Released: May 10, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending May 9, 2004 SD-CW1904 Volume 53 Issue 19

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    As spring planting progresses, the continued lack of moisture has caused many producers to worry about crop development, 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 6.5 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 7.3 degrees above normal for the state last week, with the high of 100 degrees found in Chamberlain, Winner, and Pickstown. Roscoe had the low for the week, at 23 degrees. Several reporting stations received no moisture, with Dupree having the most precipitation, at 0.77 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil moisture levels fell significantly during last week's hot, dry weather. Topsoil moisture fell 18 percentage points last week, bringing the rating down to only 28 percent adequate and none rated surplus, compared to last year's 89 percent adequate to surplus. Subsoil fell 6 percentage points, bringing the rating to 25 percent adequate to surplus, compared to last year's 63 percent adequate to surplus. Soil temperatures last week were 9.5 degrees above normal with an average temperature of 60 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    While warm, dry weather allowed significant planting progress, many producers are worried that the lack of moisture is beginning to hinder crop development. Small grain seeding nears completion, with barley and oats both 97 percent seeded and spring wheat 100 percent seeded. Corn planting advanced significantly last week, with 71 percent of the acreage planted and 8 percent emerged, both well ahead of last year's progress. Soybeans are 15 percent planted, ahead of last year's 6 percent and the five-year average of 8 percent. Winter wheat condition deteriorated slightly last week, with 17 percent of the crop in the boot stage, slightly behind last year's 22 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    With much of the state experiencing another warm, dry week, stock water supplies continue to deteriorate, as well as range and pasture conditions. Stock water supplies are currently rated at only 34 percent adequate, compared to the previous week's 41 percent. Condition of cattle and sheep remain in the mostly fair to excellent categories, with calving 91 percent complete and lambing 89 percent complete. Cattle moved to pasture is at 40 percent, ahead of last year's 37 percent.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF MAY 9, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     11    19     5     34     12    5
Short      26    31    14     32     27   11
Adeq.      61    49    56     34     59   55
Surplus     2     1     5      0      2    9


         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF MAY 9, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     29    18     2     44     39     9
Short      43    36    10     31     30    27
Adeq.      28    46    83     25     31    62
Surplus     0     0     5      0      0     2


             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                   AS OF MAY 9, 2004 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Winter Wheat  19      23     34      21      3
Spring Wheat   7      11     34      41      7
Barley         3       9     39      45      4
Oats           2       7     45      41      5
Cattle         0       3     23      61     13
Sheep          0       7     16      62     15
Range &                                        
  Pasture     21      26     36     16      1    


          CROP PROGRESS AS OF MAY 9, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 seeded              97     87     84      75
 emerged             60     37     55      46
Spring wheat 
 seeded             100     97     96      85
 emerged             84     66     78      59
Oats        
 seeded              97     91     90      78
 emerged             71     48     68      50
Corn        
 planted             71     33     41      39
 emerged              8      1      2       5
Sorghum     
 seeded               7      0      5       3
Soybeans    
 planted             15      2      6       8
 emerged              0      0      0       1
Sunflower   
 seeded               2      0      1       1
Winter wheat
 boot                17      2     22      20       

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



      SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING MAY 9, 2004
                     (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      64              Gettysburg   60
Brookings      59              Nisland      59
Caputa         56              Pierre       62
Chamberlain    63              Redfield     57
Cottonwood     65              Watertown    54
   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING MAY 9, 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       60  +8  80  27| 0.14   2.99   1.01  -2.04  -2.00|   133   +49
Buffalo     61 +10  83  39| 0.07   1.01   0.60  -2.29  -1.48|   149   +73
Dupree      64 +10  87  39| 0.77   3.43   1.88  -1.03  -0.84|   165   +61
Mc Intosh   62 +10  85  38| 0.04   2.03   0.60  -2.06  -1.97|   132   +43
Newell      60  +9  83  37| 0.04   2.73   1.27  -1.14  -1.06|   130   +48
Timber Lake 63 +10  85  40| 0.23   2.80   0.61  -2.10  -2.28|   150   +50
Aberdeen    57  +4  88  29| 0.14   3.25   0.76  -1.58  -1.83|   129   +19
Eureka      62 +10  85  37| 0.27   2.07   0.68  -2.13  -1.89|   147   +63
Faulkton    59  +6  88  35| 0.28   3.74   1.15  -1.26  -1.69|   134   +43
Mobridge    61  +8  86  38| 0.38   1.66   0.63  -3.13  -2.20|   155   +56
Roscoe      55  +2  85  23| 0.24   3.93   0.83  -1.07  -2.19|    88   -10
Britton     61  +7  85  30| 0.29   2.70   1.16  -1.60  -1.39|   163   +47
Clear Lake  54  -1  89  30| 0.12   3.82   1.85  -2.23  -1.23|    98    -3
Sisseton    54  -1  88  28| 0.10   2.86   1.16  -2.73  -1.94|   120    -2
Webster     59  +5  87  32| 0.17   4.27   1.34  -0.67  -1.26|   127   +23
Watertown   55  +2  89  29| 0.06   3.11   1.74  -2.49  -1.27|   120   +24
Faith       61  +8  85  38| 0.19   1.99   1.27  -2.64  -1.50|   153   +49
Milesville  65 +11  92  42| 0.15   3.34   1.35  -1.39  -1.41|   202   +77
Long Valley 67 +13  97  41| 0.00   2.18   0.20  -2.60  -2.65|   236  +123
Philip      65 +10  99  41| 0.28   1.33   0.52  -2.84  -1.97|   225  +102
Rapid City  63 +11  93  41| 0.00   2.44   0.50  -2.18  -2.13|   196  +117
Spearfish   62 +11  82  29| 0.05   4.08   1.66  -2.52  -2.08|   183  +108
Chamberlain 61  +5 100  32| 0.00   4.01   0.79  -0.68  -2.08|   176   +31
Highmore    64 +10  95  36| 0.00   2.94   0.67  -2.30  -2.43|   198   +84
Huron       60  +6  94  32| 0.00   5.03   1.87  -0.64  -0.99|   183   +68
Onida       64 +10  91  40| 0.20   3.39   0.65  -1.79  -2.14|   182   +62
Pierre      63  +9  95  41| 0.10   2.77   0.41  -2.17  -2.44|   206   +83
Brookings   55  +3  91  24| 0.00   3.38   1.57  -1.47  -1.24|   107   +26
Madison     57  +4  92  24| 0.00   3.23   1.33  -3.13  -1.85|   138   +37
Mitchell    59  +3  94  29| 0.05   4.38   1.42  -1.59  -1.85|   148    +7
Sioux Falls 59  +5  90  28| 0.02   5.03   1.46  -1.18  -1.89|   184   +63
Custer      57 +11  84  35| 0.16   2.35   0.87  -2.30  -1.86|    84   +54
Hot Springs 66 +13  93  39| 0.19   2.70   0.54  -1.25  -1.88|   191   +70
Oelrichs    65 +11  96  40| 0.03   3.02   1.18  -1.74  -1.61|   201   +85
Porcupine   63 +10  98  32| 0.20   3.66   1.04  -0.30  -1.40|   178   +85
Murdo       62  +9  96  36| 0.01   3.37   0.92  -1.89  -2.02|   186   +85
Winner      68 +11 100  38| 0.00   4.62   1.04  -2.07  -2.76|   286  +112
Armour      66  +9  98  25| 0.00   4.68   1.31  -1.45  -1.87|   233   +68
Centerville 59  +4  93  26| 0.22   5.91   1.68  -0.11  -1.50|   181   +45
Marion      58  +3  93  29| 0.13   5.21   1.81  -1.26  -1.59|   146   +29
Pickstown   62  +7 100  32| 0.00   3.72   1.10  -1.95  -2.01|   203   +64
Vermillion  65  +7  94  30| 0.20   6.90   2.09  +0.86  -1.26|   278   +78
Yankton     59  +3  97  25| 0.20   7.14   1.89  +1.54  -1.15|   186   +40

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