Released: September 13, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending September 12, 2004 SD-CW3704 Volume 53 Issue 37

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Crop conditions improved from warm weather last week, with several areas of the state receiving beneficial precipitation, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Crop development still lags behind normal, allowing farmers and ranchers more time to prepare for harvest. Major farm activities included harvesting silage, cutting hay, caring for livestock, and preparing for fall harvest. Statewide, 5.6 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 much of the state again last week. Temperatures ranged from the high of 99 degrees in Winner and Armour to the low of 37 degrees in Custer. Precipitation was received in most areas, with Clear Lake receiving the most precipitation, at 1.83 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels improved last week, with much of the state receiving precipitation. Topsoil moisture improved 16 percentage points in the adequate to surplus categories, bringing the total up to 60 percent adequate to surplus. Subsoil is currently rated 50 percent adequate, with no surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Warm weather last week helped crop conditions, however crop development remains behind normal. Slightly more than half of the corn crop is in the dent stage, with only 7 percent mature. Corn silage is 24 percent harvested, well behind last year's 56 percent. Soybean progress is also behind, with 38 percent dropping leaves and only 4 percent mature. With crops slowly reaching maturity, many producers worry that an early freeze would reduce yields and quality. Sorghum silage harvest jumped 10 points last week to 28 percent harvested compared to 58 percent last year and 39 percent for the five-year average. Winter wheat seeding advanced to 19 percent complete, with 1 percent emerged, on pace with a year ago.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Cattle and sheep conditions improved last week, with the majority remaining in good to excellent condition. Last week's precipitation and warm temperatures helped range and pasture conditions to improve, with 62 percent now rated fair to excellent compared to 57 percent a week earlier. Third cutting alfalfa harvest advanced to 71 percent complete, ahead of the five- year average of 65 percent.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF September 12, 2004 

       FEED SUPPLIES      STOCK WATER
         This  Last 5-Yr.   This  Last  5-Yr.
RATING   Week  Year  Ave.   Week  Year   Ave.
                       Percent
Very
 Short     13     9     9     21     34   19
Short      19    28    19     28     27   20
Adeq.      64    59    48     51     38   38
Surplus     4     4     4      0      1    3 
 

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF September 12, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     14    24    45     23     30    43
Short      26    32    29     27     25    36
Adeq.      58    41    25     50     43    21
Surplus     2     3     1      0      2     0

             

           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
               AS OF September 12, 2004 
                    
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                         Percent    
Corn           2       9     23      48     18
Soybeans       1       9     25      52     13
Sorghum       10      19     48      20      3
Sunflower      7      11     36      39      7
Alfalfa       13      17     31      34      5
Cattle         0       3     17      66     14
Sheep          0       8      9      65     18
Range &                                        
Pasture       16      22     33      25      4                              
                     



          CROP PROGRESS AS OF September 12, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 dough               92     84     99      98
 dented              55     35     87      83
 mature               7      3     28      26
 grain harvested      0      0      1       1
 silage harvested    24     17     56      50
Sorghum     
 coloring            72     70     88      83
 mature              14      4     15      20
 grain harvested      0      0      1       3
 silage harvested    28     18     58      39
Soybeans    
 dropping leaves     38     29     61      51
 mature               4      1     16      14
Sunflower   
 ray flowers dry     66     49     82      84
 bracts yellow       35     20     57      61
 mature               1      0     16      13
 harvested            0      0      1       1
Winter wheat
 seeded              19      7     18      16
 emerged              1      0      1       2
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         71     65     81      65


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

  
                                                     
            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING September 12, 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       65  +4  91  38| 0.00  10.49   8.51  -3.73  -3.69|  2039  -164
Buffalo     65  +5  90  38| 0.00   7.67   7.26  -3.85  -3.04|  2010   -82
Dupree      65  +3  92  38| 0.00  13.79  12.24  -0.17  +0.02|  2155  -264
Mc Intosh   64  +4  91  39| 0.00  10.71   9.28  -3.10  -3.01|  1995  -257
Newell      62  +1  87  42| 0.06  10.44   8.98  -2.02  -1.94|  1954  -238
Timber Lake 63  +2  90  38| 0.00  11.57   9.38  -3.27  -3.45|  2032  -264
Aberdeen    63  +2  81  38| 0.87  17.00  14.51  +1.55  +1.30|  1909  -406
Eureka      65  +5  90  39| 0.17  12.53  11.14  -1.61  -1.37|  2085   -78
Faulkton    63  +2  86  39| 0.73  21.23  18.64  +5.70  +5.27|  1983  -287
Mobridge    64  +3  88  40| 0.97  10.78   9.75  -3.31  -2.38|  2132  -228
Roscoe      61  -1  84  39| 0.82  18.19  15.09  +2.43  +1.31|  1714  -559
Britton     64  +3  88  41| 1.36  16.34  14.80  +0.85  +1.06|  2124  -237
Clear Lake  63  +1  85  43| 1.83  22.39  20.42  +2.94  +3.94|  1753  -524
Sisseton    62  -1  81  45| 1.00  16.25  14.55  -0.87  -0.08|  1919  -491
Webster     64  +4  86  43| 0.47  17.15  14.22  -0.21  -0.80|  1867  -396
Watertown   65  +4  86  46| 1.16  16.57  15.20  -1.40  -0.18|  1902  -383
Faith       63  +0  85  42| 0.68  14.21  13.49  +0.24  +1.38|  2037  -368
Milesville  67  +3  94  45| 0.10  16.31  14.32  +1.28  +1.26|  2298  -264
Long Valley 67  +3  93  42| 0.10  12.69  10.71  -2.60  -2.65|  2471   -59
Philip      65  +1  91  45| 1.16  11.22  10.41  -2.30  -1.43|  2426  -212
Rapid City  65  +4  87  43| 0.75  11.48   9.54  -2.35  -2.30|  2207   +32
Spearfish   66  +6  97  43| 0.05  12.55  10.13  -5.39  -4.95|  2122   +49
Chamberlain 68  +3  95  45| 0.16  16.58  13.36  +1.78  +0.38|  2435  -343
Highmore    67  +4  95  44| 0.70  18.61  16.34  +2.14  +2.01|  2336  -174
Huron       67  +5  91  43| 0.73  21.43  18.27  +4.95  +4.60|  2290  -182
Onida       68  +4  95  43| 0.26  14.28  11.54  -1.11  -1.46|  2298  -284
Pierre      67  +3  92  46| 1.09  13.53  11.17  -1.99  -2.26|  2477  -175
Brookings   64  +4  86  42| 0.58  18.65  16.84  +0.02  +0.25|  1834  -234
Madison     64  +3  87  42| 0.58  20.61  18.71  +1.44  +2.72|  1937  -325
Mitchell    66  +2  90  44| 0.66  22.92  19.96  +5.19  +4.93|  2153  -506
Sioux Falls 67  +5  88  44| 1.01  25.02  21.45  +6.35  +5.64|  2277  -211
Custer      58  +2  82  37| 0.39  10.03   8.55  -6.07  -5.63|  1273  -165
Hot Springs 65  +2  93  42| 0.00  10.07   7.91  -3.20  -3.83|  2212  -183
Oelrichs    65  +2  92  45| 0.92   8.92   7.08  -5.22  -5.09|  2330  -177
Porcupine   63  -1  90  42| 0.73  12.12   9.50  -1.30  -2.40|  2177  -238
Murdo       66  +3  91  48| 0.03  12.20   9.75  -2.86  -2.99|  2343  -148
Winner      73  +7  99  45| 0.00  16.88  13.30  -2.73  -3.42|  2786  -109
Armour      70  +5  99  44| 0.16  17.17  13.80  -1.43  -1.85|  2550  -210
Centerville 66  +3  88  45| 0.75  20.10  15.87  -0.11  -1.50|  2285  -221
Marion      66  +4  89  44| 0.62  24.85  21.45  +5.49  +5.16|  2117  -340
Pickstown   71  +7  98  46| 0.04  14.85  12.26  -3.07  -3.10|  2494  -208
Vermillion  68  +3  91  45| 0.00  23.22  18.41  +3.32  +1.20|  2619  -246
Yankton     67  +3  89  46| 0.48  24.57  19.32  +5.45  +2.76|  2403  -237


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