Released: August 16, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending August 15, 2004 SD-CW3304 Volume 53 Issue 33

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Producer concern over the slow pace of field crop maturation is increasing, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Last week's cool, damp conditions did little to advance field crops, which have been lagging behind normal maturity all summer. Winter wheat harvest is nearly complete, while spring-seeded small grain harvest continues slowly. Producers are controlling weeds on small grain stubble, putting up hay, and scouting for insects, in addition to the small grain harvest. Statewide, 5.8 days were 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:   Cool, damp conditions prevailed over most of the state last week. Average temperatures for the state were over 12 degrees below normal, as many locations across the north and east only managed highs in the upper 70's to low 80's, and nighttime lows fell into the lower 40's. The week was damp, but precipitation totals were light. Highmore had the high for the week with 0.57 inch of rain.

SOIL CONDITION:    Top and subsoil moisture conditions declined last week. Topsoil moisture ratings fell 10 points to 55 percent adequate or surplus, while subsoil rated adequate or surplus fell 5 points to 52 percent. Despite minimal precipitation, last week's cool temperatures mitigated major moisture loss.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    The major field crops of corn and soybeans remain in predominantly good to excellent condition, but producers are becoming increasingly concerned about the pace of field crop maturation after another cool week. Thirty percent of corn is in the dough stage, which is behind last year's 35 percent rating and the five-year average of 52 percent. Seventy-four percent of soybeans are setting pods, which is also behind last year and the five-year average. The winter wheat harvest is nearly complete at 96 percent harvested. Ninety-seven percent of the spring-seeded small grain is ripe, but harvest is progressing well behind last year's pace due to cool, damp conditions.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Sixty-eight percent of the state is rated adequate to surplus for feed supplies. Conversely, only 39 percent of range and pasture lands are rated good to excellent. The lack of pasture in drier parts of the state will stress feed supplies if producers must begin to feed cattle earlier than normal. Alfalfa and other hay harvest made very little progress under last week's cool, damp conditions.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF August 15, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very
 Short     11     5     8     24     26   15
Short      21    23    18     22     27   19
Adeq.      61    69    50     52     45   43
Surplus     7     3     4      2      2    3
 

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 15, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     15    12    27     20     20    26
Short      30    23    40     28     23    36
Adeq.      54    64    33     51     56    37
Surplus     1     1     0      1      1     1


             

           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
               AS OF August 15, 2004 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                         Percent
                     
Barley        16       5     12      52     15
Corn           2       4     18      53     23
Soybeans       1       3     15      59     22
Sorghum        9      10     37      40      4
Sunflower      7       6     29      49      9
Alfalfa       16      12     24      36     12
Cattle         0       4     18      61     17
Sheep          0      14      8      59     19
Range &                                        
  Pasture     16      17     28     31      8 


          CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 15, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley     
 ripe                97     79     99      98
 harvested           59     29     87      86
Spring wheat 
 ripe                97     87     99      99
 harvested           66     49     92      89
Oats        
 ripe                97     90    100      98
 harvested           82     65     96      93
Corn        
 silked              96     81     95      95
 dough               30     12     35      52
 dented               2      0      4      13
 silage harvested     3      0      5       3
Sorghum     
 headed              80     65     92      78
 coloring            14      3     22      25
 silage harvested     4      0      4       4
Soybeans    
 blooming            96     91     99      97
 setting pods        74     55     84      82
 dropping leaves      1      0*     4       4
Sunflower   
 blooming            73     43     76      80
 ray flowers dry      8      3     12      21
 bracts yellow        2      1      5      11
Winter wheat
 harvested           96     92    100     100
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         90     85     94      88
 3rd cutting         21     19     22      31
Other hay   
 cut                 91     88     95      91
 

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

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING August 15, 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 -12  84  42| 0.00  10.49   8.51  -2.40  -2.36|  1567  -183
Buffalo     60 -11  77  42| 0.00   7.49   7.08  -2.91  -2.10|  1554  -108
Dupree      61 -14  86  41| 0.06  12.19  10.64  -0.53  -0.34|  1649  -275
Mc Intosh   60 -13  86  42| 0.17   9.38   7.95  -2.88  -2.79|  1534  -273
Newell      61 -11  80  40| 0.00   9.95   8.49  -1.38  -1.30|  1527  -217
Timber Lake 60 -13  85  42| 0.00  10.10   7.91  -3.15  -3.33|  1553  -293
Aberdeen    59 -13  79  42| 0.14  15.48  12.99  +1.92  +1.67|  1482  -385
Eureka      61 -11  83  43| 0.19  10.94   9.55  -1.58  -1.34|  1596  -142
Faulkton    59 -13  79  43| 0.05  18.77  16.18  +5.12  +4.69|  1522  -306
Mobridge    61 -13  80  42| 0.30   9.16   8.13  -3.48  -2.55|  1629  -265
Roscoe      57 -15  78  41| 0.26  16.19  13.09  +2.08  +0.96|  1303  -522
Britton     61 -13  78  43| 0.05  14.69  13.15  +1.16  +1.37|  1657  -244
Clear Lake  58 -14  81  44| 0.09  15.59  13.62  -1.41  -0.41|  1353  -487
Sisseton    60 -13  81  43| 0.10  13.59  11.89  -1.31  -0.52|  1489  -457
Webster     59 -13  77  47| 0.00  14.71  11.78  -0.39  -0.98|  1431  -402
Watertown   59 -13  81  43| 0.12  13.98  12.61  -1.78  -0.56|  1450  -394
Faith       60 -14  76  42| 0.02  12.54  11.82  -0.31  +0.83|  1560  -352
Milesville  63 -12  88  44| 0.05  14.36  12.37  +0.87  +0.85|  1776  -263
Long Valley 63 -12  91  41| 0.00  10.69   8.71  -3.21  -3.26|  1930   -78
Philip      63 -13  83  41| 0.00   8.39   7.58  -3.94  -3.07|  1895  -202
Rapid City  63 -10  81  40| 0.04   9.50   7.56  -3.03  -2.98|  1693   -27
Spearfish   62 -10  85  41| 0.00  11.74   9.32  -4.53  -4.09|  1635    -9
Chamberlain 63 -14  84  47| 0.32  15.72  12.50  +2.44  +1.04|  1861  -355
Highmore    62 -12  85  45| 0.57  16.23  13.96  +1.57  +1.44|  1778  -223
Huron       61 -12  81  45| 0.03  18.09  14.93  +3.29  +2.94|  1761  -233
Onida       62 -13  85  44| 0.19  12.48   9.74  -1.31  -1.66|  1766  -297
Pierre      63 -13  82  44| 0.22  11.16   8.80  -2.91  -3.18|  1895  -221
Brookings   58 -11  82  40| 0.12  17.43  15.62  +1.35  +1.58|  1423  -255
Madison     59 -13  79  41| 0.00  18.95  17.05  +2.24  +3.52|  1514  -313
Mitchell    61 -14  83  45| 0.16  20.13  17.17  +4.59  +4.33|  1653  -494
Sioux Falls 60 -13  83  43| 0.00  22.35  18.78  +6.54  +5.83|  1755  -258
Custer      55 -11  74  36| 0.12   7.99   6.51  -6.50  -6.06|   969  -166
Hot Springs 62 -11  92  38| 0.10   6.91   4.75  -5.20  -5.83|  1746  -155
Oelrichs    63 -12  86  39| 0.25   7.13   5.29  -5.69  -5.56|  1829  -154
Porcupine   61 -13  85  35| 0.12   9.39   6.77  -2.95  -4.05|  1731  -201
Murdo       63 -11  79  44| 0.07  10.34   7.89  -3.49  -3.62|  1796  -196
Winner      64 -13  87  42| 0.05  16.08  12.50  -1.57  -2.26|  2152  -167
Armour      63 -12  88  47| 0.32  15.72  12.35  -0.81  -1.23|  1965  -258
Centerville 61 -12  83  44| 0.07  17.20  12.97  -0.46  -1.85|  1782  -256
Marion      60 -12  83  44| 0.14  22.15  18.75  +5.53  +5.20|  1634  -365
Pickstown   64 -12  87  47| 0.14  13.67  11.08  -1.97  -2.00|  1886  -282
Vermillion  61 -13  84  42| 0.16  20.93  16.12  +3.52  +1.40|  2059  -263
Yankton     62 -12  84  45| 0.20  20.73  15.48  +3.95  +1.26|  1859  -277
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.