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Released: May 24, 1999 -- 3:00 p.m. For Week Ending May 23, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 11

GENERAL
Difficult planting conditions still exist even after a week of warmer, drier weather, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Most producers were faced with wet and muddy fields, but were able to get back into the fields to continue planting corn. Fieldwork in the southeast part of the state was slowed late in the week by more rain. Many producers completed shop work and fixed fences while waiting for the rains to stop. Statewide, there were 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork.

Based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors and other reporters around the state.

SOIL MOISTURE
Warmer, drier conditions across the state generally improved the excess moisture situation. With the exception of an occasional pocket of adequate moisture, surplus soil conditions still exist across the eastern half of the state, while the western area of the state is still reporting adequate topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions. 



     
  
   SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - MAY 21 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      0     0    4     0     0     2
Short       0     0    9     0     0     9
Adeq.      60    45   68    59    50    69
Surplus    40    55   19    41    50    20


CROPS
The wet weather has hindered planting of corn, with 55 percent completed, well behind the five-year average. Many producers report this is the critical week to get the remaining acres of corn planted or switch to soybeans. Soybeans are 22 percent planted and 4 percent emerged. Seeding of small grains is nearing completion, with spring wheat 94 percent seeded, oats 91 percent, and barley 87 percent. The cool, wet weather hasn't affected the emergence of small grains, as they continue to progress ahead of the five-year average. There were several reports of yellow spot in winter wheat and alfalfa fields. Many producers continue to spray for weeds that are a problem in small grains. 



CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - MAY 23

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   0       0     13      60     27
Winter Rye     0       2     15      55     28
Alfalfa        0       1      7      57     35
Barley         0       1     10      61     28
Oats           0       1      9      66     24
Spring Wheat   0       2     11      61     26
Sorghum        0       0      3      81     16
Soybeans       0       1      7      69     23
Corn           0       4     13      57     26
Cattle         0       0      7      63     30
Sheep          0       0      6      60     34
Range & 
   Pasture     1       1      9      60     29


LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
Cattle and sheep remain in good to excellent condition, with some isolated reports of pneumonia in cattle and calves. Calving is reported at 93 percent complete and lambing at 94 percent complete, compared to 96 and 94 percent, respectively, last year. Seventy-four percent of the cattle have been moved to summer pastures. Alfalfa hay conditions are 92 percent good to excellent, 7 percent fair, and 1 percent poor. The first cutting of alfalfa is just starting, with several reports of alfalfa weevils and cutworms in the fields.

WEATHER
Temperatures averaged above normal for the majority of the state last week. Vermillion and Pierre reported the highest temperature, at 83 degrees. The lowest temperature was 27 degrees in Custer. Rapid City recorded the highest precipitation amount, with 2.71 inches of rain. 


             

 CROP PROGRESS - MAY 23   1/
                                                                                 
                This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM            Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
  
                         Percent
Barley  
 seeded          87     81    100     85   
 emerged         65     62     93     62   
 boot             1      0      8      2
 headed           0      0      1      0   
Spring wheat
 seeded          94     91    100     89   
 emerged         80     77     96     70 
 boot             1      0     17      4
 headed           0      0      2      0
Oats       
 seeded          91     83    100     88  
 emerged         71     60     91     66  
 boot             1      0     12      3
 headed           0      0      3      1  
Corn    
 planted         55     31     88     67
 emerged         20      7     65     13
 ave.height(in.)  2      0      3      1
 1st cult.        0      0      6      1
Flaxseed
 seeded          53     49     81     38
 emerged         24     20     68     26
Sorghum    
 seeded           6      1     38     18  
Soybeans
 planted         22      6     55     36
 emerged          4      0     23      5 
Sunflower  
 seeded           7      1     36     15  
Winter wheat
 boot            66     55     70     27 
 headed           1      0     15      4 
Winter rye  
 boot            48     39     71     31
 headed           0      0     31      8 
Alfalfa     
 1st cutting      1      0      7      1
__________________________________________
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.

             AVERAGE SOIL TEMPERATURES
          WEEK ENDING MAY 23  (4-Inch Depth) 

LOCATION       TEMP           LOCATION    TEMP

Beresford     58.1          Gettysburg    59.7
Brookings     56.7          Nisland       57.3
Caputa        58.6          Pierre        59.6
Chamberlain   62.7          Redfield      58.2
Cottonwood    56.7          Watertown     58.5


                TEMPERATURE  |    -----  PRECIPITATION -----   | GDD BASE 
                -----------  |       SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE| ---------
               CURRENT WEEK  | CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1|SINCE APR 6
STATION       AVG DFN  HI  LO| WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL   DFN    DFN |TOTAL DFN
-------        --  --  --  --|-----  -----  -----  -----  -----|----- ----
NW Buffalo     55  -2  75  33| 0.28   6.47   5.25  +2.08  +2.04| 84  -65

NC Aberdeen    61  +3  80  39| 0.00   6.55   4.76  +0.72  +1.11|221   +9
   Leola       60  +2  76  42| 0.04   9.58   7.56  +3.27  +3.40|177  -18
   Mobridge    59  +0  78  41| 0.04   8.11   7.61  +2.26  +3.66|161  -38
   Roscoe      58  +0  76  42| 0.07   9.55   7.63  +3.48  +3.48|129  -64

NE Britton     59  +0  79  39| 0.07   7.58   4.94  +2.17  +1.24|214  -10
   Sisseton    60  +0  81  40| 0.21   7.09   4.34  +0.29  -0.03|205  -31
   Webster     60  +2  77  46| 0.10   7.15   4.52  +1.00  +0.66|201   -5
   Watertown   60  +2  77  38| 0.22   5.57   4.02  -1.30  -0.32|220  +20

WC Faith       58  -1  76  37| 0.02   5.33   4.43  -0.58  +0.33|135  -62
   Lead        53  +1  73  33| 0.33  10.73   6.43  -1.69  -0.76| 34  -44
   Philip      58  -2  78  39| 0.36   6.11   5.05  +0.75  +1.33|169  -63
   Rapid City  55  -2  77  32| 2.71   7.39   6.29  +1.65  +2.49|112  -44

C  Chamberlain 61  -1  82  43| 0.14  13.13  11.36  +7.21  +7.21|178  -94
   Highmore    59  -1  75  41| 0.00   7.83   6.83  +1.43  +2.50|161  -62
   Huron       62  +4  79  39| 0.02   6.92   6.09  +0.03  +1.95|273  +52
   Pierre      62  +3  83  41| 0.04   8.93   7.83  +2.78  +3.72|256  +20

EC Brookings   60  +4  80  37| 0.30   8.71   6.69  +2.66  +2.62|191  +19
   Madison     60  +2  80  36| 0.89   8.66   7.90  +1.07  +3.42|206   +0
   Mitchell    62  +2  81  39| 1.77  12.79  10.42  +5.49  +5.75|240  -31
   Sioux Falls 61  +2  81  37| 2.59  11.06   9.26  +3.57  +4.56|242   +7

SW Custer      48  -3  70  27| 1.20   6.00   5.20  +0.05  +1.13| 20  -44
   Hot Springs 56  -3  77  32| 0.25   8.17   6.59  +3.02  +2.93|105 -108
   Porcupine   57  -2  77  32| 0.24   7.74   5.99  +2.57  +2.30|140  -47

SC Bonesteel   60  +1  79  41| 0.37  10.31   6.49  +1.79  +0.73|187  -30
   Mission     58  +0  79  38| 0.28  10.35   8.88  +3.97  +4.52|149  -28 
   Murdo       59  +1  80  40| 0.37  10.86   7.77  +4.43  +3.60|165  -42
   Winner      60  -3  80  41| 0.05   8.26   6.70  +0.00  +1.27|215  -95

SE Armour      62  +1  79  39| 2.23  10.77   8.91  +3.30  +4.32|284  -16
   Vermillion  65  +2  83  38| 1.81   9.12   8.10  +1.53  +3.14|324  -27
   Yankton     62  +2  81  42| 1.36  10.66   9.18  +3.51  +4.54|260  -16
 
Source:  National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
bar chart showing crop progress compared to the last 10 years

                                     
 
 
 
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
 

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