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Released: September 7, 1999 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending September 5, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 26

GENERAL
Crops and pastures in much of the state received needed rain, however, some areas need more, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities by South Dakota farmers and ranchers during the week include preparing combines, seed bed preparation, seeding winter wheat and rye where soil moisture was appropriate, haying, and moving bales. Statewide, there were 4.0 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 increased state wide. Very short and short topsoil moisture conditions rated 26 percent, compared to 60 percent a week earlier. Adequate soil moisture predominated through out the state. Topsoil moisture was rated short in three areas of the state (southeast, south-central, and northwest) and very short in southern Charles Mix and Gregory counties. Subsoil moisture was also short in central and south-central portions of the state. 



     
    
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - SEPT. 3 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      8    21    2     3     8     4
Short      18    39   23    25    38    16
Adeq.      59    37   72    61    50    75
Surplus    15     3    3    11     4     5


CROPS
The cold front that moved through the state brought welcomed rains. Dented and mature corn increased 18 and 10 percentage points to 63 and 11 percent, putting the crop slightly ahead of the five-year averages. Corn harvested for silage jumped 12 percentage points, ahead of the five-year average of 7 percent. Soybeans setting pods, at 99 percent, is the same as the five-year average, but there are still reports of dry fields that have not set pods. Bracts yellow and sunflower mature, at 42 and 1 percent, are up from last week but are still 11 and 5 percentage points behind the five-year averages. 




 

       CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - SEPT. 5

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa        2       4     24      54     16
Sorghum        0       4     33      57      6
Soybeans       2       6     23      54     15
Corn           2       5     21      55     17
Sunflower      0       1     21      60     18
Flaxseed       0       0     25      58     17
Cattle         0       0      8      70     22
Sheep          0       0      6      62     32
Range   
   Pasture     2       6     24      52     16


LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
Range and pasture conditions are mostly fair to excellent; similar to last week. Stock water supplies are mostly adequate. Cattle condition rated 92 percent good to excellent, up 3 percentage points from last week. Percent of alfalfa acreage harvested twice is 92 percent complete, and the third cutting is 56 percent complete. Alfalfa condition, at 70 percent good to excellent, is slightly improved from last week.

WEATHER
Statewide, average temperatures ranged from 5 degrees below to 9 degrees above normal. Average temperatures ranged from 59 degrees in Buffalo and Custer to 76 degrees at Yankton. The lowest temperature was 36 degrees at Custer. Philip was the warmest at 99 degrees. The greatest amount of rain, 6.5 inches, fell at Pierre. Rapid City received the least amount of rain at 0.72 inch. 


             


              CROP PROGRESS - SEPTEMBER 5 1/
                                                                                     
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
  
                         Percent
Barley  
 harvested        100     96*   100     99
Spring wheat
 harvested        100     97*   100     99
Oats       
 harvested        100     98*    98     99 
Corn    
 dough             95     87*    94     89
 dented            63     45*    71     54
 mature            11      1     20     10
 grain harvested    0      0     16      9
 silage harvested  15      3     17      7
Flaxseed
 ripe              99     90    100     93
 harvested         76     67     90     68
Sorghum    
 headed            98     90     99     98
 coloring          58     35     66     55
 mature             9      1     15     12
 grain harvested    0      0      3      1
 silage harvested   3      3     14      5
Soybeans
 setting pods      99     95    100     99
 dropping leaves   18     15*    24     23
 mature             1      0     11      7
Sunflower  
 blooming          95     93     93     98
 ray flowers dry   55     50*    80     78
 bracts yellow     42     34     64     53
 mature             1      0*    14      6
Winter wheat
 seeded             4      2     16      9
 emerged            0      0      7      6
Winter rye  
 seeded             3      3     30     13
 emerged            2      0     24      9
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting       92     91     95     92
 3rd cutting       56     40     61     NA
Other hay  
 cut               92     92     91     92 

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


             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     59  -5  90  39| 0.83  15.39  14.17  +4.22  +4.18|  1773  -224
Aberdeen    64  -1  86  47| 3.86  20.99  19.20  +6.07  +6.46|  2257   +42
Leola       63  -3  86  47| 3.15  25.26  23.24  +9.96 +10.09|  2153    +2
Mobridge    63  -3  88  46| 3.30  19.86  19.36  +6.17  +7.57|  2174   -81
Roscoe      61  -5  88  45| 4.38  23.83  21.91  +8.49  +8.49|  1975  -199
Britton     64  -2  85  50| 4.78  26.49  23.85 +11.56 +10.63|  2232   -26
Sisseton    64  -2  88  52| 2.51  21.06  18.31  +4.48  +4.16|  2250   -54
Watertown   69  +5  86  52| 2.65  15.20  13.65  -2.21  -1.23|  2237   +48
Webster     65  +0  83  50| 2.77  22.65  20.02  +5.85  +5.51|  2170    +2
Faith_AP    62  -5  94  40| 1.52  15.09  14.19  +1.44  +2.35|  2097  -195
Lead        61  -1  86  39| 0.83  26.01  21.71  +3.50  +4.43|  1531   -41
Philip_AP   67  -2  99  39| 1.96  18.90  17.84  +5.70  +6.28|  2312  -200
Rapid_City  64  -2  96  37| 0.72  17.66  16.56  +4.15  +4.99|  2014   -59
Chamberlain 69  +0  92  46| 4.89  24.87  23.10 +10.45 +10.45|  2360  -284
Highmore    67  +0  88  44| 3.38  20.67  19.67  +4.69  +5.76|  2339   -53
Huron       69  +4  89  47| 2.84  15.18  14.35  -0.82  +1.10|  2570  +206
Pierre      68  -1  97  45| 6.50  22.66  21.56  +7.59  +8.53|  2752  +223
Brookings   70  +8  86  51| 3.09  18.63  16.61  +0.73  +0.69|  2185  +201
Madisonch   71  +7  88  49| 4.01  19.97  19.21  +1.45  +3.80|  2301  +138
Mitchell    72  +6  91  50| 4.97  28.03  25.66 +10.96 +11.22|  2534    -4
Sioux_Falls 73  +8  89  50| 1.19  21.64  19.84  +3.85  +4.84|  2469   +91
Custer      59  -1  82  36| 1.11  19.48  18.68  +3.80  +4.88|  1305   -69
Hot_Springs 65  -3  93  39| 1.43  20.78  19.20  +7.88  +7.79|  2012  -266
Porcupine   65  -2  97  37| 2.70  22.31  20.56  +9.21  +8.94|  2020  -286
Bonesteel   72  +6  92  46| 2.11  19.73  15.91  -0.45  -1.51|  2386   +29
Mission     67  +3  96  42| 4.06  23.38  21.91  +7.61  +8.16|  2222   +26
Murdo       65  -2  97  45| 5.56  22.22  19.13  +7.48  +6.65|  2381    +4
Winner      71  +1  94  44| 2.65  18.31  16.75  -0.75  +0.52|  2582  -170
Armour      74  +6  93  48| 2.28  23.34  21.48  +5.38  +6.40|  2681   +51
Vermillion  73  +5  89  50| 1.60  28.61  27.59  +9.39 +11.00|  2705   -23
Yankton     76  +9  93  50| 0.93  24.92  23.44  +6.43  +7.46|  2588   +68

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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