Return to the List of 1999 Crop Weather Reports

Released: August 30, 1999 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending August 29, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 25

GENERAL
Crops and pastures need rain statewide, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. A few areas received weekend rains, but crops in many areas are suffering. Major activities by farmers and ranchers during the week include irrigating, spraying, fall seeding preparations, haying, and moving bales. Statewide, there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork.

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

SOIL MOISTURE
Soil moisture levels declined notice ably during the week. Very short topsoil and subsoil areas increased to 21 and 8 percent, respectively. The central and southeastern portion of the state had generally short topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions. Adequate soil moisture predominated in the northern and western counties. 



     
    
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - AUGUST 27


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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     21    11    1     8     3     1
Short      39    44   16    38    36    14
Adeq.      37    43   76    50    59    78
Surplus     3     2    7     4     2     7


CROPS
Continued dry conditions allowed small grain harvest to be completed last week, ahead of the five- year averages. Many counties reported drought symptoms in corn and soybeans. Isolated areas benefitted from scattered showers; however, there were several associated reports of hail damage. Few counties are reporting harvesting row crops for silage. 




 

        CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - AUGUST 22

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa        1       6     28      54     11
Sorghum        0       4     30      59      7
Soybeans       2      11     31      43     13
Corn           1      10     26      47     16
Sunflower      0       7     26      52     15
Flaxseed       0       0     14      75     11
Cattle         0       1     10      65     24
Sheep          0       1      9      60     30
Range   
   Pasture     3       8     26      50     13
Access or subscribe to our reports via the Internet 
at http://www.nass.usda.gov/sd/.


LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
Range and pasture conditions are mostly fair to good; similar to last week. Stock water supplies are mostly adequate. Cattle condition remained mostly good, while sheep are in good condition and improved slightly from last week. There were a few reports of pinkeye, flies, and foot- rot. Percent of alfalfa acreage harvested twice is 91 percent complete, and the third cutting is 40 percent complete. Alfalfa conditions, at 65 percent good to excellent, are similar to last week.

WEATHER
Statewide, average temperatures ranged from 3 to 8 degrees above normal. Average temperatures ranged from 67 degrees at Custer to 78 degrees at Pierre. The lowest temperature was 44 degrees in Porcupine. Pierre was the warmest at 105 degrees. The greatest amount of rain, 1.97 inches, fell at Leola. 


             


                       CROP PROGRESS - AUGUST 29 1/
                                                                                     
                This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM            Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
  
                         Percent
Barley  
 harvested      100     92     98     96
Spring wheat
 harvested      100     93     99     95
Oats       
 harvested      100     96     98     98  
Corn    
 silked         100     99    100     99
 dough           77     72     89     75
 dented          31     23     47     32
 mature           1      0     12      5
 silage harvested 3      1      7      2
Flaxseed
 ripe            90     85     98     83
 harvested       67     62     83     48
Sorghum    
 headed          90     79     92     90
 coloring        35     25     52     34
 mature           1      0      9      4
 silage harvested 3      2     12      3
Soybeans
 setting pods    95     89     96     96
 dropping leaves  7      5     15     11
 mature           0      0      4      3
Sunflower  
 blooming        93     90     92     97
 ray flowers dry 38     28     54     57
 bracts yellow   34     24     42     36
 mature           2      0     10      3
Winter wheat
 seeded           2      1      7      3
 emerged          0      0      4      1
Winter rye  
 seeded           3      2     20      5
 emerged          0      0     16      3
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting     91     88     90     88
 3rd cutting     40     30     50     NA
Other hay  
 cut             92     89     90     89  
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.

             TEMPERATURE  |    -----  PRECIPITATION -----   | GDD BASE 50F
             -----------  |       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     72  +6  97  52| 0.34  14.56  13.34  +3.67  +3.63|  1701  -195
Aberdeen    73  +6  95  56| 0.85  17.13  15.34  +2.70  +3.09|  2154   +44
Leola       73  +6  94  54| 1.97  22.11  20.09  +7.23  +7.36|  2061   +13
Mobridge    74  +6  96  52| 0.62  16.56  16.06  +3.22  +4.62|  2082   -63
Roscoe      72  +4  95  53| 0.15  19.45  17.53  +4.53  +4.53|  1898  -170
Britton     72  +5  93  52| 0.95  21.71  19.07  +7.27  +6.34|  2129   -20
Sisseton    72  +4  95  58| 1.31  18.55  15.80  +2.50  +2.18|  2147   -46
Webster     71  +5  93  55| 0.63  19.88  17.25  +3.63  +3.29|  2065    -2
Watertown   73  +6  96  54| 0.35  12.55  11.00  -4.33  -3.35|  2102   +17
Faith_AP    76  +7  99  52| 0.30  13.57  12.67  +0.20  +1.11|  2010  -165
Lead        70  +6  89  47| 1.01  25.18  20.88  +3.16  +4.09|  1455   -34
Philip      75  +5 102  47| 0.34  16.94  15.88  +4.02  +4.60|  2192  -191
Rapid_City  74  +7  95  49| 0.05  16.94  15.84  +3.76  +4.60|  1912   -53
Chamberlain 76  +5 102  55| 0.52  19.98  18.21  +5.91  +5.91|  2225  -285
Highmore    73  +3 101  50| 1.70  17.29  16.29  +1.73  +2.80|  2218   -53
Huron       76  +8 100  54| 0.07  12.34  11.51  -3.24  -1.32|  2433  +182
Pierre      78  +8 105  56| 1.06  16.16  15.06  +1.44  +2.38|  2628  +227
Brookings   71  +6  94  53| 0.41  15.54  13.52  -1.71  -1.75|  2041  +149
Madison     72  +6  95  53| 0.18  15.96  15.20  -1.93  +0.42|  2152   +92
Mitchell_Ag 75  +5 100  57| 0.12  23.06  20.69  +6.55  +6.81|  2376   -40
Sioux_Falls 74  +6  95  53| 0.17  20.45  18.65  +3.38  +4.37|  2304   +39
Custer      67  +6  85  45| 1.03  18.37  17.57  +3.10  +4.18|  1235   -68
Hot_Springs 72  +4  92  47| 0.60  19.35  17.77  +6.73  +6.64|  1906  -254
Porcupine   71  +3  96  44| 0.00  19.61  17.86  +6.75  +6.48|  1910  -281
Bonesteel   75  +7  98  56| 0.00  17.62  13.80  -1.90  -2.96|  2234    -8
Mission_    74  +6 100  50| 0.44  19.32  17.85  +3.97  +4.52|  2100   +12
Murdo       77  +8 102  56| 0.44  16.66  13.57  +2.20  +1.37|  2273   +15
Winner      76  +5 101  54| 0.36  15.66  14.10  -2.91  -1.64|  2434  -179
Armour      76  +6  98  57| 0.04  21.06  19.20  +3.64  +4.66|  2511   +10
Vermillion  73  +3  91  55| 0.13  27.01  25.99  +8.42 +10.03|  2542   -55
Yankton     75  +6  97  60| 0.09  23.99  22.51  +6.09  +7.12|  2405    +6
 
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
 

Return to the List of 1999 Crop Weather Reports