According to South Dakota’s office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, last week’s major activities included harvesting row crops, planting winter wheat, and caring for livestock, including moving cattle to stubble fields.
Precipitation was extremely limited and temperatures were below average with a large portion of the state seeing the first hard frost of the season. 96% of both topsoil and subsoil are short to very short of moisture, while 59% of feed supplies are short to very short and 72% of stock water is called short to very short.
96% of corn for silage and 36% of corn for grain are harvested, 88% has reached maturity and 22% is in good to excellent condition.
98% of soybeans are dropping leaves, 90% has reached maturity and 47% is harvested, with 27% called good to excellent.
37% of winter wheat is planted and 1% has emerged, both much slower than average due to the dry soil.
65% of cattle, 74% of sheep, and 2% of pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent condition.
The third cutting of alfalfa is 84% complete, a little behind last year but on pace with the five year average.
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