Released: August 23, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending August 22, 2004 SD-CW3404 Volume 53 Issue 34

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Field crop and soil moisture conditions declined following another cool, dry week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers continue to be concerned over slow maturing crops as many northeastern counties reported areas of frost last week. Decent progress was made on the small-grain harvest, which is nearing completion. Some corn and sorghum silage harvest is underway in drier parts of the state. Third cuttings of alfalfa are being harvested where available, while the harvest of other hay and native grasses is nearing completion. Statewide, 6.3 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:   Average temperatures were below normal for the state last week. Temperatures dipped into the mid to upper 30's for many locations across the northeast. Thirty-three degrees, the low for the week, occurred in Brookings, while Pierre notched the week's high temperature of 96 degrees. Rain fell across the central and southeast with accumulations generally ranging from one to three-quarters of an inch; however, Huron recorded 1.27 inches for last week's high.

SOIL CONDITION:    Top and subsoil moisture conditions declined after a relatively dry week. Topsoil moisture ratings fell 9 points to 46 percent now rated adequate or surplus, while subsoil rated adequate or surplus fell 10 points to 42 percent.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Producers are nearing completion of the small-grain harvest, but row crop maturity continues to lag after another cool week. The oats and spring wheat harvests are nearly complete at 95 and 91 percent harvested, respectively. Barley is estimated at 82 percent harvested. Harvest progress is behind last year and the five-year average. High grain moisture levels combined with high humidity and cool temperatures led to harvest delays. Row-crop conditions declined last week. Sixty-five percent of corn and 72 percent of soybeans are rated in good to excellent condition. Slow, maturing crops remain a major concern for producers as many northeastern counties reported areas of frost last week. The harvest of corn and sorghum for silage continued in more moisture stressed areas of the state last week.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Range and pastureland conditions declined after a relatively dry week, but livestock continue to be rated in predominately good to excellent condition. Forty-percent of range and pastureland is rated in poor to very poor condition. Alfalfa hay condition declined last week to 44 percent good to excellent. Sixty-two percent of the state is estimated to have adequate to surplus feed supplies.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF August 22, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very
 Short     14     5     8     27     28   16
Short      24    27    19     27     28   20
Adeq.      58    65    49     46     43   42
Surplus     4     3     4      0      1    2
 

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 22, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     22    15    35     26     20    33
Short      32    30    41     32     28    39
Adeq.      45    54    24     41     51    28
Surplus     1     1     0      1      1     0


             

           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
               AS OF August 22, 2004 
                    
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                         Percent    
Corn           3       9     23      47     18
Soybeans       1       6     21      56     16
Sorghum        9      16     39      33      3
Sunflower      9      10     32      42      7
Alfalfa       14      17     25      38      6
Cattle         0       4     16      65     15
Sheep          0      14     10      62     14
Range &                                        
  Pasture     16      24     30     26       4                          
                     



          CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 22, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley     
 harvested           82     59     97      96
Spring wheat 
 harvested           91     66     98      97
Oats        
 harvested           95     82    100      98
Corn        
 dough               60     30     62      72
 dented              11      2     15      26
 mature               0      0      3       4
 silage harvested     5      3     10       8
Sorghum     
 headed              88     80     97      89
 coloring            28     14     35      35
 silage harvested    11      4      9      10
Soybeans    
 setting pods        93     74     96      93
 dropping leaves      4      1     13      10
Sunflower   
 blooming            88     73     90      92
 ray flowers dry     14      8     30      35
 bracts yellow        5      2     13      18
 mature               0      0      1       0
Winter wheat
 seeded               0      0      0       1
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting         95     90     99      92
 3rd cutting         33     21     32      40
Other hay   
 cut                 94     91     97      94
 

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

  
   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING August 22, 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       66  -4  89  41| 0.00  10.49   8.51  -2.75  -2.71|  1684  -208
Buffalo     66  -4  92  41| 0.00   7.49   7.08  -3.17  -2.36|  1667  -130
Dupree      67  -5  93  40| 0.00  12.19  10.64  -0.88  -0.69|  1772  -304
Mc Intosh   65  -6  92  38| 0.00   9.38   7.95  -3.30  -3.21|  1642  -306
Newell      65  -5  91  39| 0.00   9.95   8.49  -1.66  -1.58|  1636  -248
Timber Lake 67  -4  90  40| 0.00  10.10   7.91  -3.62  -3.80|  1671  -316
Aberdeen    61  -9  82  34| 0.03  15.51  13.02  +1.46  +1.21|  1563  -444
Eureka      66  -4  87  37| 0.00  10.94   9.55  -2.03  -1.79|  1708  -164
Faulkton    64  -6  90  39| 0.29  19.06  16.47  +4.85  +4.42|  1622  -342
Mobridge    66  -6  93  35| 0.05   9.21   8.18  -3.83  -2.90|  1741  -298
Roscoe      62  -9  88  41| 0.00  16.19  13.09  +1.63  +0.51|  1391  -574
Britton     63  -8  80  38| 0.05  14.69  13.15  +0.67  +0.88|  1757  -287
Clear Lake  60 -10  76  39| 0.38  15.97  14.00  -1.70  -0.70|  1425  -549
Sisseton    62  -9  80  35| 0.09  13.68  11.98  -1.85  -1.06|  1577  -511
Webster     61  -9  78  43| 0.25  14.96  12.03  -0.77  -1.36|  1507  -461
Watertown   62  -9  79  38| 0.08  14.06  12.69  -2.33  -1.11|  1531  -450
Faith       66  -7  91  40| 0.00  12.54  11.82  -0.59  +0.55|  1670  -393
Milesville  67  -7  95  41| 0.02  14.38  12.39  +0.47  +0.45|  1897  -301
Long Valley 67  -6  93  39| 0.02  10.71   8.73  -3.59  -3.64|  2052  -112
Philip      68  -7  95  36| 0.03   8.42   7.61  -4.26  -3.39|  2020  -240
Rapid City  70  -1  93  44| 0.00   9.50   7.56  -3.38  -3.33|  1832   -28
Spearfish   67  -3  89  47| 0.01  11.75   9.33  -4.94  -4.50|  1758   -19
Chamberlain 67  -8  91  41| 0.56  16.28  13.06  +2.57  +1.17|  1980  -403
Highmore    67  -6  93  37| 0.05  16.28  14.01  +1.13  +1.00|  1899  -256
Huron       65  -7  88  42| 1.27  19.36  16.20  +4.14  +3.79|  1867  -275
Onida       66  -7  95  39| 0.04  12.52   9.78  -1.73  -2.08|  1882  -338
Pierre      68  -6  96  43| 0.09  11.25   8.89  -3.17  -3.44|  2025  -254
Brookings   59  -9  79  33| 0.26  17.69  15.88  +0.98  +1.21|  1492  -307
Madison     61  -9  81  35| 0.01  18.96  17.06  +1.61  +2.89|  1592  -367
Mitchell    63  -9  86  41| 0.54  20.67  17.71  +4.64  +4.38|  1749  -552
Sioux Falls 65  -7  84  39| 0.00  22.35  18.78  +5.88  +5.17|  1861  -297
Custer      62  -2  81  40| 0.08   8.07   6.59  -6.84  -6.40|  1055  -175
Hot Springs 66  -5  89  42| 0.00   6.91   4.75  -5.47  -6.10|  1863  -186
Oelrichs    68  -5  94  40| 0.00   7.13   5.29  -6.04  -5.91|  1955  -185
Porcupine   66  -7  91  34| 0.00   9.39   6.77  -3.23  -4.33|  1841  -239
Murdo       67  -5  92  45| 0.01  10.35   7.90  -3.83  -3.96|  1918  -225
Winner      68  -7  90  40| 0.05  16.13  12.55  -2.01  -2.70|  2277  -211
Armour      67  -6  90  39| 0.53  16.25  12.88  -0.75  -1.17|  2086  -297
Centerville 64  -6  87  43| 0.29  17.49  13.26  -0.80  -2.19|  1883  -296
Marion      63  -8  83  42| 0.43  22.58  19.18  +5.33  +5.00|  1723  -415
Pickstown   67  -6  90  41| 0.53  14.20  11.61  -1.96  -1.99|  2010  -319
Vermillion  66  -8  87  42| 0.75  21.68  16.87  +3.64  +1.52|  2169  -311
Yankton     65  -7  88  42| 0.60  21.33  16.08  +3.92  +1.23|  1967  -319
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.