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Released: August 3, 1998 -- 3:00 p.m. For Week Ending August 2, 1998 Volume 47 Issue 21

GENERAL
Weather conditions allowed producers to make excellent progress harvesting winter wheat, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Row crops continue to progress rapidly but could use rain in many areas across the state. Statewide, there were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork.

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

SOIL MOISTURE
A week of dry weather has left many counties in the northern half of the state with short topsoil moisture. A large part of this area is also reporting short subsoil conditions. The rest of the state is reporting adequate conditions, with a small south central section reporting surplus topsoil moisture. 



    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - JULY 31

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      4     1    4     1     0     2
Short      27    22   11    16    12     9
Adeq.      64    70   72    75    78    78
Surplus     5     7   13     8    10    11


CROPS
CROPS: Winter wheat and winter rye harvest are nearing completion, with 93 and 90 percent harvested, respectively, up 14 and 33 points from last week. In addition, spring wheat, oats, and barley are 36, 61, and 44 percent harvested, well ahead of the five-year averages of 11, 27, and 16 percent. Corn made significant progress this week, with 19 percent in the dough stage, which is 11 points ahead of last week, and 4 percent dented. Sunflower is 45 percent blooming, with 8 percent of ray flowers dry. Soybeans jumped to 45 percent setting pods, up 14 points from last week. Grasshoppers are causing problems in row crops for producers across most of the state, prompting many farmers to edge soybean fields more than once. Alfalfa is 70 percent cut twice, ahead of the five-year average of 56 percent. 



 CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - AUGUST 2

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat  0       1     18      47     34
Winter Rye    0       0      6      65     29
Alfalfa       1       7     26      55     11
Spring Wheat  0       3     18      58     21
Barley        0       2     19      60     19
Oats          0       5     15      59     21
Corn          0       2     10      55     33
Sorghum       0       3      8      78     11
Soybeans      0       2     11      55     32
Flaxseed      0       0     17      73     10
Sunflower     0       5     10      63     22
Livestock     0       0      6      67     27
Range &  
    Pasture   0       3     18      61     18


LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
Range and pasture are in need of rain after a dry week, with 79 percent reported in good to excellent condition and 21 percent poor to fair. Stock water supplies are 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 84 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus. Livestock remain in good condition, with 94 percent in good to excellent condition and 6 percent fair. Pink eye is showing up in many animals across the state. Flies continue to be a problem for cattle.

WEATHER
Temperatures averaged below normal last week. Statewide, these averages ranged from 6 degrees below at many locations to 2 degrees above normal at Highmore. The highest temperature was 96 degrees at Lemmon and Pierre, while the lowest temperature was 46 degrees at Madison. Little to no precipitation was received in many locations across the state. Armour received the most precipitation with 1.53 inches. 


             

 CROP PROGRESS 1/ - AUGUST 2
                                                                                    
                 This   Last   Last    5-Yr.
ITEM             Week   Week   Year     Ave
  
  
                            Percent
Barley  
 turning color   100     92      83     89
 ripe             85     57      46     48 
 harvested        44     17       5     16
Spring wheat
 turning color   100     94      82     85
 ripe             84     58      44     40
 harvested        36     14       4     11   
Oats       
 turning color   100     95      85     89
 ripe             86     67      51     57
 harvested        61     29      19     27
Corn
 tasseling        93     76      84     65
 silked           78     54      64     46
 dough            19      8       5      5
 dented            4      0       0      0
Flaxseed
 blooming         90     86      97     86
 ripe             89     57       9      6
 harvested        54     10       0      0 
Sorghum
 headed           30     15      36     22
 coloring          4      0       5      2
Soybeans
 blooming         86     72      77     64
 setting pods     45     31      46     31  
Sunflower
 blooming         45     32      42     27
 ray flowers dry   8      0       2      0
Winter Wheat
 ripe            100     99      87     92
 harvested        93     79      43     56    
Winter Rye  
 ripe             99     93      97     90
 harvested        90     57      32     37    
Alfalfa    
 cut twice        70     69      60     56
Other Hay  
 cut              79     71      80     68  

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


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Growing Degree Days |    Temperature past week            
               -----------------------------------------------------------
                 GDD       Departure|          Departure                  
                 Since     from     |  Ave     from        High   Low     
Dist  Station    April 6   normal   |          normal                     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      - - - - - - Degrees - - - - - -     
NW  Lemmon            1484        48        72        1       96       50       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen          1708        78        69       -4       89       55       
    Mobridge          1740        97        74        0       94       56       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown         1579        52        68       -4       83       54       
    Webster           1684       195        69       -2       89       55       
                                                                                
WC  Philip            1724       -19        72       -3       89       58       
    Rapid City        1520       -19        71       -2       91       60       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain       1782         1        71       -4       87       56       
    Highmore          1893       251        76        2       95       60       
    Huron             1873       138        71       -3       88       56       
    Pierre            1953       170        76        0       96       60       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings         1628       149        66       -4       83       49       
    Flandreau         1644        55        67       -4       84       50       
    Forestburg        1864       103        70       -4       88       53       
    Madison           1689       103        66       -6       84       46       
    Mitchell          1908        67        71       -4       87       57       
    Sioux Falls       1697       -69        68       -6       87       51       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap         NA        NA        NA       NA       NA       NA                   
    Custer            1053        19        65        0       84       55       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel         1768       -24        70       -5       88       55       
                                                                                
SE  Armour            1916        83        70       -5       86       56       
    Centerville       1853        57        68       -6       87       54       
    Marion            1812        30        69       -5       84       54       
    Menno             1928        77        70       -5       86       56       
    Pickstown         1828       -78        70       -6       87       55       
    Sioux City        1983         1        70       -5       94       51       
    Yankton           2006       139        71       -4       92       55       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  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      4.40      2.38    -0.48    -8.66    -8.61       
                                                                                
NC  Aberdeen          0.00     16.54     13.62    -0.57     4.03     3.24       
    Mobridge          0.00      7.03      5.87    -0.42    -4.71    -4.01       
                                                                                
NE  Watertown         0.12     12.73     10.92    -0.52    -1.68    -1.01       
    Webster           0.07     20.67     16.44    -0.63     7.06     5.08       
                                                                                
WC  Philip            0.62     20.51     17.31     0.15     9.01     7.41       
    Rapid City        0.08     14.33     11.62    -0.34     2.66     1.85       
                                                                                
 C  Chamberlain       0.95     15.07     12.82     0.40     1.29     1.27       
    Highmore          0.95     16.34     13.38     0.33     2.90     1.96       
    Huron             0.22     16.77     13.28    -0.33     2.97     2.17       
    Pierre            0.95     14.28     10.74     0.41     1.09    -0.45       
                                                                                
EC  Brookings         0.07      8.72      7.15    -0.63    -6.02    -5.65       
    Flandreau         0.16     12.39      9.44    -0.53    -1.82    -2.70       
    Forestburg        0.56     15.27     12.83    -0.05     0.87     1.06       
    Madison           0.29     12.91     10.38    -0.38    -2.33    -1.81       
    Mitchell          0.25     13.90     10.78    -0.31    -0.60    -1.15       
    Sioux Falls       0.12     19.72     14.47    -0.45     5.21     2.69       
                                                                                
SW  Buffalo Gap       0.03     11.03      6.83    -0.52    -1.62    -4.07       
    Custer            0.07     10.23      6.00    -0.60    -3.18    -5.57       
                                                                                
SC  Bonesteel         0.57     14.03     11.38    -0.12    -3.01    -2.96       
                                                                                
SE  Armour            1.53     20.13     16.88     0.86     4.66     4.23       
    Centerville       0.01     20.40     16.09    -0.72     4.21     2.63       
    Marion            0.06     16.18     13.03    -0.56     0.78     0.56       
    Menno             0.41     17.95     14.84    -0.33     2.38     1.85       
    Pickstown         0.02     20.02     17.36    -0.55     5.42     5.19       
    Sioux City        0.01     23.69     18.42    -0.69     7.38     5.26       
    Yankton           0.03     20.84     16.72    -0.66     5.40     3.73       
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South Dakota county map showing topsoil moisture South Dakota county map showing subsoil moisture

Topsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
Black & White Crosshatched Topsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
Subsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
Black & White Crosshatched Subsoil image in 'TIF' format for publishers
 

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