• BROOKINGS, S.D. - This week's extreme heat has had an overall negative impact on the state's crops, said Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension Climate Field Specialist.
• "Crops, particularly in northeastern South Dakota are stressed due to the heat and lack of moisture," Edwards said. "In a way the heat has helped the corn crop which has been lacking growing degree days this summer, and needed the higher temperatures for plant development. However, when the plant is developing it requires more moisture which has not been available. The lack of moisture is also impacting soybean fields."
• The new US Drought Monitor map for South Dakota reflects this condition. Moderate Drought (D1) has been introduced roughly from Brown and Spink County and east to the Minnesota border. Several stations in this area are honing in on their top 10 driest August on record.
• "Many parts of the corn, soybean and sunflower growing region are suffering from dryness in the northeast," she said. "The big change from last year was that temperatures had been below average until late August, reducing the amount of crop water use and stress. The recent heat has reintroduced the stressed conditions in these dry areas. Somewhat easing the stress has been the high dew points, which reduce some crop water use."

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