Released: May 03, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending May 02, 2004 SD-CW1804 Volume 53 Issue 18

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Another week of dry weather has helped farmers to get ahead with fieldwork, yet many producers continue to deal with low moisture levels, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included calving and lambing, fixing fences, fertilizer and chemical application, preparing ground, and seeding of small grains and row crops. Statewide there were 6.2 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 below normal again last week, with precipitation being scarce across the state. Yankton had the high for the week at 94 degrees, while Porcupine had the low of 17 degrees. Only 21 of the 43 reporting weather stations received moisture last week, with Spearfish having the most precipitation, at 0.61 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil moisture levels continued to decline through last week's dry, windy weather. Topsoil moisture dropped 8 percentage points in the adequate category and is currently rated 18 percent very short, 36 percent short, and 46 percent adequate. Subsoil moisture level dropped 4 percentage points in the adequate category and is currently rated 39 percent very short, 30 percent short, and 31 percent adequate. Last week's soil temperatures averaged 53.1 degrees, 6.5 degrees above normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    With only traces of rain this past week and ideal working conditions, planting progress has kept ahead of last year as well as the five-year average. Small grain seeding is nearing completion with barley at 87 percent seeded, oats 91 percent, and spring wheat 97 percent. Corn planted, at 33 percent, rose 25 points compared with last week's 8 percent complete. Soybeans planted is at 2 percent, equaling the five-year average. Development of the winter wheat crop is behind both last year and average, with only 2 percent in the boot stage compared to 10 percent last year. Winter wheat condition increased slightly last week, with the crop rated 34 percent good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 29 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Warmer temperatures have greened-up pastures, but lack of significant rainfall has limited growth. Range and pasture condition is currently rated 20 percent good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 21 percent good to excellent. Cattle moved to pasture is reported at 24 percent, compared to 25 percent last year. Cattle and sheep remain in mostly fair to excellent condition. Calving and lambing advanced last week, with calving 85 percent complete and lambing 83 percent complete. Calf and lamb deaths remain mostly below average to average across the state.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF MAY 02, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      9    21     7     32     16    6
Short      23    31    15     27     29   11
Adeq.      65    46    55     41     53   56
Surplus     3     2     4      0      2    8


         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF MAY 02, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     18    14     4     39     36    18
Short      36    32    20     30     29    31
Adeq.      46    54    73     31     35    50
Surplus     0     0     3      0      0     1


             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                   AS OF MAY 02, 2004 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat  15      22     29      30      4
Cattle         0       3     22      60     15
Sheep          0       7     18      60     15
Range &                                        
  Pasture     18      25     37     19      1  


          CROP PROGRESS AS OF MAY 02, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              87     75     71      58
 emerged             37     18     32      24
Spring wheat 
 seeded              97     91     90      73
 emerged             66     44     56      36
Oats        
 seeded              91     84     83      63
 emerged             48     35     47      30
Corn        
 seeded              33      8     22      19
 emerged              1      0      1       1
Soybeans    
 seeded               2      1      1       2
Winter wheat
 boot                 2      0     10      14        

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



      SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING MAY 02, 2004
                     (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
Beresford      53              Gettysburg   53
Brookings      53              Nisland      52
Caputa         49              Pierre       54
Chamberlain    55              Redfield     51
Cottonwood     57              Watertown    50
   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING MAY 02, 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       49  -2  80  26| 0.00   2.85   0.87  -1.57  -1.53|    61    +7
Buffalo     48  -2  82  26| 0.00   0.94   0.53  -1.85  -1.04|    73   +23
Dupree      50  -3  84  24| 0.25   2.66   1.11  -1.18  -0.99|    68    +2
Mc Intosh   48  -3  83  25| 0.00   1.99   0.56  -1.55  -1.46|    45   -11
Newell      48  -3  81  25| 0.32   2.69   1.23  -0.63  -0.55|    58    +5
Timber Lake 48  -4  84  22| 0.00   2.57   0.38  -1.72  -1.90|    61    -2
Aberdeen    48  -4  88  24| 0.01   3.11   0.62  -1.23  -1.48|    69    -2
Eureka      49  -2  85  26| 0.00   1.80   0.41  -1.91  -1.67|    60    +8
Faulkton    50  -2  86  25| 0.21   3.46   0.87  -0.98  -1.41|    68   +12
Mobridge    50  -2  87  25| 0.08   1.28   0.25  -2.95  -2.02|    78   +17
Roscoe      48  -4  88  21| 0.18   3.69   0.59  -0.75  -1.87|    42   -20
Britton     51  -2  88  30| 0.00   2.37   0.83  -1.39  -1.18|    80    +6
Clear Lake  48  -4  87  31| 0.01   3.70   1.73  -1.72  -0.72|    59    -2
Sisseton    50  -3  89  30| 0.05   2.76   1.06  -2.20  -1.41|    76    -1
Webster     47  -5  86  30| 0.00   4.10   1.17  -0.27  -0.86|    65    +0
Watertown   48  -4  87  29| 0.07   3.05   1.68  -1.92  -0.70|    72   +14
Faith       49  -3  83  29| 0.29   1.80   1.08  -2.20  -1.06|    77    +9
Milesville  50  -3  86  25| 0.20   3.19   1.20  -0.85  -0.87|    95   +11
Long Valley 52  -1  85  23| 0.00   2.18   0.20  -2.04  -2.09|   114   +40
Philip      50  -3  88  21| 0.04   1.05   0.24  -2.55  -1.68|   120   +39
Rapid City  49  -2  84  24| 0.23   2.44   0.50  -1.62  -1.57|   106   +56
Spearfish   50  +1  79  28| 0.61   4.03   1.61  -1.80  -1.36|    98   +48
Chamberlain 51  -3  90  27| 0.00   4.01   0.79  -0.05  -1.45|    90    -5
Highmore    49  -4  87  23| 0.00   2.94   0.67  -1.70  -1.83|    96   +24
Huron       50  -3  88  30| 0.00   5.03   1.87  -0.05  -0.40|   105   +29
Onida       48  -6  87  23| 0.11   3.19   0.45  -1.43  -1.78|    80    +4
Pierre      51  -3  87  26| 0.00   2.67   0.31  -1.69  -1.96|   111   +31
Brookings   47  -3  88  26| 0.00   3.38   1.57  -0.91  -0.68|    61   +12
Madison     49  -3  90  27| 0.00   3.23   1.33  -2.50  -1.22|    72   +10
Mitchell    50  -4  90  31| 0.00   4.33   1.37  -1.01  -1.27|    78   -12
Sioux Falls 52  -2  89  31| 0.07   5.01   1.44  -0.57  -1.28|   107   +29
Custer      43  -3  72  23| 0.08   2.19   0.71  -1.82  -1.38|    31   +11
Hot Springs 50  -3  81  23| 0.02   2.51   0.35  -0.85  -1.48|    80    -4
Oelrichs    50  -3  83  19| 0.08   2.99   1.15  -1.14  -1.01|    96   +18
Porcupine   49  -3  84  17| 0.05   3.46   0.84  +0.08  -1.02|    86   +27
Murdo       50  -3  84  27| 0.00   3.36   0.91  -1.32  -1.45|    96   +34
Winner      54  -2  88  28| 0.00   4.62   1.04  -1.25  -1.94|   157   +39
Armour      51  -4  90  30| 0.00   4.68   1.31  -0.81  -1.23|   120   +10
Centerville 51  -4  89  28| 0.02   5.69   1.46  +0.37  -1.02|   105   +18
Marion      50  -3  90  31| 0.00   5.08   1.68  -0.76  -1.09|    80    +9
Pickstown   52  -2  92  32| 0.00   3.72   1.10  -1.36  -1.42|   111   +21
Vermillion  54  -3  92  30| 0.00   6.70   1.89  +1.40  -0.72|   171   +34
Yankton     52  -3  94  33| 0.00   6.94   1.69  +2.06  -0.63|   112   +17


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