Released: October 18, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending October 17, 2004 SD-CW4204 Volume 53 Issue 42

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Cold, damp weather last week slowed the drying of crops in the fields, however significant advances were still made in soybean harvest, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. While harvest progress for corn remains behind normal, winter wheat seeding and emergence are progressing at a steady rate. Major farm activities included combining row crops, harvesting silage, fall tillage, planting fall crops, fixing fence, and caring for livestock. Statewide, 6.4 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 ranged from 0 to 7 degrees below normal for the state last week. Several stations reported the high for the week, at 76 degrees, while both Mobridge and Roscoe had the low, at 17 degrees. Precipitation was scattered with Oelrichs, at 0.49 inch, reporting the most precipitation received.

SOIL CONDITION:    Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels fell slightly last week, with much of the state receiving little to no precipitation. Topsoil moisture is rated at 75 percent adequate to surplus, compared to the previous week's 80 percent. Subsoil moisture is rated at 63 percent adequate to surplus. Soil temperatures were below normal for much of the state, with the average soil temperature at 51.4 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    While high moisture corn is being harvested in some areas, many farmers are postponing corn harvest until it has had more time to dry down in the field. The corn crop is only 14 percent harvested, well behind last year's 41 percent. Sorghum harvest remains behind with 39 percent complete, compared to last year's 78 percent. Silage harvest nears completion, with corn silage 98 percent harvested and sorghum silage 93 percent harvested. Soybean harvest advanced 33 percentage points last week, with harvest now 76 percent complete, ahead of the five-year average of 74 percent. Sunflower are rated at 81 percent mature, with 21 percent harvested. Winter wheat seeding is 94 percent complete, just ahead of the five-year average of 93 percent. Winter wheat emergence, at 68 percent, is also just ahead of the average of 67 percent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Cattle and sheep remained in mostly fair to excellent condition last week. Range and pastures improved slightly with 36 percent rated good to excellent, compared to the previous week's 30 percent good to excellent. The harvest of third cutting alfalfa is winding down, with harvest 96 percent complete.

                                     
          SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                 AS OF OCTOBER 17, 2004 
               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      8     7    32     16     17    43
Short      17    13    38     21     18    34
Adeq.      72    74    30     62     63    22
Surplus     3     6     0      1      2     0
                    

             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                 AS OF OCTOBER 17, 2004 
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Corn           3       6     21      51     19
Sorghum       11      22     39      25      3
Sunflower     10      12     35      35      8
Alfalfa       12      11     31      36     10
Cattle         0       2     18      63     17
Sheep          0       4     15      63     18
Range &                                        
Pasture       13      20     31      31      5
     
                         
       CROP PROGRESS AS OF OCTOBER 17, 2004  1/ 
                                                                                        

                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 mature              93     83    100      98
 grain harvested     14      9     41      36
 silage harvested    98     93    100      99
Sorghum     
 mature              93     85     99      96
 grain harvested     39     23     78      58
 silage harvested    93     87    100      93
Soybeans    
 mature              98     87    100      98
 harvested           76     43     88      74
Sunflower   
 bracts yellow       98     94     99      99
 mature              81     65     92      92
 harvested           21      9     62      49
Winter wheat
 seeded              94     87     96      93
 emerged             68     55     59      67
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting         96     92     96      97

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



SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING OCT. 17, 2004
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      49              Gettysburg   51
Brookings      49              Nisland      55
Caputa         52              Pierre       54
Chamberlain    55              Redfield     51
Cottonwood     52              Watertown    48




	        TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                 WEEK ENDING October 17, 2004
                                     
             TEMPERATURE       -----  PRECIPITATION -----    
             -----------          SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE 
            CURRENT WEEK    CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1 
STATION     AVG DFN HI  LO  WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN 
-------     --  --  --  -- -----  -----  -----  -----  ----- 
Bison       46  -3  69  24| 0.00  11.86   9.88  -3.70  -3.66
Buffalo     48  +0  68  26| 0.11   8.59   8.18  -4.25  -3.44
Dupree      45  -6  70  20| 0.00  16.09  14.54  +0.74  +0.93
Mc Intosh   45  -4  68  19| 0.00  12.25  10.82  -3.03  -2.94
Newell      47  -2  69  28| 0.10  10.90   9.44  -2.94  -2.86
Timber Lake 45  -5  67  18| 0.00  13.70  11.51  -2.54  -2.72
Aberdeen    47  -2  74  24| 0.11  19.56  17.07  +2.39  +2.14
Eureka      45  -3  70  20| 0.04  14.69  13.30  -0.95  -0.71
Faulkton    47  -2  76  18| 0.05  23.95  21.36  +6.78  +6.35
Mobridge    48  -2  76  17| 0.00  12.54  11.51  -3.02  -2.09
Roscoe      45  -3  74  17| 0.04  20.89  17.79  +3.59  +2.47
Britton     47  -3  74  26| 0.08  19.06  17.52  +1.73  +1.94
Clear Lake  44  -5  69  24| 0.12  30.29  28.32  +8.40  +9.40
Sisseton    48  -2  74  24| 0.07  21.17  19.47  +2.07  +2.86
Webster     45  -4  71  25| 0.06  21.25  18.32  +1.97  +1.38
Watertown   46  -3  71  24| 0.17  22.24  20.87  +2.07  +3.29
Faith       47  -4  69  24| 0.03  16.15  15.43  +0.79  +1.93
Milesville  47  -5  72  24| 0.00  18.51  16.52  +1.91  +1.89
Long Valley 47  -5  71  27| 0.17  15.90  13.92  -0.72  -0.77
Philip      49  -3  75  25| 0.09  13.24  12.43  -1.59  -0.72
Rapid City  49  -1  73  29| 0.36  12.22  10.28  -3.00  -2.95
Spearfish   46  -3  66  30| 0.20  13.44  11.02  -6.49  -6.05
Chamberlain 47  -5  76  25| 0.09  22.49  19.27  +6.29  +4.89
Highmore    49  -2  72  23| 0.00  22.79  20.52  +4.58  +4.45
Huron       49  -1  74  22| 0.03  25.69  22.53  +7.35  +7.00
Onida       47  -4  72  22| 0.00  17.23  14.49  +0.42  +0.07
Pierre      50  -1  74  25| 0.02  16.62  14.26  -0.56  -0.83
Brookings   43  -5  69  23| 0.06  24.43  22.62  +3.25  +3.48
Madison     43  -6  69  24| 0.02  26.28  24.38  +4.69  +5.97
Mitchell    45  -6  72  25| 0.04  28.63  25.67  +8.61  +8.35
Sioux Falls 46  -4  70  26| 0.03  29.75  26.18  +8.28  +7.57
Custer      44  -3  66  25| 0.00  11.17   9.69  -6.39  -5.95
Hot Springs 49  -3  73  29| 0.05  10.86   8.70  -3.84  -4.47
Oelrichs    48  -3  76  28| 0.49  11.05   9.21  -4.42  -4.29
Porcupine   48  -2  76  26| 0.20  13.13  10.51  -1.61  -2.71
Murdo       47  -4  71  26| 0.01  16.21  13.76  -0.30  -0.43
Winner      50  -4  73  23| 0.00  20.53  16.95  -1.18  -1.87
Armour      47  -5  69  24| 0.00  22.24  18.87  +1.27  +0.85
Centerville 45  -5  71  26| 0.00  25.95  21.72  +3.17  +1.78
Marion      45  -5  71  25| 0.00  30.99  27.59  +8.90  +8.57
Pickstown   47  -6  74  26| 0.03  19.72  17.13  -0.55  -0.58
Vermillion  47  -7  71  24| 0.00  26.48  21.67  +4.19  +2.07
Yankton     46  -6  76  26| 0.02  29.55  24.30  +8.16  +5.47


Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.