Released: September 20, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending September 19, 2004 SD-CW3804 Volume 53 Issue 38

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Warm, damp weather may have been beneficial for soil moisture; however, many producers have had to postpone silage harvest and winter wheat seeding due to wet fields, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Crop development remains behind normal. Producers are hoping for a late frost, which will allow as much of the crop to reach maturity as possible. Major farm activities included harvesting silage, cutting hay, caring for livestock, and preparing for fall harvest. Statewide, 4.7 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 102 degrees in Chamberlain to the low of 34 degrees in Custer. Precipitation was received in most areas, with Centerville, at 4.44 inches, receiving the most precipitation.

SOIL CONDITION:    Precipitation helped to improve topsoil and subsoil moisture levels across the state last week. Topsoil moisture is rated 67 percent adequate to surplus, above last week's 60 percent and last year's 34 percent adequate to surplus. Subsoil is currently rated 53 percent adequate to surplus.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Warm weather last week helped crops reach maturity; however, crop development continues to lag behind normal. The corn crop is 75 percent in the dent stage, with 19 percent rated mature. Harvest of corn silage continues, with 42 percent harvested, well behind last year's 79 percent. Soybeans are currently rated at 60 percent dropping leaves and 11 percent mature, behind last year's 80 percent and 29 percent, respectively. Sorghum development advances with 84 percent coloring and 28 percent rated mature. Sorghum silage harvest is 49 percent complete. Winter wheat seeding advanced through the damp weather last week to 39 percent seeded with 6 percent emerged, slightly ahead of last year's 5 percent emerged.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    The precipitation received last week improved range and pasture conditions across the state; however, more moisture is needed throughout the fall and winter to have a lasting effect. Cattle and sheep remain in good to excellent condition. Alfalfa condition is rated 73 percent fair to excellent, with harvest of a third cutting 79 percent complete.

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                 AS OF September 19, 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     27     36   19
Short      18    25    19     24     25   20
Adeq.      65    63    48     48     37   39
Surplus     6     3     3      1      2    2
 

         SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                  AS OF September 19, 2004 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short     12    14    33     21     23    43
Short      21    26    33     26     27    32
Adeq.      62    58    33     51     50    25
Surplus     5     2     1      2      0     0

             

           CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
               AS OF September 19, 2004 
                    
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                         Percent    
Corn           4       8     22      46     20
Soybeans       2       8     24      50     16
Sorghum       16      21     38      17      8
Sunflower     15      12     36      31      6
Alfalfa       15      12     30      33     10
Cattle         0       4     17      63     16
Sheep          0      14     11      54     21
Range &                                        
Pasture       15      20     29      29      7
                     



          CROP PROGRESS AS OF September 19, 2004  1/
                                                      
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 dough               97     92    100      99
 dented              75     55     97      94
 mature              19      7     45      44
 grain harvested      0      0      2       3
 silage harvested    42     24     79      73
Sorghum     
 coloring            84     72     95      93
 mature              28     14     33      35
 grain harvested      3      0      3       6
 silage harvested    49     28     80      55
Soybeans    
 dropping leaves     60     38     80      72
 mature              11      4     29      29
 harvested            0      0      2       3
Sunflower   
 ray flowers dry     87     66     91      94
 bracts yellow       67     35     71      76
 mature               6      1     32      28
 harvested            0      0      7       3
Winter wheat
 seeded              39     19     37      34
 emerged              6      1      5       8
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         79     71     85      72


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



            TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, AND GROWING DEGREE DAYS
                        WEEK ENDING September 19, 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  +7  90  44| 1.02  11.51   9.53  -2.99  -2.95|  2138  -130
Buffalo     65  +8  98  41| 0.62   8.29   7.88  -3.54  -2.73|  2117   -36
Dupree      65  +5  88  43| 0.87  14.66  13.11  +0.42  +0.61|  2261  -233
Mc Intosh   65  +8  90  44| 0.33  11.04   9.61  -3.12  -3.03|  2104  -209
Newell      64  +6  98  43| 0.57  10.95   9.49  -1.79  -1.71|  2057  -199
Timber Lake 64  +6  88  43| 0.12  11.69   9.50  -3.43  -3.61|  2132  -227
Aberdeen    65  +7  89  37| 0.75  17.75  15.26  +1.88  +1.63|  2017  -361
Eureka      65  +8  90  41| 0.30  12.83  11.44  -1.66  -1.42|  2193   -28
Faulkton    64  +6  94  43| 0.46  21.69  19.10  +5.81  +5.38|  2081  -254
Mobridge    65  +7  91  44| 0.04  10.82   9.79  -3.62  -2.69|  2241  -187
Roscoe      61  +3  94  42| 0.40  18.59  15.49  +2.48  +1.36|  1794  -542
Britton     67  +8  90  38| 0.71  17.05  15.51  +1.14  +1.35|  2246  -183
Clear Lake  62  +3  85  40| 1.61  24.00  22.03  +4.03  +5.03|  1839  -504
Sisseton    66  +7  89  40| 1.08  17.33  15.63  -0.21  +0.58|  2031  -449
Webster     64  +6  89  43| 1.47  18.62  15.69  +0.84  +0.25|  1965  -359
Watertown   66  +8  86  40| 1.36  17.93  16.56  -0.47  +0.75|  2015  -334
Faith       64  +5  91  45| 0.85  15.06  14.34  +0.79  +1.93|  2139  -341
Milesville  67  +6  94  44| 0.20  16.51  14.52  +1.13  +1.11|  2417  -226
Long Valley 68  +7  96  43| 0.10  12.79  10.81  -2.78  -2.83|  2597   -19
Philip      68  +7  99  44| 0.21  11.43  10.62  -2.34  -1.47|  2550  -172
Rapid City  65  +6  97  43| 0.21  11.69   9.75  -2.42  -2.37|  2314   +71
Spearfish   66  +8  94  46| 0.46  13.01  10.59  -5.28  -4.84|  2230   +93
Chamberlain 68  +6 102  47| 1.46  18.04  14.82  +2.96  +1.56|  2565  -305
Highmore    69  +8  90  44| 0.55  19.16  16.89  +2.32  +2.19|  2467  -123
Huron       68  +9  91  43| 1.17  22.60  19.44  +5.70  +5.35|  2417  -127
Onida       68  +7  91  44| 0.34  14.62  11.88  -1.07  -1.42|  2424  -239
Pierre      67  +7  98  44| 0.17  13.70  11.34  -2.18  -2.45|  2601  -134
Brookings   63  +6  86  38| 1.46  20.11  18.30  +0.85  +1.08|  1928  -196
Madison     64  +6  86  40| 0.97  21.58  19.68  +1.85  +3.13|  2040  -288
Mitchell    67  +6  91  44| 2.17  25.09  22.13  +6.80  +6.54|  2271  -471
Sioux Falls 68  +9  89  44| 2.56  27.58  24.01  +8.21  +7.50|  2406  -155
Custer      58  +4  86  34| 0.34  10.37   8.89  -6.08  -5.64|  1335  -146
Hot Springs 65  +5  93  38| 0.09  10.16   8.00  -3.46  -4.09|  2322  -152
Oelrichs    66  +5  96  39| 0.80   9.72   7.88  -4.70  -4.57|  2445  -146
Porcupine   66  +6  97  41| 0.21  12.33   9.71  -1.37  -2.47|  2287  -201
Murdo       67  +7  99  46| 0.59  12.79  10.34  -2.54  -2.67|  2466  -104
Winner      71  +8  96  50| 0.92  17.80  14.22  -2.30  -2.99|  2937   -56
Armour      71  +9  91  53| 2.85  20.02  16.65  +0.86  +0.44|  2697  -151
Centerville 67  +8  89  45| 4.44  24.54  20.31  +3.70  +2.31|  2409  -172
Marion      66  +7  89  44| 3.00  27.85  24.45  +7.79  +7.46|  2235  -294
Pickstown   70  +9  95  49| 1.89  16.74  14.15  -1.76  -1.79|  2638  -150
Vermillion  72  +9  92  46| 2.01  25.23  20.42  +4.77  +2.65|  2771  -190
Yankton     69  +8  91  46| 2.10  26.67  21.42  +6.99  +4.30|  2536  -188


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