GENERAL: Warm, dry weather kept the combines rolling, as farmers moved to stay ahead of wind damage and the threat of fire, according to the USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major activities during the week were harvesting of row crops and moving grain to town, fall tillage and fertiliz ing, weaning calves, sorting and moving livestock to feed lots and sale barns, and turning the cattle out to graze stubble. Statewide, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters around the state.
SOIL MOISTURE: While topsoil moisture levels con tinue to decline across the state, putting the majority of the state in need of moisture, subsoil moisture remains mostly adequate. Driest areas of the state reported fields too dry to work, as large soil clumps do not break down. Areas with topsoil moisture consid ered very short or short covered 54 percent of the state, up 18 percentage points from last week. Dry areas expanded from last week to cover more of the southern portion of the state. Surplus topsoil moisture held steady, covering 5 percent of the state.
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON - NOV. 5
TOPSOIL SUBSOIL
This Last Last This Last Last
RATING Week Week Year Week Week Year
Percent
Very
Short 18 10 0 11 5 0
Short 36 26 0 29 23 1
Adeq. 41 59 70 53 66 72
Surplus 5 5 30 7 6 27
CROPS: Unseasonably warm, dry conditions propelled harvest toward completion, despite concerns over elevator storage and fire threat. Wind damage early in the week on unharvested row crops was widespread, with reports of losses. Soybean harvest, at 98 percent, is virtually complete, and 2 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. The corn harvest advanced 18 percentage points from last week to 86 percent complete. Harvest progress is now 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Sunflower harvest, at 89 percent complete, moved up15 percentage points from last week, and has closed to 2 points behind the five-year average. Winter wheat and rye crops are seeded and nearly all emerged, yet dry conditions are prompting concerns over lack of growth and entering winter dormancy without sufficient soil moisture.
CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS - NOV. 7
ITEM V POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCEL
Percent
Winter Wheat 0 3 17 68 12
Winter Rye 0 1 27 59 13
Cattle 0 1 8 66 25
Sheep 0 0 6 73 21
Range &
Pasture 2 7 27 53 11
LIVESTOCK AND FORAGE: Range and pasture conditions continue to decline. Percent rated fair to very poor increased by 7 percentage points to 36 percent, but stock water supplies remain mostly adequate. As ranchers move cattle to feedlots and begin backgrounding, dust is developing into a problem for cattle producers, with some reports of dust pneumonia in calves. However, cattle remain in good condition, with 91 percent rated good to excellent.
WEATHER: Unseasonably mild temperatures and dry, windy conditions prevailed across the state. Statewide, temperatures ranged from 5 to 12 degrees above normal. Average temperatures ranged from 41 degrees at Brookings to 52 degrees at Winner. The lowest temperature was 8 degrees at Porcupine. Philip was the warmest, at 84 degrees. The only precipitation recorded was 0.02 inch at Mitchell.
CROP PROGRESS - NOVEMBER 7 1/
This Last Last 5-Yr.
ITEM Week Week Year Ave
Percent
Corn
grain harvested 86 68 76 77
Sorghum
grain harvested 82 69 86 86
silage harvested 93 91 100 100
Sunflower
harvested 89 74 89 91
Winter wheat
emerged 94 93 100 98
Winter rye
emerged 98 95 100 100
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 +7 79 18| 0.00 16.28 15.06 +2.99 +2.95| 1980 -293
Aberdeen 44 +8 74 17| 0.00 22.31 20.52 +4.62 +5.01| 2506 +9
Leola 44 +8 69 24| 0.00 26.60 24.58 +8.67 +8.80| 2358 -65
Mobridge 46 +8 77 22| 0.00 21.25 20.75 +5.17 +6.57| 2447 -124
Roscoe 43 +7 75 22| 0.00 25.60 23.68 +7.72 +7.72| 2156 -296
Britton 43 +6 70 20| 0.00 29.02 26.38 +11.04 +10.11| 2467 -97
Sisseton 47 +9 72 25| 0.00 23.57 20.82 +3.61 +3.29| 2495 -139
Watertown 44 +7 72 21| 0.00 16.05 14.50 -5.12 -4.14| 2470 -12
Faith 47 +9 81 23| 0.00 15.89 14.99 +0.01 +0.92| 2412 -234
Lead 49 +12 77 24| 0.00 26.90 22.60 +0.56 +1.45| 1756 -44
Philip 46 +6 84 19| 0.00 19.39 18.33 +4.03 +4.61| 2668 -255
Rapid City 48 +8 81 13| 0.00 18.08 16.98 +2.31 +3.15| 2379 -22
Chamberlain 47 +7 78 24| 0.00 25.70 23.93 +8.92 +8.92| 2692 -388
Highmore 48 +10 76 21| 0.00 22.02 21.02 +3.14 +4.21| 2624 -140
Huron 47 +9 76 22| 0.00 16.89 16.06 -2.21 -0.29| 2898 +204
Pierre 48 +9 82 23| 0.00 23.94 22.84 +6.19 +7.13| 3199 +281
Brookings 41 +5 72 17| 0.00 20.28 18.26 -1.71 -1.75| 2370 +139
Madison 43 +6 72 16| 0.00 20.84 20.08 -1.72 +0.63| 2554 +94
Mitchell 45 +5 75 23| 0.02 29.13 26.76 +8.35 +8.61| 2838 -83
Sioux Falls 45 +6 72 17| 0.00 22.20 20.40 -0.15 +0.84| 2798 +88
Custer 43 +7 70 19| 0.00 19.96 19.16 +1.92 +3.00| 1455 -114
Hot_Springs 49 +8 79 20| 0.00 21.36 19.78 +6.19 +6.10| 2308 -367
Porcupine 42 +4 83 8| 0.00 23.11 21.36 +7.88 +7.61| 2271 -370
Bonesteel 46 +7 78 25| 0.00 19.96 16.14 -4.45 -5.51| 2730 +12
Mission 44 +6 78 15| 0.00 24.03 22.56 +5.61 +6.16| 2504 -19
Murdo 47 +8 80 24| 0.00 22.77 19.68 +5.59 +4.76| 2737 -5
Winner 52 +10 81 25| 0.00 19.16 17.60 -3.21 -1.94| 3071 -175
Armour 49 +9 79 26| 0.00 23.68 21.82 +1.97 +2.99| 3098 +41
Vermillion 47 +5 73 20| 0.00 29.12 28.10 +5.88 +7.49| 3077 -122
Yankton 45 +5 75 23| 0.00 25.42 23.94 +3.18 +4.21| 2957 +30
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