Released: August 30, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending August 29, 2004 SD-CW3504 Volume 53 Issue 35

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Another cool week has caused crop maturity to remain behind normal in several areas. Some producers received beneficial precipitation, while reports of frost damage have been received from scattered areas of the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Progress continues on the small-grain harvest, which is nearing completion. Corn and sorghum silage harvest continues in drier parts of the state. Statewide, 6.0 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:   Temperatures remained below normal for the state again last week. Average temperatures were in the upper 60's and lower 70's across the state. Pierre had the high for the week, at 97 degrees, while the low of 36 degrees was found in Custer and Porcupine. Precipitation was received at nearly all the forty-three reporting stations across the state. Clear Lake received the most precipitation last week, with 4.25 inches reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    While topsoil moisture levels decreased slightly, an improvement was seen in subsoil moisture levels last week. Topsoil moisture is rated 44 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 46 percent. Subsoil moisture levels improved 6 percentage points last week to 48 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 42 percent.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    While row crops continue to mature at a slower pace than last year, harvest of small grains nears completion at a steady pace. The barley crop advanced to 97 percent harvested last week, with spring wheat harvest rated 98 percent complete. Row crop conditions deteriorated through last week's cool weather. Corn progress is behind both last year and the five-year average with 74 percent in the dough stage, 17 percent in the dent stage, and 1 percent rated mature. Corn silage harvest advanced slightly last week, to 6 percent complete. Soybeans setting pods is in line with the five-year average, at 98 percent. Sorghum headed is in line with the five-year average, at 95 percent, with 40 percent coloring, behind the 50 percent last year. Sorghum silage advanced to 14 percent complete, behind last year's 28 percent. Sunflowers with ray flowers dry are rated at 19 percent and bracts yellow are at 6 percent, well behind the five-year averages of 54 percent and 31 percent respectively. Winter wheat seeding is in line with last year, at 3 percent seeded.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Range and pastureland conditions declined again this week, with cool, dry weather the likely cause. Range and pastureland are currently rated at 63 percent fair to excellent. Livestock remain in mostly good to excellent condition. Alfalfa hay harvest continued last week, with condition remaining similar to the previous week. Fifty percent of the alfalfa third cutting harvest is complete, with other hay harvest 96 percent complete.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF August 29, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very
 Short     11     9     9     25     31   17
Short      22    26    19     26     29   21
Adeq.      62    62    48     49     38   40
Surplus     5     4     4      0      1    3 
 

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF August 29, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     22    22    43     27     26    40
Short      34    32    41     25     32    39
Adeq.      43    45    16     47     41    21
Surplus     1     1     0      1      1     0

             

           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
               AS OF August 29, 2004 
                    
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                         Percent    
Corn           3      10     27      44     16
Soybeans       2       9     27      47     15
Sorghum        8      19     38      31      4
Sunflower      8      11     36      38      7
Alfalfa       14      14     30      34      8
Cattle         0       3     19      60     18
Sheep          0       1     12      63     24
Range &                                        
  Pasture     14      23     36     22      5                            
                     



          CROP PROGRESS AS OF August 29, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Barley        
 harvested           97     82     99      98
Spring wheat 
 harvested           98     91    100      99
Corn        
 dough               74     60     84      87
 dented              17     11     37      46
 mature               1      0      5       7
 silage harvested     6      5     18      14
Sorghum     
 headed              95     88     99      95
 coloring            40     28     50      49
 mature               0      0      4       3
 silage harvested    14     11     28      18
Soybeans    
 setting pods        98     93     99      98
 dropping leaves     16      4     25      20
 mature               0      0      2       1
Sunflower   
 blooming            95     88     95      96
 ray flowers dry     19     14     51      54
 bracts yellow        6      5     29      31
 mature               0      0      2       2
Winter wheat
 seeded               3      0      3       2
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         50     33     55      49
Other hay   
 cut                 96     94     99      96 

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

  
   

                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING August 29, 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  -2  89  45| 0.00  10.49   8.51  -3.06  -3.02|  1798  -219
Buffalo     65  -2  89  45| 0.07   7.56   7.15  -3.38  -2.57|  1774  -142
Dupree      67  -3  92  40| 0.10  12.29  10.74  -1.11  -0.92|  1895  -316
Mc Intosh   66  -3  87  41| 0.29   9.67   8.24  -3.41  -3.32|  1753  -318
Newell      65  -3  89  41| 0.09  10.04   8.58  -1.85  -1.77|  1741  -266
Timber Lake 67  -1  89  44| 0.22  10.32   8.13  -3.82  -4.00|  1788  -322
Aberdeen    64  -4  84  50| 0.36  15.87  13.38  +1.37  +1.12|  1664  -466
Eureka      66  +0  86  47| 0.29  11.23   9.84  -2.16  -1.92|  1824  -166
Faulkton    66  -2  90  50| 0.96  20.02  17.43  +5.32  +4.89|  1733  -351
Mobridge    67  -2  91  47| 0.09   9.30   8.27  -4.09  -3.16|  1865  -301
Roscoe      64  -5  88  45| 0.45  16.64  13.54  +1.66  +0.54|  1489  -599
Britton     66  -2  82  49| 0.18  14.95  13.41  +0.44  +0.65|  1870  -300
Clear Lake  63  -5  80  50| 4.25  20.22  18.25  +1.92  +2.92|  1521  -572
Sisseton    63  -5  81  46| 0.19  13.87  12.17  -2.26  -1.47|  1672  -542
Webster     65  -3  81  51| 0.57  15.53  12.60  -0.80  -1.39|  1613  -474
Watertown   65  -3  81  51| 0.80  14.86  13.49  -2.10  -0.88|  1640  -462
Faith       67  -3  92  46| 0.17  12.71  11.99  -0.70  +0.44|  1789  -408
Milesville  68  -3  93  44| 0.45  14.83  12.84  +0.50  +0.48|  2023  -317
Long Valley 69  -2  91  46| 0.53  11.24   9.26  -3.41  -3.46|  2186  -118
Philip      69  -3  95  44| 0.40   8.82   8.01  -4.14  -3.27|  2156  -251
Rapid City  67  -1  91  41| 0.30   9.80   7.86  -3.43  -3.38|  1954   -31
Spearfish   66  -2  87  46| 0.47  12.22   9.80  -4.89  -4.45|  1871   -24
Chamberlain 70  -2  89  49| 0.12  16.40  13.18  +2.28  +0.88|  2121  -413
Highmore    70  +0  88  54| 0.55  16.83  14.56  +1.20  +1.07|  2038  -256
Huron       68  -1  86  53| 0.13  19.49  16.33  +3.85  +3.50|  1995  -277
Onida       69  -2  91  53| 0.60  13.12  10.38  -1.55  -1.90|  2016  -345
Pierre      71  +0  97  53| 0.49  11.74   9.38  -3.03  -3.30|  2172  -253
Brookings   64  -2  83  46| 0.14  17.83  16.02  +0.48  +0.71|  1591  -315
Madison     65  -2  84  47| 0.94  19.90  18.00  +1.92  +3.20|  1696  -382
Mitchell    68  -2  85  52| 0.87  21.54  18.58  +4.95  +4.69|  1877  -562
Sioux Falls 69  +0  86  49| 0.84  23.19  19.62  +6.02  +5.31|  1993  -293
Custer      59  -4  78  36| 0.30   8.37   6.89  -6.96  -6.52|  1119  -195
Hot Springs 65  -5  87  40| 0.77   7.68   5.52  -4.98  -5.61|  1973  -209
Oelrichs    67  -4  92  38| 0.14   7.27   5.43  -6.25  -6.12|  2078  -203
Porcupine   65  -4  91  36| 0.68  10.07   7.45  -2.83  -3.93|  1950  -262
Murdo       69  -2  93  51| 0.41  10.76   8.31  -3.74  -3.87|  2049  -229
Winner      72  -1  90  54| 0.25  16.75  13.17  -1.88  -2.57|  2438  -204
Armour      71  +0  90  49| 0.31  16.56  13.19  -0.93  -1.35|  2231  -297
Centerville 69  +1  86  49| 1.52  19.01  14.78  +0.09  -1.30|  2014  -291
Marion      68  +0  85  50| 0.98  23.56  20.16  +5.65  +5.32|  1854  -408
Pickstown   72  +3  92  54| 0.21  14.41  11.82  -2.31  -2.34|  2167  -306
Vermillion  71  +1  85  49| 0.85  22.53  17.72  +3.86  +1.74|  2317  -308
Yankton     71  +3  87  50| 1.56  22.89  17.64  +4.92  +2.23|  2118  -303


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