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Released: August 16, 1999 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending August 15, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 23

GENERAL
Continued dry weather allowed producers to nearly complete the small grain harvest, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Other major activities by farmers and ranchers during the week were haying and late season weed control. There were few scattered showers, leaving crops and pastures in need of rain. Statewide, there were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork.

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

SOIL MOISTURE
Light, spotty rains continue to allow soil moisture levels to decline around the state. Topsoil and subsoil conditions remain mostly adequate at 56 and 70 percent, respectively, with areas of short topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions in the east central counties. 



     
    
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - AUGUST 13


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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      5     1    2     1     0     2
Short      31    29   14    20    13     8
Adeq.      56    64   77    70    77    80
Surplus     8     6    7     9    10    10


CROPS
Producers made good progress harvesting small grains last week. Winter wheat harvest is completed. Spring wheat is 82 percent harvested, up 19 points from last week and 18 points from the five- year average. Eighty-seven percent of oats and 76 percent of barley had been harvested by week's end. Row crops continue to develop but corn and soybeans are showing signs of stress. Ninety-six percent of soybeans were blooming, 72 percent setting pods and 3 percent dropping leaves. Late planted corn has not completed tasseling, however, the crop overall is developing ahead of the five-year average. There were fewer reports of grasshoppers around the state. Weeds, particularly thistles, continue to be a problem. 




 

  CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - AUGUST 15

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa        0       1     23      57     19
Barley         0       2     12      66     20
Oats           0       0     14      68     18
Spring Wheat   1       4     18      56     21
Sorghum        0       4     13      74      9
Soybeans       1       3     21      46     29
Corn           1       3     22      45     29
Sunflower      0       3     22      59     16
Flaxseed       0       1     17      66     16
Cattle         0       0      8      64     28
Sheep          0       0      4      57     39
Range & 
   Pasture     1       3     18      52     26


LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
Range and pasture conditions declined from last week due to lower soil moisture. Cattle and sheep are reported in good condition. Stock water supplies are adequate. There were many reports of flies and pinkeye. Eighty-five percent of the second cutting of alfalfa has been harvested, with 30 percent cut a third time. Alfalfa conditions rated 57 percent good and 19 percent excellent.

WEATHER
Statewide average temperatures ranged from 2 degrees above normal at Armour to 6 degrees below normal at Roscoe. The highest temperature in the state was 98 degrees in several cities, with the lowest temperature of 43 degrees in Custer, Lead, and Mission. Scattered rain was received across the state, with Mobridge receiving the most at 2.52 inches and most areas receiving less then 0.4 inch. 


             


    CROP PROGRESS - AUGUST 15 1/
                                                                                     
                This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM            Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
  
                         Percent
Barley  
 ripe            93     89     97     94
 harvested       76     61     89     72
Spring wheat
 ripe            96     90     99     92
 harvested       82     63     82     64
Oats       
 ripe            95     91     99     94
 harvested       87     69     87     79  
Corn    
 tasseling       98     96    100     98
 silked          94     86     97     89
 dough           60     27     58     33
 dented          12      1     16      7
 mature           0      0      3      1
Flaxseed
 ripe            63     47     93     49
 harvested        5      0     58     14
Sorghum    
 headed          55     33     58     66
 coloring        24     22     17     12  
Soybeans
 blooming        96     91     95     94
 setting pods    72     55     81     74
 dropping leaves  3      0      3      2
Sunflower  
 blooming        72     50     82     80
 ray flowers dry 22      9     33     16
 bracts yellow   20      5     32     12  
Winter wheat
 harvested      100     97     99     95
Winter rye  
 harvested       98     86     94     93
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting     85     75     87     79
 3rd cutting     30     15     23     NA
Other hay  
 cut             84     80     82     82  
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.


 
             TEMPERATURE  |    -----  PRECIPITATION -----   | GDD BASE 
             -----------  |       SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE| ------------
            CURRENT WEEK  | CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1|SINCE APRIL 6
STATION    AVG DFN  HI  LO| WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN| TOTAL   DFN
-------     --  --  --  --|-----  -----  -----  -----  -----| -----  ----
Buffalo     70  -2  97  49| 1.32  14.16  12.94  +3.81  +3.77|  1412  -226
Aberdeen    71  -1  87  51| 1.12  16.16  14.37  +2.67  +3.06|  1858   +16
Leola       71  -2  86  50| 1.43  20.14  18.12  +6.10  +6.23|  1764   -21
Mobridge    73  +0  95  48| 2.52  15.94  15.44  +3.36  +4.76|  1772   -96
Roscoe      67  -6  88  48| 2.01  19.28  17.36  +5.24  +5.24|  1614  -186
Britton     71  -2  86  50| 1.53  20.91  18.27  +7.45  +6.52|  1840   -35
Sisseton    70  -3  88  49| 1.76  17.18  14.43  +2.46  +2.14|  1836   -85
Webster     69  -3  84  49| 0.62  18.86  16.23  +3.85  +3.51|  1780   -29
Watertown   71  -2  87  48| 0.06  12.20  10.65  -3.47  -2.49|  1803   -19
Faith       73  -1  95  46| 0.13  13.27  12.37  +0.46  +1.37|  1679  -206
Lead        67  -1  87  43| 0.82  24.14  19.84  +3.10  +4.03|  1196   -80
Philip      74  -2  98  44| 0.00  16.42  15.36  +4.14  +4.72|  1857  -211
Rapid City  72  +1  95  50| 0.06  16.63  15.53  +4.15  +4.99|  1591  -105
Chamberlain 71  -5  94  51| 0.14  19.41  17.64  +6.20  +6.20|  1871  -316
Highmore    74  +1  94  54| 0.00  15.59  14.59  +1.01  +2.08|  1898   -76
Huron       74  +1  91  52| 0.27  11.60  10.77  -3.14  -1.22|  2090  +122
Pierre      76  +1  98  49| 0.09  15.02  13.92  +1.00  +1.94|  2242  +154
Brookings   68  -2  88  45| 0.00  14.95  12.93  -1.04  -1.08|  1760  +100
Madison     70  -1  89  45| 0.08  15.21  14.45  -1.40  +0.95|  1845   +40
Mitchell    72  -3  91  51| 0.00  22.94  20.57  +7.47  +7.73|  2036   -84
Sioux Falls 71  -3  89  47| 0.01  20.21  18.41  +4.49  +5.48|  1979    -8
Custer      66  +1  86  43| 0.00  17.25  16.45  +2.82  +3.90|  1007  -113
Hot Springs 74  +1  94  53| 0.00  18.15  16.57  +6.08  +5.99|  1608  -267
Porcupine   72  -2  95  44| 0.45  19.40  17.65  +7.10  +6.83|  1623  -284
Bonesteel   72  -2  92  51| 0.00  17.56  13.74  -0.72  -1.78|  1890   -70
Mission     71  -1  92  43| 0.18  18.81  17.34  +4.30  +4.85|  1777   -44
Murdo       74  +1  98  46| 0.38  16.19  13.10  +2.41  +1.58|  1908   -59
Winner      76  +0  95  49| 0.20  14.48  12.92  -3.11  -1.84|  2067  -219
Armour      76  +2  98  52| 0.54  20.94  19.08  +4.47  +5.49|  2155   -37
Vermillion  73  -2  89  50| 0.35  26.47  25.45  +9.15 +10.76|  2224   -67
Yankton     71  -3  93  51| 0.15  23.83  22.35  +7.13  +8.16|  2069   -40
 
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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