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Released: September 13, 1999 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending September 12, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 27

GENERAL
GENERAL: Cool weather and moisture benefitted row crops but wet soils delayed seeding of winter wheat, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities by farmers and ranchers during last week include cutting silage, seed bed preparation, seeding winter wheat and rye where soil moisture was appropriate, and fencing. State wide, 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: Soil moisture levels continued to improve last week. Areas with topsoil moisture consid ered very short and short dropped to 12 percent, down from 26 percent a week earlier. Adequate soil moisture predominated throughout the state. Topsoil and subsoil moisture was rated short in small areas along the southern border of the state. 




SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - SEPT. 10 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      1     8    7     0     3     6
Short      11    18   36    12    25    26
Adeq.      68    59   56    73    61    68
Surplus    20    15    1    15    11     0

CROPS
CROPS: Row crops are responding favorably to the cooler weather and adequate moisture, however, there is some concern over the impact of a seasonable frost on the late soybean crop. Corn dented, now at 75 percent, equaled the five-year average, while corn rated mature increased only 3 points, and is behind the average. Corn cut for silage increased to 34 percent complete, still ahead of the five-year average of 19 percent. Soybeans dropping leaves, at 32 percent, increased 14 percentage points but are still 12 points behind the five-year average. Soybeans rated mature are 10 points behind the five-year average. The sunflower crop is also starting to fall behind, as 58 percent of the crop has bracts yellowing and only 4 percent is mature, both 11 points behind the five-year average. Winter wheat seeded increased 10 percentage points to 14 percent, as producers responded to the increase in soil moisture. 



                CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - SEPT. 12

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa        1       2     20      58     19
Sorghum        0       1     22      70      7
Soybeans       1       5     20      56     18
Corn           1       4     21      54     20
Sunflower      0       3     22      58     17
Flaxseed       1       2     23      56     18
Cattle         0       0      7      66     27
Sheep          0       4      6      59     31
Range   
   Pasture     1       6     21      54     18

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE: Range, pasture, and alfalfa conditions improved with the recent rains. Stock water supplies are mostly adequate. Cattle remain in good condition, with 93 percent rated good to excellent, similar to last week. Percent of alfalfa acreage harvested twice is 95 percent complete, and the third cutting is 63 percent complete.

WEATHER
WEATHER: Statewide, temperatures ranged from normal to 7 degrees below normal. Average temperatures ranged from 54 degrees in Custer to 65 degrees at Pierre, Mitchell, and Winner. The lowest temperature was 33 degrees at Custer and Porcupine. Pierre was the warmest at 94 degrees. The greatest amount of rain, 1.14 inches, fell at Sisseton. Many areas of the state received little or no precipitation. 

             

                      CROP PROGRESS - SEPTEMBER 12 1/
                                                                                     
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
  
                         Percent
Corn    
 dough             97     95     99     96
 dented            75     63     90     75
 mature            14     11     33     21
 grain harvested    0      0      1      0
 silage harvested  34     15     48     19
Flaxseed
 ripe              99     99    100     97
 harvested         79     76     96     83
Sorghum    
 headed            99     98    100     99
 coloring          77     58     83     75
 mature            15      9     30     21
 grain harvested    0      0      6      1
 silage harvested  12      3     21     10
Soybeans
 dropping leaves   32     18     57     44
 mature             4      1     17     14
 harvested          0      0      1      0
Sunflower  
 ray flowers dry   77     55     91     91
 bracts yellow     58     42     73     69
 mature             5      1     20     16
Winter wheat
 seeded            14      4     27     27
 emerged            2      0     10      9
Winter rye  
 seeded            15      3     41     32
 emerged            3      2     29     16
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting       95     92     NA     NA
 3rd cutting       63     56     68     NA
 
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     57  -5  88  37| 0.13  15.52  14.30  +4.06  +4.02|  1824  -254
Aberdeen    59  -3  80  40| 0.22  21.21  19.42  +5.82  +6.21|  2325   +25
Leola       58  -4  78  42| 0.55  25.81  23.79 +10.09 +10.22|  2212   -20
Mobridge    59  -4  81  39| 0.46  20.32  19.82  +6.28  +7.68|  2242  -103
Roscoe      57  -6  81  41| 0.58  24.41  22.49  +8.70  +8.70|  2024  -234
Britton     58  -5  78  40| 1.04  27.53  24.89 +12.11 +11.18|  2292   -54
Sisseton    59  -5  81  43| 1.14  22.20  19.45  +5.14  +4.82|  2315   -80
Watertown   60  -3  78  41| 0.13  15.33  13.78  -2.57  -1.59|  2308   +35
Webster     58  -5  76  42| 0.31  22.96  20.33  +5.67  +5.33|  2225   -24
Faith       60  -4  86  40| 0.01  15.10  14.20  +1.17  +2.08|  2168  -221
Lead        55  -4  79  37| 0.09  26.10  21.80  +3.10  +4.03|  1573   -64
Philip      62  -4  92  38| 0.08  18.98  17.92  +5.50  +6.08|  2398  -222
Rapid_City  60  -3  91  36| 0.11  17.77  16.67  +3.98  +4.82|  2088   -73
Chamberlain 62  -5  88  43| 0.17  25.04  23.27 +10.28 +10.28|  2444  -315
Highmore    58  -7  83  38| 0.00  20.67  19.67  +4.27  +5.34|  2398   -95
Huron       63  -1  85  40| 0.03  15.21  14.38  -1.21  +0.71|  2660  +204
Pierre      65  +0  94  43| 0.07  22.73  21.63  +7.27  +8.21|  2858  +223
Brookings   59  -2  78  40| 0.00  18.63  16.61  +0.09  +0.05|  2250  +191
Madison     60  -3  81  42| 0.00  19.97  19.21  +0.88  +3.23|  2377  +128
Mitchell    65  -1  85  46| 0.00  28.03  25.66 +10.38 +10.64|  2639    -3
Sioux_Falls 63  -2  82  43| 0.00  21.64  19.84  +3.08  +4.07|  2559   +87
Custer      54  -4  79  33| 0.01  19.49  18.69  +3.44  +4.52|  1338   -93
Hot Springs 58  -7  89  34| 0.23  21.01  19.43  +7.79  +7.70|  2071  -307
Porcupine   59  -5  90  33| 0.21  22.52  20.77  +9.14  +8.87|  2087  -313
Bonesteel   62  -3  86  43| 0.10  19.83  16.01  -1.05  -2.11|  2470   +16
Mission     61  -3  90  40| 0.16  23.54  22.07  +7.35  +7.90|  2299   +12
Murdo       63  -2  90  44| 0.07  22.29  19.20  +7.27  +6.44|  2474    -2
Winner      65  -3  88  45| 0.39  18.70  17.14  -0.85  +0.42|  2689  -182
Armour      63  -3  85  40| 0.08  23.42  21.56  +4.90  +5.92|  2776   +37
Vermillion  63  -4  83  41| 0.07  28.68  27.66  +8.85 +10.46|  2799   -43
Yankton     64  -1  85  41| 0.08  25.00  23.52  +5.95  +6.98|  2690   +67


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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