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Released: September 27, 1999 -- 3:00 p. For Week Ending September 26, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 29

GENERAL
GENERAL: Soybean and corn harvest began during the week, even though progress was hampered by high moisture and late maturing crops, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities during the week were seeding of winter grains, harvesting corn silage, moving hay, lot cleaning, and preparing machinery for harvest. Statewide, there were 6.2 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 favorable across the state last week. Areas with topsoil moisture considered very short or short are 16 percent, similar to last week. Surplus topsoil moisture covered 12% of the state, and is concentrated mainly in the central northeast. Topsoil moisture remains short in the northwest and southeast corners 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      4     3   10     2     1     4
Short      12    12   46    10    13    32
Adeq.      72    73   42    75    74    60
Surplus    12    12    2    13    12     4

CROPS
CROPS: Crop progress is responding to the dry conditions and warm afternoons but remains behind five-year averages. Soybean maturity jumped 28 percentage points to 40 percent, but is still 12 percentage points behind the five-year average. Soybean harvest, at 8 percent completed, is also behind the five-year average. Corn maturity increased 23 percentage points to 56 percent, but lags 9 percentage points behind the five-year average. Corn harvested for grain, at 5 percent, held steady with the five-year average. Corn cut for silage increased 22 percentage points to 81 percent complete, still ahead of the five-year average of 62 percent. Sunflower progress remains behind the five-year averages, bracts yellowing and mature are 15 and 23 percentage points behind the respective five-year averages. Sunflower harvest, at 2 percent, is also behind the five-year average by 5 percentage points. Good field conditions allowed winter wheat seeded to increase by 21 percentage points to 62 percent, while winter wheat emerged increased to 9 percent. Winter wheat seeded and emerged are 12 and 20 percentage points behind the respective five-year averages. 



   CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - SEPT. 26
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Alfalfa        2       3     16      55     24
Sorghum        0       0     18      65     17
Soybeans       1       4     17      58     20
Corn           1       2     15      56     26
Sunflower      0       2     19      56     23
Flaxseed       0       7     31      55      7
Cattle         0       1      6      62     31
Sheep          0       0      6      56     38
Range & 
   Pasture     2       2     18      58     20

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE
LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE: LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE: Range and pasture conditions are 78 percent good or excellent; stock water supplies are mostly adequate. Cattle, benefitting from continued good pastures and cooler temperatures, remain in good condition, with 93 percent rated good to excellent. Movement of cattle to winter pastures has begun. Alfalfa acreage harvested for a third cutting is 81 percent complete. There are several reports of fourth cuttings in the southeastern portion of the state.

WEATHER
WEATHER: WEATHER: Statewide, temperatures ranged from 3 degrees below to 5 degrees above normal. Average temperatures ranged from 53 degrees in Custer to 62 at Pierre and Winner. The lowest was 29 degrees at Brookings. Philip was the warmest at 90. The greatest amount of rain, 0.72 inch, fell at Roscoe. There were a few reports of light frost. 

             

      CROP PROGRESS - SEPTEMBER 26 1/
                                                                                                          This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
  
                         Percent
Corn    
 dented            97     91    100     96
 mature            56     33     84     65
 grain harvested    5      2     13      5
 silage harvested  81     59     85     62
Flaxseed
 harvested         93     91    100     97
Sorghum    
 coloring          97     92     97     95
 mature            52     30     73     59
 grain harvested    6      3     14      6
 silage harvested  37     29     47     42
Soybeans
 dropping leaves   78     49     95     86
 mature            40     12     74     52
 harvested          8      1     19     10
Sunflower  
 ray flowers dry   93     92    100     99
 bracts yellow     77     76     94     92
 mature            33     18     66     56
 harvested          2      0     18      7
Winter wheat
 seeded            62     41     71     74
 emerged           19     12     38     39
Winter rye  
 seeded            58     43     72     78
 emerged           33     21     45     50
Alfalfa     
 3rd cutting       81     66     83     NA
1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage.



            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  +4  87  34| 0.00  15.67  14.45  +3.61  +3.57|  1925  -263
Aberdeen    58  +2  80  36| 0.64  22.07  20.28  +5.84  +6.23|  2440   +25
Leola       57  +1  80  35| 0.34  26.23  24.21  +9.74  +9.87|  2305   -37
Mobridge    59  +2  83  38| 0.11  20.46  19.96  +5.76  +7.16|  2353  -116
Roscoe      57  +2  82  42| 0.72  25.25  23.33  +8.84  +8.84|  2115  -258
Britton     58  +1  79  38| 0.28  27.86  25.22 +11.59 +10.66|  2408   -62
Sisseton    58  +0  81  35| 0.66  22.88  20.13  +4.98  +4.66|  2435   -89
Watertown   56  -2  78  33| 0.34  15.76  14.21  -3.00  -2.02|  2411   +20
Webster     57  +2  76  36| 0.62  23.73  21.10  +5.59  +5.25|  2324   -35
Faith       60  +3  89  37| 0.05  15.21  14.31  +0.70  +1.61|  2292  -235
Lead        55  +2  77  33| 0.28  26.49  22.19  +2.54  +3.47|  1657   -69
Philip      60  +1  90  34| 0.04  19.23  18.17  +5.25  +5.83|  2531  -245
Rapid City  61  +5  87  37| 0.00  17.96  16.86  +3.61  +4.45|  2217   -69
Chamberlain 59  -2  85  38| 0.01  25.39  23.62 +10.07 +10.07|  2573  -357
Highmore    60  +1  81  32| 0.67  21.44  20.44  +4.31  +5.38|  2525  -115
Huron       59  +2  81  37| 0.44  15.93  15.10  -1.29  +0.63|  2797  +208
Pierre      62  +4  88  37| 0.26  23.09  21.99  +6.91  +7.85|  3023  +236
Brookings   54  -2  80  29| 0.14  19.52  17.50  -0.25  -0.29|  2333  +171
Madison     56  -1  81  30| 0.07  20.50  19.74  +0.34  +2.69|  2486  +115
Mitchell    57  -3  82  36| 0.00  28.67  26.30  +9.91 +10.17|  2751   -44
Sioux Falls 58  +0  86  30| 0.04  21.83  20.03  +1.89  +2.88|  2680   +74
Custer      53  +2  78  32| 0.03  19.65  18.85  +2.90  +3.98|  1403  -106
Hot Springs 59  +0  84  35| 0.00  21.31  19.73  +7.41  +7.32|  2190  -336
Porcupine   57  -2  86  33| 0.00  22.64  20.89  +8.70  +8.43|  2190  -344
Bonesteel   60  +2  84  36| 0.00  19.84  16.02  -2.36  -3.42|  2605   +10
Mission     59  +2  89  35| 0.11  23.74  22.27  +6.84  +7.39|  2417    +2
Murdo       61  +3  89  40| 0.00  22.36  19.27  +6.79  +5.96|  2612    -9
Winner      62  +0  83  38| 0.00  19.06  17.50  -1.46  -0.19|  2849  -205
Armour      60  +0  83  37| 0.00  23.51  21.65  +3.87  +4.89|  2927   +25
Vermillion  60  -2  85  30| 0.00  28.73  27.71  +7.81  +9.42|  2936   -85
Yankton     59  -1  86  32| 0.00  25.00  23.52  +4.88  +5.91|  2829   +50

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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