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Weather helps crops mature
South Dakota Statewide, it was a warm and windy during the week ending Sept. 23, allowing row crops to mature, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, South Dakota Field Office, Sept. 24. There were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Major farm activities included cutting silage and alfalfa, seeding winter wheat, preparing winter lots for cattle and sheep, and initiating row crop harvest. Northeast South Dakota, which had not seen as much recovery from the mid-summer dryness, was the beneficiary of this week's rain, according to the State Climate Office of South Dakota. Over half-inch rains fell across much of the northeast quarter of the state, with localized totals over 4 inches. Precipitation over most of the rest of the state was very light, with only a couple isolated storms producing significant rainfall in the southeast and over the west. Temperatures were generally above average over most of the state. Continued dry down of crops occurred during the week. Some locations escaped the freeze of the previous week, allowing usual dry down. Soil temperatures were the same or warmer than last week due to the warm air temperatures. Statewide, soil moisture ratings remain adequate. Topsoil moisture was rated at 73 percent adequate to surplus, which is similar to last year's 71 percent and better than the five-year average of 56 percent. Subsoil moisture was rated at 65 percent adequate to surplus, an improvement over both last year's 43 percent and the five-year average at 41 percent. The southwest part of the state continues to be quite dry. Warm, windy conditions facilitated dry down of row crops. Sixty-seven percent of corn is rated mature, ahead of both last year's 57 percent and the five-year average of 53 percent. Soybeans now have 81 percent of the crop dropping leaves, behind the average of 86 percent. Also, soybeans were rated at 34 percent mature, behind the five-year average of 39 percent. This week marked the first few harvest reports of soybeans, at 1 percent. Sorghum appeared to dry down the most this week with maturity rated at 74 percent, ahead of the five-year average of 44 percent. The sunflower crop has 90 percent bracts yellow, ahead of the normal of 79 percent. Sunflower maturity is now rated at 20 percent, behind the five-year average of 28 percent. Sixty percent of winter wheat has been planted, which equals last year. Winter wheat emergence is rated at 19 percent, ahead of 17 percent last year. Corn silage harvest is at 76 percent, behind the average of 79 percent. Sorghum silage harvest is now rated 68 percent, behind the five-year average of 76 percent. Cattle and sheep conditions continue to be strong. The range and pasture condition is rated at 54 percent good to excellent, ahead of the five-year average of 26 percent. Alfalfa condition is rated at 62 percent good to excellent, an improvement over the five-year average of 32 percent. The third cutting of alfalfa is at 88 percent, compared to last year's 83 percent. Date: 9/26/07
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