>State Statisticsl Report R:rf

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Released: May 26, 1998 -- 3:00 p.m. For Week Ending May 24, 1998 Volume 47 Issue 11

GENERAL Mild weather conditions allowed producers to make good progress planting row crops, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Emergence of small grains is nearing completion and is well above the five-year average. Producers have started on the first cutting of alfalfa. Statewide, there were 4.6 days suitable for fieldwork.

Based on information from county agents, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters.

SOIL MOISTURE A larger portion of the northwest area of the state is reporting short topsoil and subsoil conditions, while the northeast is still reporting surplus conditions. Most areas of the state report adequate topsoil and subsoil conditions.


 SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - MAY 22

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      4     3    1     2     1     0
Short       9     8   17     9     7     1
Adeq.      68    67   71    69    69    72
Surplus    19    22   11    20    23    27

CROPS Producers completed most of the small grain seeding and continued with row crop planting. Emergence of all crops is well ahead of the five-year average, with 70 percent of corn already emerged. Barley is 95 percent emerged and oats are 93 percent emerged, both well ahead of the five-year average. Fifty-nine percent of the soybeans have been planted, with 26 percent emerged. In addition, 40 percent of sorghum, 38 percent of sunflower, and 82 percent of flax have been seeded. Ninety-seven percent of spring wheat has emerged, well ahead of last year and the five-year average. Winter wheat condition is 88 percent good to excellent and starting to head, with an increased area reporting tanspot. Alfalfa condition is 79 percent good to excellent, however, alfalfa weevils are showing up in high numbers. Several counties have reported grasshopper infestation.


CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - MAY 24

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat  0       1     11      62     26
Winter Rye    0       2      4      64     30
Alfalfa       0       2     19      58     21
Spring Wheat  0       2     16      62     20
Barley        0       1     18      63     18
Oats          0       1     14      66     19
Corn          0       0      8      70     22
Sorghum       0       0     12      78     10
Soybeans      1       1      9      62     27
Livestock     0       1      6      69     24
Range &  
    Pasture   0       2     16      61     21

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE Livestock are in good to excellent condition, with 79 percent moved to pasture, up 20 percent from last week. Calving and lambing are 96 and 94 percent complete, respectively. Feed supplies were 96 percent adequate to surplus, with stock water supplies 95 percent adequate to surplus. Range and pasture are 82 percent good to excellent, with 18 percent reporting poor to fair. WEATHER Temperatures averaged above normal last week, ranging from 0 degrees to 12 degrees above normal. The highest temperature was 92 degrees at Brookings, Centerville, and Yankton. The lowest temperature was 37 degrees at Custer. Buffalo Gap received the most precipitation with 1.43 inches, while Sioux Falls received the least with 0.05 inch.


             CROP PROGRESS - MAY 24
                                                                                    
                 This   Last   Last    5-Yr.
ITEM             Week   Week   Year     Ave
  
  
                            Percent
Barley  
 seeded          100     99      89     86
 emerged          95     80      55     63
 boot              9      0      NA     NA
 headed            1      0      NA     NA
Spring wheat
 seeded          100     99      93     89
 emerged          97     88      61     71
 boot             20      2       0     NA
 headed            2      0      NA     NA   
Oats       
 emerged          93     80      50     66
 boot             14      3      NA     NA
 headed            3      0      NA     NA  
Corn
 seeded           89     79      79     63
 emerged          70     33      NA     NA 
 ave.height(in.)   3     NA      NA     NA
 1st cult.         7      0      NA     NA
Flaxseed
 seeded           82     74      29     36
 emerged          72     47      11     20 
Sorghum
 seeded           40     26      15     13
Soybeans
 seeded           59     33      47     32
 emerged          26      7      NA     NA 
Sunflower
 seeded           38     21       9     12
Winter Wheat
 boot             73     52       9     20
 headed           17      3       0      2 
Winter Rye  
 boot             74     55      19     26
 headed           33     31      NA     NA
Alfalfa    
 cut once          8      2      NA     NA  

NA = Not available

                      AVERAGE SOIL TEMPERATURES
 WEEK ENDING MAY 24        (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION       TEMP        LOCATION       TEMP 

Beresford        64        Gettysburg        60
Brookings        61        Nisland           62
Caputa           63        Pierre            64
Chamberlain      63        Redfield          60
Cottonwood       60        Watertown         62


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Growing Degree Days |    Temperature past week            
               -----------------------------------------------------------
                 GDD       Departure|          Departure                  
                 Since     from     |  Ave     from        High   Low     
Dist  Station    April 6   normal   |          normal                     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      - - - - - - Degrees - - - - - -     
NW  Lemmon             344        76        57        1       75       43       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen           457       127        60        1       75       45       
    Mobridge           446       133        59        0       75       44       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown          408       128        58        0       74       40       
    Webster            458       186        61        3       78       45       
                                                                                
WC  Philip             685       302        71       12       91       52       
    Rapid City         376        61        57        0       78       44       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain        457        62        61        1       86       43       
    Highmore           510       169        61        3       79       45       
    Huron              492       139        61        2       79       45       
    Pierre             523       155        61        1       79       45       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings          471       183        62        5       92       48       
    Flandreau          446       125        62        4       87       47       
    Forestburg         500       124        61        1       79       45       
    Madison            469       159        63        4       89       49       
    Mitchell           486        92        62        1       85       47       
    Sioux Falls        469       107        61        1       84       46       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap         NA        NA        NA       NA       NA       NA                   
    Custer             213        50        53        3       71       37       
    Yankton            556       142        65        4       92       48       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel          431        48        60        0       81       46       
                                                                                
SE  Armour             495        96        61        0       82       45       
    Centerville        494       100        63        2       92       47       
    Marion             510       130        64        4       90       49       
    Menno              510        97        63        2       89       48       
    Pickstown          487        79        62        0       85       46       
    Sioux City         553       113        64        1       90       50       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  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            0.20      2.25      0.53    -0.45    -4.13    -3.78       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen          1.12      6.66      3.87     0.56     0.68     0.02       
    Mobridge          0.58      2.31      1.18    -0.03    -3.65    -2.92       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown         0.38      6.55      4.78    -0.32    -0.49     0.22       
    Webster           1.09      8.22      4.78     0.46     1.93     0.74       
                                                                                
WC  Philip            0.31     11.78      8.32    -0.32     6.25     4.39       
    Rapid City        1.06      5.33      2.67     0.43    -0.55    -1.31       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain       0.68      5.82      3.68    -0.06    -1.12    -1.03       
    Highmore          0.93      7.39      4.35     0.30     0.86    -0.16       
    Huron             1.09      7.11      5.79     0.45     0.10     1.47       
    Pierre            0.84      6.69      3.72     0.20     0.40    -0.57       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings         0.45      5.30      2.65    -0.25    -0.98    -1.69       
    Flandreau         0.25      6.43      3.12    -0.42    -0.08    -1.32       
    Forestburg        0.82      7.90      5.41     0.12     0.58     0.72       
    Madison           0.10      7.15      4.64    -0.60    -0.59    -0.05       
    Mitchell          0.57      8.95      5.87    -0.13     1.48     0.97       
    Sioux Falls       0.05      8.69      3.55    -0.65     1.05    -1.36       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap       1.43      3.79      1.92     0.73    -2.11    -2.23       
    Custer            0.68      4.39      1.64    -0.02    -1.74    -2.65       
    Yankton           0.91     11.53      7.35     0.07     4.18     2.45       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel         0.59      5.56      3.20    -0.32    -3.10    -2.76       
                                                                                
SE  Armour            0.22      8.62      5.29    -0.49     0.99     0.48       
    Centerville       0.49     10.18      5.19    -0.28     2.49     0.23       
    Marion            0.33      8.04      4.66    -0.37     0.07    -0.38       
    Menno             0.87      9.57      5.43     0.10     1.99     0.43       
    Pickstown         0.43     10.05      7.49    -0.27     2.94     2.81       
    Sioux City        1.34     11.99      7.62     0.50     3.60     2.38       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

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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