debugging field crop production

Southern rust of corn, caused by the fungus Puccinia polysora, has now been confirmed in Illinois for the 2026 growing season. The first report was received on July 23 from Williamson County in southern Illinois. This confirmation indicates that southern rust spores have reached the state and that corn growers and agronomists should begin scouting, particularly in fields with susceptible hybrids that have not yet reached the later reproductive stages. The disease can develop rapidly under warm,…

Steve Brand – Commercial Ag Specialist DeKalb County Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed) After a busy July, I am back with another crop report. We are coming out of a very significant heat wave. Northern Illinois is entering a mild drought with little to no rain in the foreseeable future, and the Canadian wildfires smoked most of us in Northern Illinois out for the tail end of the week and well into the weekend.…

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending July 17, 2026. WILLAg.org is a partnership of Illinois Public Media and University of Illinois Extension. Its mission is to distribute regionally, nationally, and internationally information and analysis of commodity markets and agricultural weather. Agricultural Markets Synthesis Geopolitical disruptions in the Black Sea region and escalating conflicts in the Middle East emerged as the dominant market drivers, introducing a notable risk premium that overshadowed traditional domestic weather factors.…

by Trent Ford, State Climatologist ISWS PRI University of Illinois Temperatures moderated a little this week as wind patterns shifted. Average temperatures were in the mid-70s statewide, 2 to 4 degrees above average in northern Illinois, and right at the average in southern Illinois. High temperatures regularly reached into the upper 80s and low 90s, with a few places pushing over the 95-degree mark including 96 in Chicago and Quincy. The first half of July was 2 to 4 degrees warmer than average statewide,…