Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
A favorable week for field work in the region. Many corn and soy fields were planted, and operations continue in the area. Earlier planted corn appears to be emerging with a slight advantage to soy. This week we will be starting the aphid suction collection trap in Morris, part of the Suction Trap Network that will be monitored through October.…
Kathryn Seebruck – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Stephenson County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy)
Field work and planting have been ongoing once fields dried enough following the significant rainfall events experienced in the area in mid-April. Although two weeks ago we experienced a number of uncharacteristically warm days, the weather this week continues to vary as some days have been relatively warm, but many nights have been relatively cool,…
Reagen Tibbs– Commercial Agriculture Educator
Logan County
Soil Condition: Moderately Dry (soil is dry, plants may be browning or stressed, water bodies are low)
Rains over the last week have been welcome but have not provided the much-needed relief from drought conditions. If anything, the rain has slowed the harvest progress for many across Logan County. While on the outside rows, some fields appear ready to harvest, there are still many green plants deep inside the fields.…
Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Condition: Near Normal
We have had a bit of a mini heat wave here in the middle of September as temperatures returned to near normal compared to the previous two weeks of cooler weather. The warmer temperatures are helping the corn and soybeans progress along through maturity as we are a bit behind the rest of the state harvest and maturity-wise. As the rest of the state is entering into some more substantial droughts,…
Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Moderately Dry (soil is dry, plants may be browning or stressed, water bodies are low)
Harvest is on the horizon, maturity and drydown will likely be expedited with the return of forecast warmer temperatures. Looking back 150-170 days and evaluating the current growing season, most crop stressors were environmental (dry or drought conditions) or related to plant disease (primarily in the corn crop).…
Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Condition: Near Normal
Cooler temperatures have arrived this fall (late summer really) as we move through the waiting period of the growing season for corn and soybeans. Temperature averages in the 70s and low 80s have brought much relief after a very hot stretch across Northern IL. Nearly every corner of Illinois north of I-80 is at normal rain and water levels as down state begins to enter into a slight drought,…
Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Condition: Near Normal
After a wet couple of weeks up north we are all but back to normal precipitation levels for the season. Most areas across northern IL saw anywhere from 1-4 inches of rain depending on how many storms hit over the past weekend and have primed plants to finish strong through ear and pod fill. Disease has become much more prevalent as the rain has opened up and temperatures have dropped from the 90s.…
Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
This week Dr. Giovani Preza Fontes, assistant professor and Agronomy Extension Specialist from the University of Illinois visited the Grundy-Kendall County area and met with area producers where he shared expectations of both state and local yields. Farmers were provided with recent weather data and were encouraged to take kernel and population counts to determine yield estimates in their own fields.…
Steve Brand – Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
Conditions over the past 2 weeks have reverted back to being dry with temperatures in the upper 80’s to low 90’s. The corn and soybeans have been progressing very quickly with the increased Growth Degree Units and just enough moisture. As we look at the drought map most of Northern IL remains in the D0 drought with a small area south of Chicago in a D1.…
Emily Hansen – Commercial Agriculture Educator
LaSalle County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy)
The heat and humidity has finally broken today after what feels like a very miserable few weeks. Over the past week rainfall in LaSalle, Bureau, Marshall, and Putnam counties has been sporadic, with some areas seeing nearly 6 inches and others seeing less than an inch. Crops in areas that received less rainfall are still looking a little heat stressed.…