Released: October 25, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending October 24, 2004 SD-CW4304 Volume 53 Issue 43

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Although temperatures averaged above normal for much of the state last week, scattered precipitation delayed harvest progress in several areas, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included combining row crops, fall tillage, planting fall crops, working cattle, and caring for livestock. Statewide, 4.6 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 ranged from 1 degree below normal to 7 degrees above normal around the state last week. Vermillion reported the high for the week, at 78 degrees, while Bison had the low, at 22 degrees. Precipitation was scattered with Webster, at 1.61 inches, reporting the most precipitation received.

SOIL CONDITION:    Scattered precipitation last week did little to improve topsoil and subsoil moisture levels. Topsoil moisture levels are currently rated at 6 percent very short, 17 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels remained similar to the previous week, with ratings at 15 percent very short, 20 percent short, 63 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Soil temperatures were slightly above normal for much of the state last week, with the average soil temperature at 50 degrees.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    While damp weather slowed the drying of corn in the field, progress was still made last week in the harvest of row crops. Soybean harvest jumped 14 percentage points, to 90 percent harvested. Corn advanced to 21 percent harvested, well behind last year's 63 percent and the five-year average of 53 percent. Sorghum harvest also remains behind normal at 54 percent complete. Sunflower maturity, at 91 percent, is close to last year's progress of 97 percent; however harvest, at 28 percent, is well behind last year's progress of 77 percent. Winter wheat seeding nears completion, with 97 percent seeded. Winter wheat emergence is in line with the five-year average, at 78 percent emerged.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    With cattle and sheep in mostly fair to excellent condition, many producers have begun to utilize field crop residue as an additional feed source. Range and pasture condition remains similar to the previous week, with 66 percent rated in fair to excellent condition.

                                     
          SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
                 AS OF OCTOBER 24, 2004 
               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING   Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      6     8    38     15     16    46
Short      17    17    35     20     21    32
Adeq.      73    72    27     63     62    22
Surplus     4     3     0      2      1     0
                    

             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                 AS OF OCTOBER 24, 2004 
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Corn           3       5     18      49     25
Sorghum       15      26     33      23      3
Sunflower     13      12     27      37     11
Alfalfa       17      11     22      37     13
Winter wheat   1       2     32      49     16
Cattle         0       2     16      63     19
Sheep          0       3     13      62     22
Range &                                        
Pasture       14      20     31      29      6
     
                         
       CROP PROGRESS AS OF OCTOBER 24, 2004  1/ 
                                                                                        

                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn        
 grain harvested     21     14     63      53
Sorghum     
 mature              97     93    100      99
 grain harvested     54     39     88      72
Soybeans    
 harvested           90     76     96      91
Sunflower   
 harvested           28     21     77      69
Winter wheat
 seeded              97     94     99      97
 emerged             78     68     71      78
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting        100     96     99      99

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



SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING OCT. 24, 2004
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      54              Gettysburg   48
Brookings      49              Nisland      52
Caputa         49              Pierre       52
Chamberlain    53              Redfield     48
Cottonwood     50              Watertown    47





	        TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                 WEEK ENDING October 24, 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       45  -1  59  22| 0.00  11.86   9.88  -3.91  -3.87
Buffalo     46  +2  60  31| 0.51   9.10   8.69  -3.94  -3.13
Dupree      47  +1  64  29| 0.63  16.72  15.17  +1.16  +1.35
Mc Intosh   45  +1  60  28| 0.67  12.92  11.49  -2.57  -2.48
Newell      47  +3  69  28| 0.00  10.90   9.44  -3.15  -3.07
Timber Lake 48  +3  64  29| 0.93  14.63  12.44  -1.84  -2.02
Aberdeen    48  +4  63  31| 0.79  20.35  17.86  +2.97  +2.72
Eureka      48  +5  61  30| 0.57  15.26  13.87  -0.65  -0.41
Faulkton    47  +3  62  30| 0.64  24.59  22.00  +7.15  +6.72
Mobridge    49  +4  68  31| 0.52  13.06  12.03  -2.71  -1.78
Roscoe      45  +0  61  28| 0.80  21.69  18.59  +4.16  +3.04
Britton     48  +4  62  31| 0.75  19.86  18.32  +2.26  +2.47
Clear Lake  46  +1  64  27| 0.34  30.63  28.66  +8.32  +9.32
Sisseton    47  +2  61  33| 0.70  21.87  20.17  +2.42  +3.21
Webster     48  +4  61  31| 1.61  22.86  19.93  +3.29  +2.70
Watertown   48  +3  61  33| 1.60  23.84  22.47  +3.26  +4.48
Faith       47  +1  63  29| 0.53  16.68  15.96  +1.11  +2.25
Milesville  49  +3  67  31| 0.65  19.16  17.17  +2.28  +2.26
Long Valley 51  +3  74  30| 0.41  16.31  14.33  -0.52  -0.57
Philip      51  +4  72  32| 0.45  13.69  12.88  -1.35  -0.48
Rapid City  50  +4  67  32| 0.48  12.70  10.76  -2.73  -2.68
Spearfish   50  +4  70  30| 0.48  13.92  11.50  -6.36  -5.92
Chamberlain 50  +3  63  34| 0.55  22.95  19.73  +6.49  +5.09
Highmore    49  +3  67  34| 0.41  23.20  20.93  +4.71  +4.58
Huron       51  +6  64  34| 0.65  26.34  23.18  +7.69  +7.34
Onida       49  +3  64  31| 0.42  17.65  14.91  +0.59  +0.24
Pierre      51  +4  68  33| 0.18  16.80  14.44  -0.62  -0.89
Brookings   47  +4  67  30| 0.10  24.53  22.72  +3.02  +3.25
Madison     48  +4  69  25| 0.14  26.42  24.52  +4.46  +5.74
Mitchell    50  +4  68  33| 0.62  29.25  26.29  +8.95  +8.69
Sioux Falls 52  +7  75  34| 0.17  29.92  26.35  +8.10  +7.39
Custer      45  +2  61  26| 0.43  11.60  10.12  -6.17  -5.73
Hot Springs 49  +2  71  27| 1.39  12.25  10.09  -2.66  -3.29
Oelrichs    50  +3  70  29| 0.52  11.57   9.73  -4.11  -3.98
Porcupine   47  +2  70  28| 0.71  13.84  11.22  -1.11  -2.21
Murdo       48  +2  70  31| 0.66  16.87  14.42  +0.08  -0.05
Winner      51  +2  64  35| 1.07  21.60  18.02  -0.39  -1.08
Armour      52  +4  74  34| 0.43  22.67  19.30  +1.41  +0.99
Centerville 52  +6  73  36| 0.22  26.17  21.94  +3.04  +1.65
Marion      50  +5  71  33| 0.35  31.34  27.94  +8.92  +8.59
Pickstown   52  +4  75  34| 0.59  20.31  17.72  -0.24  -0.27
Vermillion  55  +7  78  37| 0.00  26.48  21.67  +3.84  +1.72
Yankton     51  +4  75  27| 0.21  29.76  24.51  +8.05  +5.36


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