Return to the List of 1998 Crop Weather Reports

Released: May 11, 1998 -- 3:00 p.m. For Week Ending May 10, 1998 Volume 47 Issue 9

GENERAL
GENERAL: Warm, mild conditions prevailed over the region, allowing producers to finish small grain planting and make excellent progress with corn seeding, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn seeding increased 35 points to 58 percent complete by the end of the week. Statewide, there were 6 days suitable for fieldwork.

Based on information from county agents, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters.
SOIL MOISTURE
Topsoil conditions are drying over most of the state, with the southwest area reporting short conditions. However, most areas of the state are reporting adequate topsoil and subsoil conditions, with surplus subsoil conditions existing in the northeast. 

SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - MAY 8
               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This  Last Last  This  Last  Last
RATING   Week  Week Year  Week  Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      4     1    1     0     0     0
Short      17     8    0     7     6     0
Adeq.      69    69   55    75    70    50
Surplus    10    22   44    18    24    50


CROPS
Producers completed well over 90 percent of the small grain seeding by week's end, well ahead of the very late 1997 progress. In addition, 26 percent of the sorghum, 14 percent of sunflower, and 74 percent of flax had been seeded. All are well ahead of the five-year average, as well as last year's progress. Spring wheat is 74 percent emerged, ahead of the five-year average of 25 percent. Barley and oats emerged are also well ahead of the five-year averages of 21 and 27 percent, respectively. Alfalfa condition is 82 percent good to excellent, with some areas still reporting army cutworms. 

CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - MAY 10
ITEM     V POOR    POOR   FAIR   GOOD  EXCEL
                         Percent
Winter Wheat  0       3     14     63     20
Winter Rye    0       1      5     60     34
Alfalfa       0       3     15     63     19
Spring Wheat  0       1     15     65     19
Barley        0       1     13     70     16
Oats          0       1     14     70     15
Livestock     0       1      7     67     25
Range &  
    Pasture   1       4     16     63     16


LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
Livestock are in good to excellent condition, with 51 percent of the cattle moved to pasture. Lambing is 88 percent complete and calving is 90 percent complete. Feed supplies were 95 percent adequate to surplus, with stock water supplies 97 percent adequate to surplus. Range and pasture are 79 percent good to excellent with 21 percent being reported very poor to fair.

WEATHER
Statewide, temperatures averaged above normal, ranging from 4 degrees below to 9 degrees above normal at Rapid City and Philip, respectively. The highest temperature was 89 degrees at Sioux City, with the lowest temperature of 26 degrees at Rapid City. Little to no precipitation was received in many locations across the state, with Highmore receiving the most at 0.42 inch. 

CROP PROGRESS - MAY 10
                This   Last    Last   5-Yr.
ITEM            Week   Week    Year   Ave
                          Percent
Barley  
 seeded           94     85      19    45
 emerged          68     40       2    21   
Spring wheat
 seeded           97     89      43    58
 emerged          74     46       5    25 
Oats       
 seeded           95     87      32    50
 emerged          66     45       8    27  
Corn
 seeded           58     23      16    17
 emerged          10      3      NA    NA 
Flaxseed
 seeded           74     24       2     8
 emerged          42     NA       0     3 
Sorghum
 seeded           26      7       0     1
 emerged           5     NA      NA    NA 
Soybeans
 seeded           14     NA       1     2
 emerged           7     NA      NA    NA 
Sunflower
 seeded           14     NA      NA    NA
Winter Wheat
 boot             40     40       0     3
Winter Rye  
 boot             40      7      NA    NA

NA = Not available

AVERAGE SOIL TEMPERATURES
WEEK ENDING MAY 10           
(4-inch Depth)
LOCATION       TEMP        LOCATION        TEMP 
Beresford        62        Gettysburg        55
Brookings        56        Nisland           57
Caputa           51        Pierre            57
Chamberlain      57        Redfield          53
Cottonwood       55        Watertown         56



--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Growing Degree Days |    Temperature past week            
               -----------------------------------------------------------
                 GDD       Departure|          Departure                  
                 Since     from     |  Ave     from        High   Low     
Dist  Station    April 6   normal   |          normal                     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      - - - - - - Degrees - - - - - -     
NW  Lemmon             183        47        49       -2       72       29       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen           261        83        55        1       75       36       
    Mobridge           255        88        51       -2       74       32       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown          228        87        55        3       76       37       
    Webster            261       128        54        2       75       36       
                                                                                
WC  Philip             423       201        63        9       79       35       
    Rapid City         230        54        48       -4       76       26       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain        267        40        55        0       78       35       
    Highmore           298       111        55        2       77       35       
    Huron              283        86        57        3       78       35       
    Pierre             307        99        55        0       78       34       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings          262       115        56        4       80       34       
    Flandreau          255        84        56        3       77       38       
    Forestburg         294        81        57        2       78       35       
    Madison            256        91        56        3       79       38       
    Mitchell           269        45        57        1       79       39       
    Sioux Falls        253        49        57        3       80       38       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap         NA        NA        NA       NA       NA       NA                   
    Custer             120        49        45       -1       66       28       
    Yankton            302        63        58        2       87       41       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel          246        27        55       -1       77       35       
                                                                                
SE  Armour             280        51        58        3       79       38       
    Centerville        266        41        57        1       86       38       
    Marion             262        48        56        1       81       37       
    Menno              271        32        57        1       82       39       
    Pickstown          262        26        57        0       80       38       
    Sioux City         313        57        61        3       89       40       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1/ Growing degree days are calculated by subtracting 50 degrees (F)     
     base temperature from the average of the maximum and minimum         
     temperatures for the day. The daily maximum is limited to 86         
     degrees (F) and daily minimum of 50 degrees (F). NA=Not Available.   
                                                                          
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Precipitation                        
               -----------------------------------------------------------
                            Totals             |  Departure from normal   
               -----------------------------------------------------------
Dist  Station     Weekly     Yearly  Since 4/1 | Weekly  Yearly  Since 4/1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 - - - - - - - - - - - - Inches - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
NW  Lemmon            0.00      2.05      0.33    -0.63    -2.96    -2.61       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen          0.00      4.24      1.45    -0.51    -0.54    -1.20       
    Mobridge          0.10      1.73      0.60    -0.46    -2.98    -2.25       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown         0.39      4.15      2.38    -0.26    -1.39    -0.68       
    Webster           0.05      5.20      1.76    -0.58     0.26    -0.93       
                                                                                
WC  Philip            0.27     11.06      7.60    -0.36     6.88     5.02       
    Rapid City        0.01      3.02      0.36    -0.55    -1.53    -2.29       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain       0.00      4.66      2.52    -0.70    -0.74    -0.65       
    Highmore          0.42      5.16      2.12    -0.21    -0.02    -1.04       
    Huron             0.00      3.57      2.25    -0.63    -2.08    -0.71       
    Pierre            0.40      4.96      1.99    -0.23     0.03    -0.94       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings         0.01      4.64      1.99    -0.62    -0.22    -0.93       
    Flandreau         0.07      5.50      2.19    -0.56     0.38    -0.86       
    Forestburg        0.00      5.19      2.70    -0.63    -0.64    -0.50       
    Madison           0.09      6.42      3.91    -0.54     0.13     0.67       
    Mitchell          0.00      7.60      4.52    -0.70     1.63     1.12       
    Sioux Falls       0.00      7.36      2.22    -0.65     1.22    -1.19       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap       0.20      2.31      0.44    -0.50    -2.09    -2.21       
    Custer            0.00      2.97      0.22    -0.70    -1.66    -2.57       
    Yankton           0.02     10.00      5.82    -0.75     4.40     2.67       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel         0.00      4.73      2.37    -0.91    -1.98    -1.64       
                                                                                
SE  Armour            0.00      7.23      3.90    -0.70     1.11     0.60       
    Centerville       0.01      9.14      4.15    -0.76     3.10     0.84       
    Marion            0.00      7.72      4.34    -0.70     1.25     0.80       
    Menno             0.00      7.89      3.75    -0.74     1.96     0.40       
    Pickstown         0.00      9.07      6.51    -0.63     3.42     3.29       
    Sioux City        0.04      9.42      5.05    -0.77     2.83     1.61       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
bar chart showing crop progress compared to the last 10 years

                                      Chart image in 'TIF' format for publishers
 
 
 
South Dakota county map showing topsoil moisture South Dakota county map showing subsoil moisture

          Topsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers                           Subsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
 

Return to the List of 1998 Crop Weather Reports