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Released: September 20, 1999 -- 3:00 p.m. For Week Ending September 19, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 28

GENERAL
GENERAL: Cool weather and moisture continue to benefit row crops, as seeding of winter grains and silage harvest move forward, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. With the recent moisture, producers are concerned about row crop maturity and yield. Major activities by farmers and ranchers last week include cutting silage, seeding winter wheat and rye, and preparing for the soybean harvest. Statewide, there were 5.8 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 remained favor able across the state last week. Areas with topsoil moisture considered very short or short are 15 percent, similar to last week. Surplus moisture was reported in the northeast corner of the state. 



SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - SEPT. 17 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3     1   10     1     0     2
Short      12    11   38    13    12    30
Adeq.      73    68   50    74    73    65
Surplus    12    20    2    12    15     3

CROPS
CROPS: Cool, dry conditions impeded soybean development, with only 12 percent rated mature, 21 percentage points behind the five-year average. With only light frosts and no hard freeze yet, there is hope of the soybean crop recovering from the drought. Corn dented, now at 91 percent, is 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average; while corn rated mature increased 19 percentage points and remains behind the average. Corn cut for silage increased to 59 percent complete, still ahead of the five-year average of 39 percent and nears completion in some areas. Corn harvested for grain has begun and, at 2 percent, is equal to the five-year average. The sunflower crop is also falling behind, as 76 percent of the crop has bracts yellowing and only 18 percent is mature, which is 4 and 15 percentage points behind the five-year averages. Winter wheat seeded increased 27 percentage points to 41 percent, while winter wheat emerged increased to 12 percent. 


                 CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - SEPT. 19

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Alfalfa        1       3     22      54     20
Sorghum        0       6     20      54     20
Soybeans       2       5     17      57     19
Corn           1       4     17      57     21
Sunflower      0       3     18      63     16
Flaxseed       0       0     26      66      8
Cattle         0       1      5      66     28
Sheep          0       1      5      53     41
Range & 
   Pasture     2       3     19      55     21

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE: Range and pasture conditions improved with the recent rains. Stock water supplies are mostly adequate. Cattle remain in good condition, with 94 percent rated good to excellent, similar to last week. Alfalfa acreage harvested for a third cutting is 66 percent complete.

WEATHER
WEATHER: Statewide, temperatures ranged from 1 to 6 degrees below normal. Average temperatures ranged from 50 degrees in Custer to 61 degrees at Pierre. The lowest temperature was 25 degrees at Custer. Buffalo was the warmest at 88 degrees. The greatest amount of rain, 0.75 inch, fell at Brookings. There were a few reports of light frost. 

             

                      CROP PROGRESS - SEPTEMBER 19 1/
                                                                                     
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn    
 dented            91     75     97     88
 mature            33     14     59     40
 grain harvested    2      0      5      2
 silage harvested  59     34     71     39
Flaxseed
 harvested         91     79     98     91
Sorghum    
 coloring          92     77     89     87
 mature            30     15     51     37
 grain harvested    3      0      9      3
 silage harvested  29     12     38     26
Soybeans
 dropping leaves   49     32     83     69
 mature            12      4     50     33
 harvested          1      0      6      3
Sunflower  
 ray flowers dry   92     77     98     97
 bracts yellow     76     58     89     80
 mature            18      5     50     33
 harvested          0      0     10      3
Winter wheat
 seeded            41     14     47     54
 emerged           12      2     24     20
Winter rye  
 seeded            43     15     59     60
 emerged           21      3     35     29
Alfalfa     
 2nd cutting       98     95     NA     NA
 3rd cutting       66     63     78     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     54  -5  88  31| 0.15  15.67  14.45  +3.89  +3.85|  1860  -281
Aberdeen    58  -2  77  41| 0.22  21.43  19.64  +5.62  +6.01|  2383   +17
Leola       56  -3  75  38| 0.12  25.93  23.91  +9.79  +9.92|  2258   -37
Mobridge    56  -4  77  39| 0.03  20.35  19.85  +5.96  +7.36|  2289  -126
Roscoe      55  -5  76  39| 0.12  24.53  22.61  +8.47  +8.47|  2062  -262
Britton     58  -3  75  40| 0.05  27.58  24.94 +11.73 +10.80|  2350   -66
Sisseton    58  -3  77  41| 0.02  22.22  19.47  +4.74  +4.42|  2373   -94
Watertown   57  -3  74  42| 0.09  15.42  13.87  -2.92  -1.94|  2361   +21
Webster     55  -4  74  41| 0.25  23.21  20.58  +5.49  +5.15|  2267   -45
Faith       56  -5  87  33| 0.06  15.16  14.26  +0.93  +1.84|  2218  -248
Lead        53  -4  80  34| 0.11  26.21  21.91  +2.72  +3.65|  1606   -82
Philip      58  -5  87  34| 0.21  19.19  18.13  +5.45  +6.03|  2459  -248
Rapid City  57  -4  87  31| 0.19  17.96  16.86  +3.89  +4.73|  2139   -92
Chamberlain 59  -6  85  39| 0.34  25.38  23.61 +10.34 +10.34|  2506  -348
Highmore    57  -5  78  36| 0.10  20.77  19.77  +3.99  +5.06|  2453  -123
Huron       60  -1  80  38| 0.28  15.49  14.66  -1.35  +0.57|  2732  +201
Pierre      61  -2  85  39| 0.10  22.83  21.73  +7.00  +7.94|  2937  +217
Brookings   56  -2  80  38| 0.75  19.38  17.36  +0.21  +0.17|  2296  +179
Madison     58  -3  81  38| 0.46  20.43  19.67  +0.78  +3.13|  2432  +115
Mitchell    58  -4  85  40| 0.64  28.67  26.30 +10.46 +10.72|  2698   -29
Sioux Falls 58  -3  82  38| 0.15  21.79  19.99  +2.52  +3.51|  2618   +70
Custer      50  -5  77  25| 0.13  19.62  18.82  +3.22  +4.30|  1366  -110
Hot Springs 57  -6  85  29| 0.30  21.31  19.73  +7.74  +7.65|  2125  -335
Porcupine   56  -5  84  31| 0.12  22.64  20.89  +8.98  +8.71|  2139  -337
Bonesteel   59  -3  85  41| 0.01  19.84  16.02  -1.73  -2.79|  2534    +1
Mission     57  -4  80  36| 0.09  23.63  22.16  +7.08  +7.63|  2350    -9
Murdo       58  -4  82  39| 0.07  22.36  19.27  +7.07  +6.24|  2534   -24
Winner      60  -5  85  40| 0.36  19.06  17.50  -0.98  +0.29|  2763  -209
Armour      59  -5  84  37| 0.09  23.51  21.65  +4.43  +5.45|  2842   +12
Vermillion  59  -6  82  37| 0.05  28.73  27.71  +8.34  +9.95|  2861   -79
Yankton     59  -4  86  38| 0.00  25.00  23.52  +5.39  +6.42|  2757   +48

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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