Released: April 26, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending April 25, 2004 SD-CW1704 Volume 53 Issue 17

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    While damp weather limited the amount of time some producers spent in the field last week, progress was made in the seeding of small grains with some producers planting row crops as well, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included calving and lambing, feeding livestock, fixing fences, fertilizer application, preparing ground for row crops, and seeding of small grains and row crops. Statewide there were 4.6 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 were slightly below normal for much of the state last week, with averages mostly in the upper 40's. The high for the week was 92 degrees in Yankton, with the low of 23 degrees found in Aberdeen and Porcupine. All of the 43 reporting weather stations received precipitation last week. Vermillion received the most moisture, at 1.89 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:    Last week's rain showers helped to improve topsoil and subsoil moisture levels. Topsoil moisture levels improved 11 percentage points, bringing the moisture rating up to 54 percent adequate, with 32 percent short and 14 percent very short. Subsoil moisture is rated 35 percent adequate, up from the previous week's rating of 30 percent adequate but down from last year's rating of 41 percent adequate. Last week's soil temperatures decreased slightly from the previous week, yet the average temperature of 51.5 degrees was still 5.4 degrees above normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Despite the moisture in the fields, farmers remained busy seeding small grains and planting row crops last week. Seeding of barley, oats, and spring wheat advanced well ahead of last year, as well as the five-year average. Seeding of barley advanced 23 percentage points last week, with the crop 75 percent seeded and 18 percent emerged. Oats are 84 percent seeded, with 35 percent emerged. Spring wheat is 91 percent seeded, with emergence at 44 percent; well ahead of last year's 27 percent emerged and the five-year average of 16 percent. The planting of row crops has begun with the state's corn crop 8 percent planted and the soybean crop 1 percent planted. Both are ahead of last year and the five-year average. Winter wheat condition fell slightly last week, with the crop rated 29 percent good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 32 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Many farmers and ranchers reported that recent rains have helped pastures green-up, however stock water supplies continue to be low in many areas. Range and pasture condition is currently rated 21 percent good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 18 percent good to excellent. Stock water supplies are rated 29 percent very short, 27 percent short, and 44 percent adequate. Cattle moved to pasture is reported at 19 percent, compared to 15 percent last year. Cattle and sheep remain in mostly fair to excellent condition. Calving and lambing advanced last week with calving 78 percent complete and lambing 77 percent complete. Calf and lamb deaths remain mostly below average to average across the state.

                FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                           AS OF April 26, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      7    24     7     29     17    5
Short      23    32    14     27     31   12
Adeq.      65    42    54     44     51   56
Surplus     5     2     5      0      1    7



                    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                           AS OF April 26, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     14    18    10     36     42    25
Short      32    39    21     29     28    34
Adeq.      54    43    68     35     30    41
Surplus     0     0     1      0      0     0


                         CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                           AS OF April 26, 2004 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat  15      23     33      25      4
Cattle         0       3     22      63     12
Sheep          0      12     14      61     13
Range &                                        
  Pasture     12      26     41     19      2  
     



                  CROP PROGRESS AS OF April 26, 2004  1/
                                                       
                                                                         
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              75     52     56      39
 emerged             18     10     14       8
Spring wheat 
 seeded              91     77     80      56
 emerged             44     17     27      16
Oats        
 seeded              84     64     69      45
 emerged             35     16     23      13
Corn        
 seeded               8      0      6       5
Soybeans    
 seeded               1      0      0       0
Winter wheat
 boot                 0     NA      1       8

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



               SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING April 26, 2004
                               (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      52              Gettysburg   52
Brookings      50              Nisland      52
Caputa         50              Pierre       54
Chamberlain    54              Redfield     50
Cottonwood     56              Watertown    48
   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING April 25, 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       48  +0  64  32| 0.27   2.85   0.87  -1.01  -0.97|    36    +4
Buffalo     47  +0  65  32| 0.08   0.94   0.53  -1.40  -0.59|    54   +22
Dupree      48  -2  67  27| 0.42   2.41   0.86  -0.87  -0.68|    41    +1
Mc Intosh   47  +0  66  25| 0.25   1.99   0.56  -1.06  -0.97|    23    -9
Newell      46  -2  66  29| 0.91   2.37   0.91  -0.46  -0.38|    42    +9
Timber Lake 47  -3  66  26| 0.07   2.57   0.38  -1.16  -1.34|    33    -5
Aberdeen    45  -4  65  23| 0.60   3.10   0.61  -0.75  -1.00|    46    +3
Eureka      48  +1  66  28| 0.35   1.80   0.41  -1.42  -1.18|    34    +5
Faulkton    46  -2  63  25| 0.44   3.25   0.66  -0.63  -1.06|    40    +8
Mobridge    49  +1  67  31| 0.14   1.20   0.17  -2.47  -1.54|    48   +12
Roscoe      45  -4  64  27| 0.38   3.51   0.41  -0.37  -1.49|    17   -20
Britton     47  -2  64  26| 0.82   2.37   0.83  -0.90  -0.69|    50    +7
Clear Lake  46  -4  82  28| 1.72   3.69   1.72  -1.16  -0.16|    40    +6
Sisseton    47  -4  68  25| 1.01   2.71   1.01  -1.63  -0.84|    45    +0
Webster     46  -3  64  27| 1.15   4.10   1.17  +0.26  -0.33|    42    +4
Watertown   47  -2  80  26| 1.60   2.98   1.61  -1.41  -0.19|    47   +14
Faith       47  -3  66  30| 0.59   1.51   0.79  -1.92  -0.78|    56   +14
Milesville  48  -3  67  30| 0.97   2.99   1.00  -0.45  -0.47|    67   +14
Long Valley 48  -2  66  31| 0.18   2.18   0.20  -1.48  -1.53|    78   +33
Philip      48  -3  66  30| 0.15   1.01   0.20  -2.08  -1.21|    91   +41
Rapid City  47  -1  67  29| 0.18   2.21   0.27  -1.33  -1.28|    80   +49
Spearfish   47  +0  77  29| 0.44   3.42   1.00  -1.66  -1.22|    72   +40
Chamberlain 49  -4  70  33| 0.71   4.01   0.79  +0.51  -0.89|    61    +3
Highmore    48  -3  64  30| 0.62   2.94   0.67  -1.10  -1.23|    65   +23
Huron       48  -2  71  29| 1.80   5.03   1.87  +0.51  +0.16|    78   +32
Onida       47  -4  64  28| 0.23   3.08   0.34  -0.98  -1.33|    52    +7
Pierre      48  -3  65  29| 0.30   2.67   0.31  -1.13  -1.40|    82   +34
Brookings   47  +0  83  26| 1.57   3.38   1.57  -0.35  -0.12|    39   +12
Madison     48  -1  83  26| 1.30   3.23   1.33  -1.92  -0.64|    47   +12
Mitchell    49  -3  79  32| 1.33   4.33   1.37  -0.38  -0.64|    52    -2
Sioux Falls 51  +1  87  31| 1.26   4.94   1.37  -0.01  -0.72|    77   +31
Custer      40  -3  58  25| 0.37   2.11   0.63  -1.32  -0.88|    21    +8
Hot Springs 47  -3  66  25| 0.25   2.49   0.33  -0.35  -0.98|    60    +4
Oelrichs    46  -4  69  25| 0.91   2.91   1.07  -0.64  -0.51|    72   +23
Porcupine   47  -2  70  23| 0.69   3.41   0.79  +0.54  -0.56|    57   +22
Murdo       47  -2  64  32| 0.78   3.36   0.91  -0.76  -0.89|    71   +36
Winner      51  -2  74  35| 1.04   4.62   1.04  -0.49  -1.18|   112   +37
Armour      51  -2  77  32| 1.21   4.68   1.31  -0.18  -0.60|    93   +24
Centerville 51  +2  90  35| 1.27   5.67   1.44  +0.98  -0.41|    78   +27
Marion      50  +0  84  33| 1.64   5.08   1.68  -0.13  -0.46|    56   +16
Pickstown   53  +2  78  34| 1.00   3.72   1.10  -0.80  -0.86|    81   +27
Vermillion  54  +1  91  38| 1.89   6.70   1.89  +2.07  -0.05|   128   +40
Yankton     53  +3  92  37| 1.57   6.94   1.69  +2.69  +0.00|    83   +26


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