>State Statisticsl Report R:rf

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Released: May 18, 1998 -- 3:00 p.m. For Week Ending May 17, 1998 Volume 47 Issue 10

GENERAL GENERAL: Producers made excellent progress planting row crops last week, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn seeding increased 21 points, to 79 percent complete. Fieldwork was halted with much needed rainfall in many areas at week's end. Statewide, there were 3.4 days suitable for fieldwork.

Based on information from county agents, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters. SOIL MOISTURE Soil conditions improved over most of the state, with most areas reporting adequate topsoil and subsoil conditions. However, the northwest area is still reporting short topsoil and subsoil conditions, while the northeast is reporting surplus conditions.


 SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - MAY 15

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
          This  Last Last  This  Last  Last
RATING    Week  Week Year  Week  Week  Year

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3     4    1     1     0     1
Short       8    17    5     7     7     2
Adeq.      67    69   74    69    75    59
Surplus    22    10   20    23    18    38

CROPS Small grain seeding is nearly complete across the state. Eighty-eight percent of the spring wheat emerged, well ahead of the five-year average 50 percent. Barley and oats are 80 percent emerged, well ahead of the five-year average. In addition, producers have seeded 26 percent sorghum, 21 percent sunflower, 33 percent soybeans, and 74 percent flax. All are well ahead of the five-year averages and last year's progress. Winter wheat is 89 percent good to excellent, with isolated areas of tanspot reported. Alfalfa condition is 80 percent good to excellent, with some areas still reporting army cutworms and alfalfa weevils.


CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - MAY 17

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat  0       1     10      58     31
Winter Rye    0       0      2      60     38
Alfalfa       0       2     18      58     22
Spring Wheat  0       1     15      64     20
Barley        0       1     14      66     19
Oats          0       2     17      61     24
Corn          1       1      6      68     24
Sorghum       0       0      9      87      4
Soybeans      0       1      8      70     21
Livestock     0       0      7      68     25
Range &  
    Pasture   0       3     16      59     22

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE Range and pasture are 81 percent good to excellent, with 19 percent reporting poor to fair. Pasture condition is holding up the movement of cattle, with 66 percent moved. Feed supplies were 94 percent adequate to surplus, with stock water supplies 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock are in good to excellent condition, with lambing and calving 93 percent complete.

WEATHER Temperatures averaged above normal last week. Statewide, these averages ranged from 2 to 11 degrees above normal at Custer and Highmore, respectively. The highest temperature was 93 degrees at Highmore and the lowest temperature was 32 degrees at Custer. Forestburg received the most precipitation with 1.89 inches, while Lemmon, Mobridge, and Marion received none.


                    CROP PROGRESS - MAY 17
                                                                                    
                 This   Last   Last    5-Yr.
ITEM             Week   Week   Year     Ave
  
  
                            Percent
Barley  
 seeded           99     94      51     66
 emerged          80     68      18     41   
Spring wheat
 seeded           99     97      72     75
 emerged          88     74      33     50
 boot              2     NA      NA     NA   
Oats       
 seeded           98     95      64     70
 emerged          80     66      20     47
 boot              3     NA      NA     NA  
Corn
 seeded           79     58      53     39
 emerged          33     10      NA     NA 
Flaxseed
 seeded           74     74      11     18
 emerged          47     42       2      8 
Sorghum
 seeded           26     26       4      4
Soybeans
 seeded           33     14      12     11
 emerged           7      7      NA     NA 
Sunflower
 seeded           21     14       1      3
Winter Wheat
 boot             52     40       3     10
 headed            3      0       0      0 
Winter Rye  
 boot             55     40       6     12
 headed           31     NA      NA     NA
Alfalfa    
 cut once          2     NA      NA     NA  

NA = Not available

             AVERAGE SOIL TEMPERATURES
        	  (4-inch Depth)
	        WEEK ENDING MAY 17

LOCATION       TEMP        LOCATION       TEMP 

Beresford        63        Gettysburg        60
Brookings        59        Nisland           60
Caputa           61        Pierre            62
Chamberlain      62        Redfield          59
Cottonwood       58        Watertown         61


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Growing Degree Days |    Temperature past week            
               -----------------------------------------------------------
                 GDD       Departure|          Departure                  
                 Since     from     |  Ave     from        High   Low     
Dist  Station    April 6   normal   |          normal                     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      - - - - - - Degrees - - - - - -     
NW  Lemmon             281        88        60        7       88       41       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen           373       129        64        8       82       46       
    Mobridge           364       134        64        8       86       45       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown          325       124        63        8       83       45       
    Webster            367       174        65       10       83       46       
                                                                                
WC  Philip             518       226        60        4       92       45       
    Rapid City         316        80        59        5       85       42       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain        361        61        63        6       91       42       
    Highmore           408       155        67       11       93       49       
    Huron              396       131        66        9       86       50       
    Pierre             425       147        66        9       93       43       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings          374       166        64        9       87       38       
    Flandreau          362       126        64        8       82       42       
    Forestburg         402       118        64        7       83       46       
    Madison            366       138        63        7       86       42       
    Mitchell           379        81        65        6       88       46       
    Sioux Falls        369        96        65        8       85       41       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap         NA        NA        NA       NA       NA       NA                   
    Custer             167        58        50        2       73       32       
    Yankton            444       128        68        9       91       48       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel          342        51        62        5       85       42       
                                                                                
SE  Armour             394        90        65        7       87       48       
    Centerville        380        81        65        6       89       42       
    Marion             396       109        67        9       86       48       
    Menno              397        82        66        7       84       48       
    Pickstown          379        68        65        6       87       47       
    Sioux City         441       107        68        7       88       47       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  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    -3.59    -3.24       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen          0.90      5.54      2.75     0.34     0.20    -0.46       
    Mobridge          0.00      1.73      0.60    -0.56    -3.54    -2.81       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown         1.27      6.17      4.40     0.57    -0.07     0.64       
    Webster           0.47      7.13      3.69    -0.16     1.56     0.37       
                                                                                
WC  Philip            0.33     11.47      8.01    -0.30     6.66     4.80       
    Rapid City        0.23      4.27      1.61    -0.38    -0.89    -1.65       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain       0.46      5.14      3.00    -0.24    -0.96    -0.87       
    Highmore          0.31      6.44      3.40    -0.32     0.63    -0.39       
    Huron             0.95      6.02      4.70     0.32    -0.26     1.11       
    Pierre            0.39      5.85      2.88    -0.24     0.29    -0.68       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings         0.16      4.85      2.20    -0.47    -0.64    -1.35       
    Flandreau         0.52      6.18      2.87    -0.11     0.43    -0.81       
    Forestburg        1.89      7.08      4.59     1.20     0.56     0.70       
    Madison           0.63      7.05      4.54    -0.02     0.11     0.65       
    Mitchell          0.78      8.38      5.30     0.08     1.71     1.20       
    Sioux Falls       0.92      8.64      3.50     0.22     1.80    -0.61       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap       0.05      2.36      0.49    -0.65    -2.74    -2.86       
    Custer            0.04      3.71      0.96    -0.66    -1.62    -2.53       
    Yankton           1.04     11.02      6.84     0.25     4.63     2.90       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel         0.24      4.97      2.61    -0.67    -2.65    -2.31       
                                                                                
SE  Armour            0.53      7.83      4.50    -0.17     1.01     0.50       
    Centerville       0.86     10.01      5.02     0.09     3.20     0.94       
    Marion            0.00      7.71      4.33    -0.70     0.54     0.09       
    Menno             0.65      8.70      4.56    -0.12     2.00     0.44       
    Pickstown         0.41      9.62      7.06    -0.25     3.31     3.18       
    Sioux City        0.85     10.65      6.28     0.01     3.22     2.00       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

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

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