Released: May 24, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending May 23, 2004 SD-CW2104 Volume 53 Issue 21

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Moderate to heavy rainfall was welcomed by the east side of the state, while somewhat drier conditions continue to prevail in the southwest, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Although the rainfall slowed progress on both corn and soybean seeding, top soil conditions continue to improve in the areas that received rainfall. In addition to planting, producers continue to calve, move livestock to pasture, and a small number have started cutting hay. Statewide there were 3.6 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 averaged 1.6 degrees below normal for the state last week, with a high of 88 degrees reported in both Oelrichs and Porcupine. The week's, low of 36 degrees was reported in Mc Intosh. Precipitation was recorded at every reporting station. Rainfall amounts ranged from 0.18 inches in Porcupine to 3.41 inches in Brookings.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil moisture levels improved with widespread rains throughout the week. Despite improvements in topsoil ratings, subsoil conditions changed little, gaining three points over last week's rating of 33 percent adequate or surplus. Soil temperatures last week were 0.8 degrees above normal, with an average temperature of 59.5 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Heavier rains in the east provided much needed moisture. Frost damage was a concern for producers across the state. Some soybean replanting due to frost was reported. Fifty percent of the winter wheat is reported in poor to very poor condition. Seventy-one percent of the winter wheat has progressed to the boot stage and 15 percent is headed, both well ahead of last year and the five-year average. Spring wheat, barley, and oats are all reported predominately in fair to good condition. Corn planting is 95 percent complete and 60 percent emerged. Fifty-two percent of corn is reported in good condition. Soybeans are 54 percent planted, ahead of last year's 38 percent and the five-year average of 43 percent. Eleven percent of the soybean acres have emerged.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    While cattle and sheep remain predominately in good to excellent condition, stock water supplies and feed supplies are rated at 63 percent and 43 percent short to very short, respectively. Pasture and range conditions are rated at 23 percent good to excellent, which is a slight improvement over last week's 21 percent, but well below last year's 43 percent. Calving and lambing are nearly complete at 97 percent, and cattle moved to pasture is reported 65 percent complete.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF MAY 23, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     14    11     4     32     11    5
Short      29    31    13     31     26   11
Adeq.      55    56    57     36     61   57
Surplus     2     2     5      1      2    7

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF MAY 23, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      8    14     2     31     34     7
Short      19    27     9     33     33    22
Adeq.      68    55    83     35     32    68
Surplus     5     4     6      1      1     3

             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                   AS OF MAY 23, 2004 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent

Winter Wheat  25      25     28      19      3
Spring Wheat   7       8     34      41     10
Barley         2      19     35      39      5
Oats           2      10     37      44      7
Corn           2       4     31      52     11
Cattle         0       4     24      61     11
Sheep          0      13     18      54     15
Range &                                        
  Pasture     18      25     34     20      3    


          CROP PROGRESS AS OF MAY 23, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 emerged             95     90     85      78
 boot                 1      0      0      NA
Spring wheat 
 emerged             98     96     97      88
 boot                 1      0      1      NA
Oats        
 emerged             95     91     93      83
 boot                 5     NA      2      NA
Corn        
 planted             95     88     83      79
 emerged             60     37     30      36
Sorghum     
 seeded              30     16     25      19
Soybeans    
 planted             54     36     38      43
 emerged             11      4      4      10
Sunflower   
 seeded              12      4      6      11
Winter wheat
 boot                71     41     57      48
 headed              15      3      3       4
Alfalfa     
 1st cutting          1      0     NA      NA
Other hay   
 cut                  1      0     NA      NA




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



      SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING MAY 23, 2004
                     (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP
Beresford      61              Gettysburg   60
Brookings      59              Nisland      59
Caputa         56              Pierre       61
Chamberlain    63              Redfield     59
Cottonwood     60              Watertown    56



   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING MAY 23, 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       57  -1  75  37| 1.70   5.09   3.11  -1.20  -1.16|   208   +30
Buffalo     54  -3  75  38| 1.44   2.45   2.04  -2.04  -1.23|   204   +43
Dupree      57  -2  79  39| 1.16   5.15   3.60  -0.68  -0.49|   248   +33
Mc Intosh   57  -2  79  36| 0.61   3.26   1.83  -2.01  -1.92|   206   +14
Newell      53  -5  77  39| 1.82   4.91   3.45  -0.20  -0.12|   195   +25
Timber Lake 57  -3  78  39| 0.57   4.09   1.90  -2.13  -2.31|   228   +19
Aberdeen    57  -2  77  37| 1.25   5.51   3.02  -0.40  -0.65|   222    -4
Eureka      59  +2  79  39| 0.34   3.47   2.08  -1.79  -1.55|   241   +55
Faulkton    58  -2  80  42| 0.98   6.81   4.22  +0.60  +0.17|   232   +32
Mobridge    58  -2  81  41| 0.77   2.74   1.71  -3.20  -2.27|   260   +47
Roscoe      55  -4  80  41| 1.29   6.30   3.20  +0.14  -0.98|   157   -50
Britton     58  -2  75  40| 0.73   5.01   3.47  -0.50  -0.29|   254   +15
Clear Lake  54  -6  68  39| 1.22   5.37   3.40  -2.02  -1.02|   167   -54
Sisseton    57  -4  72  37| 0.72   4.48   2.78  -2.42  -1.63|   207   -44
Webster     56  -4  71  43| 0.27   5.72   2.79  -0.53  -1.12|   193   -27
Watertown   56  -3  72  39| 0.98   5.71   4.34  -1.26  -0.04|   206    -5
Faith       55  -5  77  38| 1.70   4.62   3.90  -1.39  -0.25|   227   +16
Milesville  58  -2  81  40| 1.83   5.95   3.96  -0.35  -0.37|   300   +55
Long Valley 61  +2  87  41| 1.45   4.26   2.28  -1.81  -1.86|   374  +144
Philip      59  -2  85  43| 1.59   3.20   2.39  -2.26  -1.39|   358  +111
Rapid City  55  -2  77  40| 1.42   4.58   2.64  -1.25  -1.20|   286  +119
Spearfish   57  +1  77  37| 0.66   5.35   2.93  -2.97  -2.53|   263  +109
Chamberlain 61  -1  81  45| 1.71   7.52   4.30  +1.50  +0.10|   309   +21
Highmore    59  -1  80  42| 0.22   6.06   3.79  -0.44  -0.57|   320   +82
Huron       60  +1  77  40| 0.94   8.13   4.97  +1.14  +0.79|   307   +71
Onida       59  -2  81  42| 0.72   5.81   3.07  -0.56  -0.91|   289   +40
Pierre      59  -2  85  43| 0.81   4.60   2.24  -1.65  -1.92|   330   +79
Brookings   56  -2  75  38| 3.41   7.06   5.25  +0.90  +1.13|   199   +18
Madison     58  -1  76  38| 2.58   6.21   4.31  -1.48  -0.20|   246   +28
Mitchell    59  -3  76  42| 2.32   8.03   5.07  +0.62  +0.36|   265   -23
Sioux Falls 61  +1  78  40| 1.54   7.14   3.57  -0.45  -1.16|   320   +70
Custer      50  -2  73  37| 1.01   3.86   2.38  -2.20  -1.76|   115   +47
Hot Springs 59  +2  83  41| 0.36   3.70   1.54  -1.55  -2.18|   306   +80
Oelrichs    57  -2  88  41| 0.39   3.95   2.11  -2.20  -2.07|   299   +72
Porcupine   57  -2  88  42| 0.18   4.00   1.38  -1.27  -2.37|   283   +83
Murdo       57  -3  84  41| 1.18   5.17   2.72  -1.36  -1.49|   294   +75
Winner      62  -1  83  44| 0.94   8.51   4.93  +0.14  -0.55|   446  +115
Armour      61  -2  78  43| 1.68   8.36   4.99  +0.78  +0.36|   379   +59
Centerville 62  +2  81  42| 2.34   8.83   4.60  +1.24  -0.15|   321   +43
Marion      60  -1  77  42| 2.74   9.08   5.68  +1.20  +0.87|   267   +15
Pickstown   61  -1  78  44| 2.86   7.26   4.64  +0.25  +0.19|   340   +59
Vermillion  64  +2  81  44| 2.54  11.95   7.14  +4.24  +2.12|   448   +75
Yankton     62  +1  81  44| 3.15  11.78   6.53  +4.51  +1.82|   326   +33
 




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