Released: September 7, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending September 5, 2004 SD-CW3604 Volume 53 Issue 36

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Even with a week of warm weather and precipitation, crop conditions fell slightly last week, with crop development remaining behind normal, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Small grain harvest is virtually complete, with silage harvest moving into full swing in several areas. Major farm activities included harvesting silage, cutting hay, caring for livestock, and preparing for fall harvest. 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 were above normal for the state last week, with average temperatures in the mid to lower seventies. The high for the week was 101 degrees in Milesville, Philip, and Buffalo. The low for the week was 41 degrees in Porcupine and Armour. All of the forty-three reporting stations received precipitation, with Hot Springs receiving the most, at 2.39 inches reported.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels remain similar to the previous week, even though much of the state received precipitation. Topsoil moisture is rated 44 percent adequate to surplus, well above last year's 10 percent. Subsoil moisture levels are rated at 45 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 48 percent and last year's 15 percent.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    With several areas of the state experiencing warmer weather than normal last week, crop development still remains behind normal and crop conditions have deteriorated. The corn crop is rated 84 percent in the dough stage, up from 74 percent the previous week. Thirty-five percent of the corn crop is in the dent stage, well behind last year's 63 percent and the five-year average of 66 percent. Only 3 percent of the corn crop is mature, well behind the average of 14 percent. Corn silage harvest advanced 11 points, to 17 percent complete. The soybean crop fell from 62 percent good to excellent a week earlier, to 55 percent good to excellent last week. Development of soybeans is also behind, with only 29 percent dropping leaves, compared to the five-year average of 32 percent. Sorghum condition fell significantly last week, with only 25 percent of the crop rated good to excellent. Seventy percent of the sorghum crop is coloring, compared to 68 percent on average. Only 4 percent is rated mature, behind the five-year average of 11 percent. Sorghum silage advanced to 18 percent complete, well behind last year's 41 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Cattle and sheep remain in mostly good to excellent condition. Range and pasture condition continued to decline last week, however some producers reported that recent rains have begun to help green-up their pastures. Range and pastureland are currently rated 23 percent good to excellent. Alfalfa harvest advanced significantly last week, with the third cutting harvest currently 65 percent complete.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF September 5, 2004 

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

                       Percent
Very
 Short     12     9     9     34     33   18
Short      25    28    19     24     31   21
Adeq.      59    60    48     42     35   39
Surplus     4     3     4      0      1    3 
 

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF September 5, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short    24    22    50     30     27    45
Short     32    34    40     25     25    40
Adeq.     41    43    10     43     47    15
Surplus    3     1     0      2      1     0

             

           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
               AS OF September 5, 2004 
                    
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                         Percent    
Corn           5      12     27      47      9
Soybeans       3      13     29      48      7
Sorghum       20      28     27      22      3
Sunflower     12      13     33      31     11
Alfalfa       17      18     25      36      4
Cattle         0       6     19      61     14
Sheep          0      17      9      55     19
Range &                                        
  Pasture     22      21     34     19      4                              
                     



          CROP PROGRESS AS OF September 5, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent

Corn        
 dough               84     74     95      94
 dented              35     17     63      66
 mature               3      1     12      14
 silage harvested    17      6     34      28
Sorghum     
 coloring            70     40     73      68
 mature               4      0      8      11
 grain harvested      0      0      0       1
 silage harvested    18     14     41      27
Soybeans    
 dropping leaves     29     16     42      32
 mature               1      0      5       5
Sunflower   
 ray flowers dry     49     19     64      68
 bracts yellow       20      6     40      45
 mature               0      0      4       4
Winter wheat
 seeded               7      3      8       7
 emerged              0      0      0       0
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         65     50     72      59

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

  
                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING September 5, 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       71  +7  98  52| 0.92  11.41   9.43  -2.48  -2.44|  1948  -172
Buffalo     69  +6 101  49| 0.11   7.67   7.26  -3.55  -2.74|  1908  -106
Dupree      72  +6  99  49| 1.50  13.79  12.24  +0.11  +0.30|  2050  -275
Mc Intosh   70  +7  99  46| 1.04  10.71   9.28  -2.75  -2.66|  1894  -278
Newell      68  +5  97  51| 0.34  10.38   8.92  -1.80  -1.72|  1870  -239
Timber Lake 71  +7  97  48| 1.25  11.57   9.38  -2.94  -3.12|  1937  -276
Aberdeen    71  +7  92  42| 0.26  16.13  13.64  +1.14  +0.89|  1816  -416
Eureka      72  +9  95  45| 1.13  12.36  10.97  -1.43  -1.19|  1980  -106
Faulkton    71  +7  94  46| 0.48  20.50  17.91  +5.36  +4.93|  1884  -302
Mobridge    74  +9 100  45| 0.51   9.81   8.78  -3.93  -3.00|  2033  -240
Roscoe      71  +7  95  47| 0.73  17.37  14.27  +1.97  +0.85|  1635  -556
Britton     72  +8  91  46| 1.17  16.15  14.61  +1.15  +1.36|  2029  -247
Clear Lake  70  +6  87  48| 0.34  20.56  18.59  +1.67  +2.67|  1663  -531
Sisseton    73  +9  91  47| 1.38  15.25  13.55  -1.40  -0.61|  1833  -489
Webster     71  +8  87  47| 1.15  16.68  13.75  -0.19  -0.78|  1762  -423
Watertown   72  +9  89  48| 0.55  15.41  14.04  -2.07  -0.85|  1798  -405
Faith       72  +6  99  49| 0.82  13.53  12.81  -0.16  +0.98|  1943  -368
Milesville  72  +6 101  49| 1.38  16.21  14.22  +1.53  +1.51|  2181  -280
Long Valley 73  +7  99  51| 1.35  12.59  10.61  -2.41  -2.46|  2348   -78
Philip      73  +6 101  45| 1.24  10.06   9.25  -3.18  -2.31|  2318  -215
Rapid City  71  +7  99  53| 0.93  10.73   8.79  -2.82  -2.77|  2103   +13
Spearfish   69  +6  94  43| 0.28  12.50  10.08  -5.03  -4.59|  2007   +14
Chamberlai  76  +8  98  53| 0.02  16.42  13.20  +1.95  +0.55|  2306  -360
Highmore    75  +8  96  47| 1.08  17.91  15.64  +1.86  +1.73|  2213  -199
Huron       74  +9  93  46| 1.21  20.70  17.54  +4.64  +4.29|  2167  -215
Onida       72  +6  98  47| 0.90  14.02  11.28  -1.02  -1.37|  2174  -308
Pierre      76  +9 100  49| 0.70  12.44  10.08  -2.68  -2.95|  2357  -192
Brookings   70  +8  87  42| 0.24  18.07  16.26  +0.07  +0.30|  1735  -261
Madison     70  +6  86  45| 0.13  20.03  18.13  +1.42  +2.70|  1836  -342
Mitchell    73  +7  92  48| 0.72  22.26  19.30  +5.11  +4.85|  2039  -519
Sioux Falls 73  +8  88  48| 0.82  24.01  20.44  +6.11  +5.40|  2155  -242
Custer      63  +5  86  42| 1.27   9.64   8.16  -6.10  -5.66|  1214  -169
Hot Springs 68  +3  93  48| 2.39  10.07   7.91  -2.87  -3.50|  2104  -193
Oelrichs    70  +3  96  46| 0.73   8.00   6.16  -5.86  -5.73|  2220  -183
Porcupine   69  +4  98  41| 1.32  11.39   8.77  -1.75  -2.85|  2088  -236
Murdo       76 +10  97  55| 1.41  12.17   9.72  -2.61  -2.74|  2230  -164
Winner      77  +8  97  54| 0.13  16.88  13.30  -2.24  -2.93|  2625  -153
Armour      75  +8  98  41| 0.45  17.01  13.64  -1.03  -1.45|  2414  -240
Centerville 73  +8  90  50| 0.34  19.35  15.12  -0.23  -1.62|  2174  -241
Marion      72  +7  90  48| 0.67  24.23  20.83  +5.62  +5.29|  2007  -361
Pickstown   76  +9  99  50| 0.40  14.81  12.22  -2.48  -2.51|  2346  -251
Vermillion  74  +7  91  49| 0.69  23.22  18.41  +3.92  +1.80|  2490  -263
Yankton     74  +7  96  46| 1.20  24.09  18.84  +5.53  +2.84|  2285  -255

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