Illinois Extension Email

Steve Brand – Commercial Agriculture Specialist 
Stephenson  County 
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed) 
Scouting was done in Stephenson County. Overall, the field conditions are very dry with May only bringing 1.1″ across the area so far. Temperatures have been in the upper 70s and low 80s this week with lows in the upper 40s and 50s. There are some potential rain events coming in the next week to add some moisture back into the soil.…

Kathryn Seebruck – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Ogle County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Northwestern Illinois is in the home stretch of planting. I’ve been able to row quite a few corn fields, and beans have been reported as being up and out of the ground or just about. There are few fields that have yet to be planted.
Weeds such as giant ragweed and common lambsquarters are present in fields I’ve been in,…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
A widespread rainfall event passed through northeast Illinois putting a temporary hold on harvest activities. This pause gives growers the opportunity to visit fields and evaluate combine performance in harvested areas. This is also one of the easiest times to measure harvest populations in corn fields. For 30-inch rows, count the number of plants in 17 feet 5 inches and multiply by 1000 to determine population per acre.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Severely Dry (soil is very dry, water bodies are very low, vegetation is stressed)
The growing season and grain fill is all but over for most and has ended on a dry note. All fields I have visited have been tinder dry. As harvest gets underway, a reminder to check fire extinguishers, and if available, have a tractor hooked to a tillage implement ready to go to help contain a field fire.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Severely Dry (soil is very dry, water bodies are very low, vegetation is stressed)
The 2024 growing season is ending on the dry side in northeast Illinois. Aerial cover crop seed application has started, but limited harvest activity has taken place in the region. I continue to be surprised at the difference in maturity and color of crops across and within fields.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Moderately Dry (soil is dry, plants may be browning or stressed, water bodies are low)
Another dry week.  In travels across northeast Illinois we see both green corn and soy fields, and in others, plants that have browned, dropped leaves and are likely only weeks from harvest. We have had reports of hand shelled corn samples near 30% moisture. For areas that had heavier soils,…

Kathryn Seebruck – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Jo Daviess County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Soybeans are at R6-R7 throughout the area, and corn is at R4-R5. We have not had any significant rainfall events for a couple of weeks, leading to dryer conditions. I still have not heard any reports of or seen increased incidence of disease or insect issues. Some silage chopping has begun.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Recent precipitation and current cool conditions are favorable for both corn and soy crop grain fill. The extended forecast is dry and warmer, which could expedite the grain fill window. For crops on some lighter soils in the Northeast, recent rains appear to have arrived late. Corn in sandy and soils with poor water holding capacity senesced quickly over the recent week.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Moderately Dry (soil is dry, plants may be browning or stressed, water bodies are low)
Rain is in the forecast which would greatly benefit the soy crop in drier areas of Northeast Illinois, that crop is still at R5 or beginning seed. As we reach mid R5 we can expect the remobilization of nutrients from leaves and stems to start. While few reports of soy disease have been noted to date,…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
This week precipitation has been mixed in northeast Illinois, areas north of the Rte. 80 corridor have received multiple rainfall events while areas south have received limited to no precipitation. Soy continues to progress, reaching R5, beginning seed stage. Depending upon variety maturity and planting date, most corn fields visited were R3-R4 to R4-R5.…