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

GENERAL:    Conditions are ideal for harvesting, but lack of precipitation and persistent winds are affecting other areas, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities during the week were harvesting of row crops; fall tillage and fertilizing; weaning calves; and sorting and moving livestock to feed lots, sale barns, and turning cattle out to graze stubble. Statewide, there were 6.5 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 declined slightly across the state again this past week, but remained mostly adequate. Areas with topsoil moisture consid ered very short or short covered 36 percent of the state, up 10 percentage points from last week. These dry areas expanded in the southeast and southwest corners of the state. Surplus topsoil moisture was reported over 5 percent of the state, primarily in a narrow central to northeast band. 



SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - OCT. 29 

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

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     10     7    0     5     3     0
Short      26    19    0    23    19     1
Adeq.      59    65   73    66    68    75
Surplus     5     9   27     6    10    24

CROPS:    As harvest emphasis switches from corn and soybeans to sunflower, three weeks of dry weather made the threat of fire a leading concern. Soybean harvest, at 97 percent, remains ahead of last year and 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. The corn harvest responded to the dry conditions by jumping 24 percentage points from last week to 68 percent complete. Sunflower progress also responded to the conditions, with all of the crop reported mature. Harvest, at 74 percent complete, has closed to 9 percentage points behind the five-year average. Winter crops are beginning to suffer from lack of rain. Winter wheat is 99 percent seeded, with 93 percent emerged. Winter rye seeding is complete, with 95 percent emerged. Both crops are slightly behind the five-year averages. 


   CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - OCT. 31

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Sorghum        0       1     36      54      9
Corn           0       2     13      56     29
Sunflower      0       3     21      58     18
Winter Wheat   1       2     18      65     14
Winter Rye     0       1     27      59     13
Cattle         0       0      8      67     25
Sheep          0       0      6      73     21
Range & 
   Pasture     1       6     22      57     14

LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE:    Range and pasture conditions are starting to be a concern due to lack of precipitation. Percent fair to poor increased by 4 percentage points to 29 percent, but stock water supplies remain mostly adequate. Despite many reports of dust, cattle remain in good condition, with 92 percent rated good to excellent, as ranchers move cattle and prepare calves for fall sales.

WEATHER:    Mild temperatures and dry, windy conditions have prevailed across the state. Statewide, temperatures ranged from 5 to 10 degrees above normal. Average temperatures ranged from 45 degrees at Roscoe to 54 degrees at Winner. The lowest temperature was 17 degrees at Phillip and Porcupine. Yankton was the warmest, at 87 degrees. Precipitation ranged from none in most of the state to 0.10 inch at Winner.

             

                       CROP PROGRESS - OCTOBER 31 1/
                                                                                     
                    This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
  
                         Percent
Corn    
 grain harvested   68     44     64     61
Sorghum    
 mature            99     97    100    100
 grain harvested   69     48     81     77
 silage harvested  91     88    100    100
Soybeans
 harvested         97     89     91     92
Sunflower  
 mature           100     97    100    100
 harvested         74     51     82     83
Winter wheat
 emerged           93     90     98     95
Winter rye  
 emerged           95     87    100     99
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     47  +7  76  23| 0.00  16.28  15.06  +3.13  +3.09|  1971  -295
Aberdeen    46  +6  68  20| 0.02  22.31  20.52  +4.76  +5.15|  2494    -3
Leola       47  +7  75  26| 0.00  26.60  24.58  +8.85  +8.98|  2358   -65
Mobridge    49  +8  66  23| 0.00  21.25  20.75  +5.31  +6.71|  2431  -133
Roscoe      45  +5  65  22| 0.00  25.60  23.68  +7.89  +7.89|  2149  -303
Britton     48  +7  74  21| 0.00  28.97  26.33 +11.19 +10.26|  2464  -100
Sisseton    49  +7  74  27| 0.04  23.57  20.82  +3.88  +3.56|  2490  -143
Watertown   47  +6  76  21| 0.04  16.05  14.50  -4.83  -3.85|  2461   -21
Webster     48  +8  72  27| 0.05  24.16  21.53  +4.36  +4.02|  2373   -63
Faith       50  +8  76  21| 0.00  15.89  14.99  +0.15  +1.06|  2390  -249
Lead        50 +10  72  26| 0.00  26.90  22.60  +0.91  +1.80|  1733   -61
Philip      51  +7  79  17| 0.00  19.39  18.33  +4.18  +4.76|  2652  -264
Rapid       53 +10  80  25| 0.00  18.08  16.98  +2.47  +3.31|  2360   -34
Chamberlain 50  +6  76  23| 0.00  25.70  23.93  +9.06  +9.06|  2675  -398
Highmore    50  +8  78  23| 0.00  22.02  21.02  +3.34  +4.41|  2615  -143
Huron       49  +7  78  23| 0.04  16.89  16.06  -2.00  -0.08|  2886  +192
Pierre      53 +10  72  26| 0.00  23.94  22.84  +6.34  +7.28|  3180  +269
Brookings   46  +6  75  21| 0.03  20.28  18.26  -1.47  -1.51|  2368  +137
Madison     48  +6  76  28| 0.00  20.84  20.08  -1.42  +0.93|  2545   +85
Mitchell    49  +5  79  28| 0.02  29.11  26.74  +8.57  +8.83|  2830   -90
Sioux Falls 50  +7  80  29| 0.00  22.20  20.40  +0.13  +1.12|  2783   +73
Custer      48  +8  71  24| 0.00  19.96  19.16  +2.06  +3.14|  1451  -112
Hot Springs 52  +8  79  19| 0.00  21.36  19.78  +6.33  +6.24|  2298  -370
Porcupine   47  +6  82  17| 0.00  23.11  21.36  +8.02  +7.75|  2262  -372
Bonesteel   52  +9  82  28| 0.00  19.96  16.14  -4.22  -5.28|  2719    +8
Mission     46  +6  78  21| 0.03  24.03  22.56  +5.76  +6.31|  2489   -27
Murdo       50  +8  76  23| 0.00  22.77  19.68  +5.77  +4.94|  2719   -16
Winner      54  +8  78  27| 0.10  19.16  17.60  -3.00  -1.73|  3041  -196
Armour      52  +7  81  28| 0.02  23.68  21.82  +2.18  +3.20|  3084   +34
Vermillion  52  +7  83  32| 0.00  29.12  28.10  +6.17  +7.78|  3071  -121
Yankton     51  +6  87  22| 0.00  25.42  23.94  +3.46  +4.49|  2954   +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
 

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