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Released: October 25, 1999 -- 3:00 p.m For Week Ending October 24, 1999 Volume 48 Issue 33

GENERAL:    Excellent harvest conditions continued for a second week across the state, enabling producers to make great strides in harvesting corn and soybeans, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities during the week were harvesting of row crops, fall tillage, weaning calves, preparing for fall sales, and moving livestock. Statewide, there were 6.4 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 retreated across the state, but remained mostly adequate. Areas with topsoil moisture considered very short or short covered 26 percent of the state, up 8 percentage points from last week. Topsoil moisture remains short in the southeast corner of the state. Surplus topsoil moisture was reported over 9 percent of the state, primarily in the central to northeast. 



SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - OCT. 22 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short      7     3    0     3     2     0
Short      19    15    1    19    14     2
Adeq.      65    71   84    68    72    85
Surplus     9    11   15    10    12    13

CROPS:    Dry conditions prevailed for a second week across the state, holding row crop harvest at the forefront. Soybean harvest jumped 31 percentage points and is now 89 percent harvested. This is ahead of last year and the five-year average of 84 percent harvested. The corn harvest, also in full swing, is now 44 percent complete, an increase of 19 percentage points. This is still behind the 53 percent harvested last year at this time. With 97 percent of the sunflower crop rated mature, harvest progress moved forward a whopping 33 percentage points from the previous week and is now 51 percent complete. Winter wheat seeded is at 98 percent completed, with 90 percent emerged. Winter rye seeded is nearly complete, with 99 percent planted and 87 percent emerged. 


     CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - OCT. 24

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Sorghum        0       7     32      53      8
Corn           1       3     15      53     28
Sunflower      0       4     19      59     18
Cattle         0       0      8      64     28
Sheep          0       0      6      65     29
Range & 
   Pasture     2       4     19      53     22

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    Some cattle are now grazing on corn stalks. Range and pasture conditions are 75 percent good or excellent and stock water supplies are mostly adequate. Cattle remain in good condition, with 92 percent rated good to excellent, as ranchers move cattle and prepare calves for fall sales.

WEATHER:    Statewide, temperatures ranged from 3 degrees above to 6 degrees below normal. Average temperatures ranged from 40 degrees at Brookings to 50 degrees at Winner. The lowest temperature was 18 degrees at Madison. Pierre and Porcupine were the warmest, at 76 degrees. Precipitation ranged from none in many areas of the state to 0.37 inch at Mobridge. 

             

          CROP PROGRESS - OCTOBER 24 1/
                                                                                     
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn    
 mature            98     93    100    100
 grain harvested   44     25     53     43
Sorghum    
 mature            97     89    100     99
 grain harvested   48     29     73     62
 silage harvested  88     84    100     97
Soybeans
 mature           100     93    100    100
 harvested         89     58     84     84
Sunflower  
 mature            97     77    100    100
 harvested         51     18     74     68
Winter wheat
 seeded            98     96    100     99
 emerged           90     81     94     91
Winter rye  
 seeded            99     95    100    100
 emerged           87     80     97     96
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      44  -1  69  24| 0.14  16.28  15.06  +3.27  +3.23|  1962  -301
Aberdeen     43  -3  69  21| 0.06  22.29  20.50  +4.94  +5.33|  2494    -1
Leola        45  -1  67  22| 0.13  26.60  24.58  +9.06  +9.19|  2351   -69
Mobridge     45  -2  70  25| 0.37  21.25  20.75  +5.51  +6.91|  2420  -137
Roscoe       41  -5  68  23| 0.15  25.60  23.68  +8.10  +8.10|  2149  -302
Britton      44  -3  67  22| 0.00  28.97  26.33 +11.40 +10.47|  2453  -106
Sisseton     44  -4  66  23| 0.07  23.53  20.78  +4.13  +3.81|  2475  -151
Watertown    41  -5  67  22| 0.07  16.01  14.46  -4.52  -3.54|  2460   -17
Webster      42  -3  65  23| 0.08  24.11  21.48  +4.58  +4.24|  2365   -70
Faith        46  -2  73  23| 0.19  15.89  14.99  +0.35  +1.26|  2371  -261
Lead         47  +3  69  28| 0.23  26.90  22.60  +1.30  +2.19|  1717   -73
Philip       46  -3  75  23| 0.05  19.39  18.33  +4.38  +4.96|  2630  -276
Rapid City   48  +3  75  28| 0.05  18.08  16.98  +2.68  +3.52|  2325   -62
Chamberlain  44  -5  74  25| 0.03  25.70  23.93  +9.27  +9.27|  2661  -405
Highmore     44  -4  69  19| 0.00  22.02  21.02  +3.58  +4.65|  2599  -152
Huron        45  -2  74  19| 0.08  16.85  16.02  -1.76  +0.16|  2881  +193
Pierre       48  +0  76  25| 0.23  23.94  22.84  +6.55  +7.49|  3153  +249
Brookings    40  -6  69  20| 0.05  20.25  18.23  -1.22  -1.26|  2368  +137
Madison      41  -5  69  18| 0.00  20.84  20.08  -1.07  +1.28|  2542   +85
Mitchell     43  -5  73  24| 0.07  29.09  26.72  +8.83  +9.09|  2825   -88
Sioux Falls  42  -5  71  19| 0.02  22.20  20.40  +0.43  +1.42|  2776   +71
Custer       44  +1  64  25| 0.00  19.96  19.16  +2.22  +3.30|  1441  -122
Hot Springs  47  -2  74  25| 0.00  21.36  19.78  +6.48  +6.39|  2272  -385
Porcupine    44  -3  76  21| 0.04  23.11  21.36  +8.19  +7.92|  2255  -372
Bonesteel    44  -3  73  25| 0.00  19.96  16.14  -3.94  -5.00|  2697    -7
Mission      42  -5  71  23| 0.00  24.00  22.53  +5.94  +6.49|  2476   -33
Murdo        46  -3  73  26| 0.07  22.77  19.68  +6.02  +5.19|  2700   -28
Winner       50  -2  73  26| 0.00  19.06  17.50  -2.84  -1.57|  3000  -222
Armour       47  -3  74  23| 0.08  23.66  21.80  +2.44  +3.46|  3058   +17
Vermillion   45  -5  75  21| 0.00  29.12  28.10  +6.52  +8.13|  3051  -129
Yankton      44  -5  74  22| 0.05  25.42  23.94  +3.74  +4.77|  2937   +25
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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