Return to the List of 1999 Crop Weather Reports

Released: October 18, 1999 -- 3:00 p.m For Week Ending October 17, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 32

GENERAL:    Excellent harvest conditions prevailed across the state last week allowing good progress in corn and soybeans, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities during the week were harvesting of row crops, burning CRP, fall tillage, weaning calves, preparing for fall sales, and moving livestock. Statewide, there were 5.9 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 marginally across the state, but remained mostly adequate. Areas with topsoil moisture considered very short or short covered 18 percent of the state, down 5 percentage points from last week. Topsoil moisture remains short in the southeast corner of the state. Surplus topsoil moisture was reported over 11 percent of the state, primarily in the central to northeast. 



SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - OCT. 15 
               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
          This  Last Last  This  Last  Last
RATING    Week  Week Year  Week  Week  Year
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      3     2    0     2     2     0
Short      15    21    3    14    14     8
Adeq.      71    68   84    72    71    83
Surplus    11     9   13    12    13     9

CROPS:    Dry conditions across the state brought row crop harvest to the forefront, with soybean harvest jumping 22 percentage points, now 58 percent completed. This is still behind the five-year average. The corn harvest, active in many areas of the state, is now 25 percent complete, 3 percentage points behind the five-year average. Corn cut for silage, at 97 percent, is wrapping up. Sunflower progress moved forward but is still behind the five-year average. Sunflower rated mature are at 77 percent, well behind last year. Eighteen percent of the crop is harvested compared to 63 percent last year. Fall-seeded crops progress remained near the five-year averages. Winter wheat seeded is at 96 percent completed, with 81 percent emerged. Many counties report uneven winter wheat emergence due to dry spots. 



   CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - OCT. 17
ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL
                          Percent
Sorghum        0       2     21      68      9
Soybeans       1       3     17      57     22
Corn           0       3     16      58     23
Sunflower      0       4     19      63     14
Cattle         0       0      6      68     26
Sheep          0       1      4      66     29
Range & 
   Pasture     1       3     20      56     20

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    Short pastures in some areas are prompting ranchers to move cattle on to crop stubble and winter pastures. Range and pasture conditions are 76 percent good or excellent and stock water supplies are mostly adequate. Cattle remain in good condition, with 94 percent rated good to excellent, as ranchers move cattle and prepare calves for fall sales. there were several reports of fall seeding of alfalfa.

WEATHER:    Statewide, temperatures ranged from 3 degrees above to 3 degrees below normal. Average temperatures ranged from 45 degrees at Custer to 54 degrees at Yankton. The lowest temperature was 16 degrees at Porcupine. Rapid City was the warmest, at 86 degrees. Precipitation ranged from none in most areas of the state to 0.21 inch at Mobridge. 

             

      CROP PROGRESS - OCTOBER 17 1/

                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM              Week   Week   Year    Ave
                         Percent
Corn    
 mature            93     90    100     98
 grain harvested   25     19     41     28
 silage harvested  97     95     98     95
Sorghum    
 mature            89     84     99     98
 grain harvested   29     19     62     43
 silage harvested  84     74     98     90
Soybeans
 dropping leaves  100     99    100    100
 mature            93     88    100     98
 harvested         58     36     71     66
Sunflower  
 bracts yellow     97     95    100    100
 mature            77     73    100     98
 harvested         18     16     63     48
Winter wheat
 seeded            96     92     96     97
 emerged           81     71     87     86
Winter rye  
 seeded            95     91    100     99
 emerged           80     70     93     91
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     48  -2  75  23| 0.07  16.14  14.92  +3.34  +3.30|  1958  -298
Aberdeen    49  +0  70  29| 0.01  22.23  20.44  +5.09  +5.48|  2489    +1
Leola       48  -2  71  26| 0.09  26.47  24.45  +9.14  +9.27|  2341   -72
Mobridge    49  -1  72  24| 0.21  20.88  20.38  +5.35  +6.75|  2416  -133
Roscoe      47  -3  71  25| 0.00  25.45  23.53  +8.19  +8.19|  2147  -297
Britton     48  -2  66  29| 0.11  28.97  26.33 +11.68 +10.75|  2449  -101
Sisseton    48  -3  67  35| 0.00  23.46  20.71  +4.41  +4.09|  2471  -144
Webster     47  -2  67  29| 0.00  24.03  21.40  +4.80  +4.46|  2361   -67
Watertown   49  -1  68  31| 0.00  15.94  14.39  -4.17  -3.19|  2458   -11
Faith       49  -2  74  23| 0.04  15.70  14.80  +0.37  +1.28|  2358  -263
Lead        48  +1  79  25| 0.04  26.67  22.37  +1.45  +2.38|  1706   -77
Philip      51  -1  83  23| 0.00  19.34  18.28  +4.54  +5.12|  2618  -272
Rapid City  52  +2  86  21| 0.00  18.03  16.93  +2.84  +3.68|  2313   -62
Chamberlain 52  +0  78  24| 0.00  25.67  23.90  +9.51  +9.51|  2655  -396
Highmore    50  -1  73  24| 0.00  22.02  21.02  +3.86  +4.93|  2599  -140
Huron       50  +2  73  24| 0.00  16.77  15.94  -1.52  +0.40|  2870  +192
Pierre      53  +2  77  24| 0.00  23.71  22.61  +6.57  +7.51|  3135  +244
Brookings   48  +2  71  28| 0.00  20.20  18.18  -0.93  -0.97|  2366  +142
Madison     50  +2  72  26| 0.00  20.84  20.08  -0.69  +1.66|  2538   +88
Mitchell    51  +0  74  28| 0.00  29.02  26.65  +9.04  +9.30|  2820   -81
Sioux Falls 52  +3  74  28| 0.00  22.18  20.38  +0.76  +1.75|  2771   +76
Custer      45  -2  76  17| 0.00  19.96  19.16  +2.43  +3.51|  1438  -118
Hot Springs 51  -1  81  20| 0.00  21.36  19.78  +6.69  +6.60|  2266  -374
Porcupine   50  +2  83  16| 0.00  23.07  21.32  +8.36  +8.09|  2252  -367
Bonesteel   52  +3  76  28| 0.00  19.96  16.14  -3.62  -4.68|  2691    -1
Mission     49  -1  77  23| 0.00  24.00  22.53  +6.17  +6.72|  2473   -27
Murdo       50  -1  76  26| 0.00  22.70  19.61  +6.23  +5.40|  2687   -31
Winner      53  -2  77  28| 0.00  19.06  17.50  -2.55  -1.28|  2978  -221
Armour      51  -2  75  28| 0.00  23.58  21.72  +2.66  +3.68|  3047   +23
Vermillion  53  -2  74  27| 0.00  29.12  28.10  +6.87  +8.48|  3043  -117
Yankton     54  +3  80  33| 0.00  25.37  23.89  +4.02  +5.05|  2929   +33
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