adeq.      60    60    47     32     38    35
Surplus     4     1     1      2      1     1


                         CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                           AS OF April 4, 2004 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat   7      15     37      36      5
Cattle         0       1     18      65     16
Sheep          0       0     13      71     16
Range &                                        
  Pasture     14      22     42      21      1 
     



                  CROP PROGRESS AS OF April 4, 2004  1/
                                                       
                                                                         
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded               7      3      4       5
 emerged              1      0      0       0
Spring wheat 
 seeded              19      7      8      11
 emerged              1      0      0       1
Oats        
 seeded              12      3      7       8
 emerged              2      0      0       0

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



               SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING April 4, 2004
                               (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      45              Gettysburg   45
Brookings      43              Nisland      48
Caputa         45              Pierre       48
Chamberlain    49              Redfield     42
Cottonwood     53              Watertown    41
   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING April 4, 2004
                                     
             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       47  +9  72  23| 0.00   1.98   0.00  -0.28  -0.24|     6    +3
Buffalo     47  +9  76  24| 0.00   0.41   0.00  -0.93  -0.12|     9    +5
Dupree      47  +8  74  21| 0.00   1.55   0.00  -0.39  -0.20|     5    +1
Mc Intosh   44  +8  69  21| 0.00   1.43   0.00  -0.29  -0.20|     0    -2
Newell      46  +8  78  21| 0.00   1.46   0.00  -0.24  -0.16|     8    +4
Timber Lake 45  +7  69  20| 0.00   2.19   0.00  -0.06  -0.24|     3    -1
Aberdeen    41  +3  65  19| 0.00   2.49   0.00  +0.01  -0.24|     0    -4
Eureka      44  +8  67  23| 0.00   1.39   0.00  -0.45  -0.21|     0    +0
Faulkton    42  +5  69  21| 0.00   2.59   0.00  +0.19  -0.24|     0    -1
Mobridge    46  +8  70  22| 0.00   1.03   0.00  -1.17  -0.24|     7    +3
Roscoe      41  +3  65  21| 0.00   3.10   0.00  +0.85  -0.27|     0    -4
Britton     42  +4  62  22| 0.00   1.54   0.00  -0.41  -0.20|     0    -4
Clear Lake  38  +0  61  20| 0.07   1.97   0.00  -1.28  -0.28|     0    -1
Sisseton    40  +1  62  20| 0.00   1.70   0.00  -1.04  -0.25|     0    -4
Webster     41  +4  62  26| 0.00   2.93   0.00  +0.39  -0.20|     0    -4
Watertown   40  +2  62  21| 0.06   1.37   0.00  -1.46  -0.24|     0    -1
Faith       46  +7  71  23| 0.00   0.72   0.00  -1.34  -0.20|     8    +4
Milesville  49  +9  77  24| 0.00   1.99   0.00  -0.18  -0.20|    10    +6
Long Valley 50  +9  77  25| 0.00   1.98   0.00  -0.19  -0.24|    11    +7
Philip      48  +7  77  22| 0.00   0.81   0.00  -1.06  -0.19|    12    +8
Rapid City  48  +8  79  23| 0.00   1.94   0.00  -0.25  -0.20|    15   +12
Spearfish   52 +13  77  26| 0.00   2.42   0.00  -0.74  -0.30|    14   +10
Chamberlain 44  +3  70  24| 0.02   3.22   0.00  +1.16  -0.24|     2    -2
Highmore    46  +6  67  24| 0.00   2.27   0.00  -0.14  -0.27|     2    -2
Huron       44  +4  66  24| 0.00   3.16   0.00  +0.11  -0.24|     0    -4
Onida       47  +8  69  24| 0.00   2.74   0.00  +0.11  -0.24|     5    +1
Pierre      47  +6  70  26| 0.00   2.36   0.00  +0.03  -0.24|     9    +5
Brookings   39  +2  63  19| 0.01   1.81   0.00  -0.47  -0.24|     0    +0
Madison     40  +3  64  19| 0.03   1.90   0.00  -1.57  -0.29|     0    -2
Mitchell    43  +2  66  25| 0.04   2.96   0.00  -0.02  -0.28|     0    -4
Sioux Falls 42  +2  65  21| 0.08   3.57   0.00  +0.41  -0.30|     0    -4
Custer      44  +8  74  22| 0.00   1.48   0.00  -0.63  -0.19|    11   +11
Hot Springs 50  +8  80  19| 0.00   2.16   0.00  +0.47  -0.16|    12    +8
Oelrichs    48  +6  83  16| 0.00   1.84   0.00  -0.33  -0.20|    16   +12
Porcupine   49 +10  84  15| 0.00   2.62   0.00  +0.94  -0.16|    20   +17
Murdo       46  +7  71  23| 0.00   2.45   0.00  -0.13  -0.26|     8    +6
Winner      47  +4  72  24| 0.01   3.59   0.00  +0.39  -0.31|    14    +6
Armour      46  +4  67  26| 0.00   3.37   0.00  +0.14  -0.28|     1    -6
Centerville 42  +2  64  24| 0.06   4.23   0.00  +1.14  -0.25|     0    -4
Marion      42  +3  65  24| 0.04   3.40   0.00  +0.01  -0.32|     0    -4
Pickstown   45  +4  70  27| 0.00   2.62   0.00  -0.22  -0.28|     2    -2
Vermillion  43  -2  64  24| 0.00   4.81   0.00  +1.84  -0.28|     1    -7
Yankton     43  +2  66  22| 0.00   5.25   0.00  +2.45  -0.24|     0    -4




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