Released: May 17, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending May 16, 2004 SD-CW2004 Volume 53 Issue 20

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Despite recent rains, producers remained concerned about the progress of small grain crops, as well as water and feed for livestock, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybean planting took precedence this week, as small grain seeding was completed. Other major farm activities included calving, lambing, and moving livestock to pasture. Statewide there were 4.4 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 4.7 degrees below normal for the state last week, with the high of 93 degrees found in Pierre. Bison had the low for the week, at 21 degrees. Precipitation was recorded at nearly every reporting station. The Winner reporting station, at 2.95 inches, recorded the most precipitation for the week.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil moisture levels improved with widespread rains throughout the week. Statewide, 59 percent is now rated with adequate or surplus topsoil moisture, compared to 28 percent a week earlier. Despite improvements in topsoil ratings, the persistent, dry conditions remain evident in the subsoil ratings, which improved only slightly to 32 percent adequate, up from 25 percent a week ago. Soil temperatures last week were 2.1 degrees above normal, with an average temperature of 56.8 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    While the state did receive widespread rains last week, producers are concerned that the initial lack of moisture has negatively impacted small grain development. Corn planting is nearing completion, with 88 percent of the acreage planted and 37 percent emerged, both well ahead of last year's progress. Soybeans are 36 percent planted, ahead of last year's 13 percent and the five-year average of 19 percent. Four percent of the soybean acres have emerged, which is in line with the five-year average of 3 percent. Winter wheat condition remained nearly the same as last week, with 41 percent of the crop in the boot stage and 3 percent now headed.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Varying rainfall received over much of the state did little to improve water supplies, as well as range and pasture conditions. Stock water supplies are currently rated at 36 percent adequate, compared to the previous week's 34 percent; while range and pasture conditions have not changed since last week, with 52 percent reported fair to good. Condition of cattle and sheep remain in the mostly fair to excellent categories, with calving and lambing both 94 percent complete. Cattle moved to pasture is at 51 percent, compared to 52 percent year ago.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF MAY 16, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     10    12     4     33     10    5
Short      23    32    14     30     25   11
Adeq.      65    54    57     36     63   56
Surplus     2     2     5      1      2    8

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF MAY 16, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     14    29     1     34     44     5
Short      27    43     5     33     31    22
Adeq.      55    28    85     32     25    68
Surplus     4     0     9      1      0     5


             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                   AS OF MAY 16, 2004 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent

Winter Wheat  21      25     33      19      2
Spring Wheat   5       9     33      44      9
Barley         2      15     33      43      7
Oats           3      10     39      41      7
Cattle         0       4     20      63     13
Sheep          0      12     15      61     12
Range &                                        
  Pasture     17      29     33     19      2  


          CROP PROGRESS AS OF MAY 16, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 emerged             90     60     76      66
Spring wheat 
 emerged             96     84     90      77
Oats        
 emerged             91     71     84      69
Corn        
 planted             88     71     63      58
 emerged             37      8      8      16
Sorghum     
 seeded              16      7     13       8
Soybeans    
 planted             36     15     13      19
 emerged              4      0      1       3
Sunflower   
 seeded               4      2      3       4
Winter wheat
 boot                41     17     36      30
 headed               3      0      1       0




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



      SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING MAY 16, 2004
                     (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
Beresford      58              Gettysburg   56
Brookings      56              Nisland      58
Caputa         53              Pierre       59
Chamberlain    61              Redfield     55
Cottonwood     62              Watertown    52


   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING MAY 16, 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  -7  88  21| 0.40   3.39   1.41  -2.27  -2.23|   157   +32
Buffalo     48  -7  74  22| 0.00   1.01   0.60  -2.85  -2.04|   167   +54
Dupree      50  -7  87  27| 0.56   3.99   2.44  -1.14  -0.95|   196   +43
Mc Intosh   49  -8  76  23| 0.62   2.65   1.22  -2.00  -1.91|   157   +23
Newell      50  -5  80  26| 0.00   3.09   1.63  -1.38  -1.30|   162   +42
Timber Lake 49  -8  84  26| 0.72   3.52   1.33  -2.01  -2.19|   180   +32
Aberdeen    51  -6  88  24| 1.01   4.26   1.77  -1.09  -1.34|   166    +4
Eureka      51  -5  82  26| 1.06   3.13   1.74  -1.57  -1.33|   178   +49
Faulkton    51  -6  89  24| 2.09   5.83   3.24  +0.25  -0.18|   171   +32
Mobridge    52  -5  89  26| 0.31   1.97   0.94  -3.38  -2.45|   200   +51
Roscoe      48  -9  89  24| 1.08   5.01   1.91  -0.55  -1.67|   115   -31
Britton     52  -6  87  30| 1.87   4.50   2.96  -0.37  -0.16|   195   +24
Clear Lake  51  -7  88  31| 0.33   4.15   2.18  -2.54  -1.54|   137   -17
Sisseton    51  -7  89  31| 0.90   3.76   2.06  -2.46  -1.67|   158   -22
Webster     48  -9  85  30| 1.18   5.45   2.52  -0.12  -0.71|   151    -5
Watertown   52  -6  86  33| 1.62   4.73   3.36  -1.54  -0.32|   160   +14
Faith       50  -6  83  27| 0.93   2.92   2.20  -2.39  -1.25|   184   +34
Milesville  53  -5  91  28| 0.78   4.12   2.13  -1.38  -1.40|   243   +65
Long Valley 56  -1  89  28| 0.63   2.81   0.83  -2.60  -2.65|   296  +131
Philip      57  -1  92  29| 0.28   1.61   0.80  -3.19  -2.32|   291  +113
Rapid City  52  -3  84  29| 0.72   3.16   1.22  -2.04  -1.99|   239  +122
Spearfish   48  -6  77  28| 0.61   4.69   2.27  -2.74  -2.30|   211  +102
Chamberlain 55  -4  89  31| 1.80   5.81   2.59  +0.49  -0.91|   234   +25
Highmore    57  -1  89  26| 2.90   5.84   3.57  -0.03  -0.16|   266   +97
Huron       54  -3  88  25| 2.16   7.19   4.03  +0.89  +0.54|   236   +68
Onida       53  -5  90  26| 1.70   5.09   2.35  -0.65  -1.00|   225   +48
Pierre      55  -3  93  28| 1.02   3.79   1.43  -1.78  -2.05|   263   +83
Brookings   53  -3  90  31| 0.27   3.65   1.84  -1.81  -1.58|   152   +28
Madison     53  -4  87  27| 0.40   3.63   1.73  -3.36  -2.08|   185   +32
Mitchell    54  -6  89  29| 1.33   5.71   2.75  -0.96  -1.22|   199    -7
Sioux Falls 56  -3  89  30| 0.57   5.60   2.03  -1.29  -2.00|   243   +65
Custer      46  -4  73  25| 0.50   2.85   1.37  -2.50  -2.06|   100   +55
Hot Springs 54  -3  79  26| 0.64   3.34   1.18  -1.24  -1.87|   240   +73
Oelrichs    52  -5  83  27| 0.34   3.36   1.52  -2.09  -1.96|   243   +78
Porcupine   54  -3  88  27| 0.16   3.82   1.20  -0.77  -1.87|   225   +86
Murdo       54  -3  89  31| 0.62   3.99   1.54  -1.90  -2.03|   238   +85
Winner      59  -2  89  29| 2.95   7.57   3.99  +0.04  -0.65|   361  +116
Armour      58  -2  89  26| 1.00   5.68   2.31  -1.15  -1.57|   300   +65
Centerville 56  -4  91  31| 0.73   6.49   2.26  -0.28  -1.67|   235   +36
Marion      55  -4  90  30| 1.13   6.34   2.94  -0.82  -1.15|   199   +22
Pickstown   56  -3  89  28| 0.68   4.40   1.78  -1.90  -1.96|   263   +61
Vermillion  58  -4  91  30| 2.51   9.41   4.60  +2.56  +0.44|   346   +67
Yankton     55  -4  92  30| 1.49   8.63   3.38  +2.23  -0.46|   241   +30








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