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Illinois Crop Update – July 25, 2025

  • July 25, 2025
  • Illinois Extension

Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
Its another hot week upon as a heat dome settles down on the Midwest as a whole. July so far has brought 3.5 – 5 inches of rain depending on the area you are in, excluding Will county which is still in a somewhat severe drought. Northwest Illinois is on pace for historical averages and enjoying a great growing season. South of Chicago and some of the suburban counties are drier than normal and continue to be in either a D1 or D2 drought.…

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Southern Rust Confirmed Near Illinois: What You Need to Know

  • July 15, 2025
  • Todd Gleason, Boris X. Camiletti

Southern rust of corn, caused by the fungus Puccinia polysora, has recently been confirmed in counties of Indiana and Kentucky bordering southern Illinois. While not yet confirmed in Illinois this season, its proximity makes it important to stay alert, scout actively, and be prepared to manage the disease if it arrives.
Recognizing Southern Rust
Southern rust produces small, orange to light-brown pustules typically found on the upper surface of corn leaves, often concentrated in the upper canopy.…

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An Illinois Crop Progress Conversation

  • July 5, 2025
  • Todd Gleason

* Tools to Manage Tar Spot
* Illinois Soft Red Winter Wheat Harvest & Quality
* Corn and Soybean Update
* WILLAg Closing Market Report and Commodity Week

The Closing Market Report podcast player should open to the spot where the Illinois Field Crops discussion begins, or about six minutes into the program.
Tools to Manage Tar Spot
There is a new online tool farmers and retailers may use to help track,…

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Soybean and Corn Management in Illinois (2025)

  • March 17, 2025
  • Giovani Preza Fontes

Illinois Extension has released two updated publications on corn and soybean management in Illinois.
These publications offer guidance to assist producers, crop consultants, and agronomists on how to manage Illinois corn and soybean crops in the most efficient and profitable manner. The recommendations provide guidelines and should be adjusted to suit the specific conditions of each producer’s cropping systems.
The publications are designed as a quick reference and provide research-based, current information on:

  • Variety/hybrid selection
  • Planting practices
  • Nutrient management
  • Weed management
  • Insect management
  • Disease management

The publications can be found linked on the Illinois Extension Crops website under Publications/Fact Sheets,…

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$15M of EQIP Funding Available – Deadline Friday

  • February 27, 2025
  • Todd Gleason

The Illinois Corn Growers Association and the Illinois Department of Agriculture received a special allocation of EQIP funding. This allocation was not tied to the Inflation Reduction Act and is not impacted by any freezes, but the catch is farmers need to work with their local NRCS office by FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28th.
The two were able to bring $15M into Illinois to address the Dust Storms and Nutrient Loss Reduction efforts. Ranking for these funds will be elevated if your farm is in either the defined Dust Storm Region or a priority nitrogen or phosphorus watershed.…

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Stress and the 2024 corn and soybean crops

  • June 21, 2024
  • Emerson Nafziger, Giovani Preza Fontes

As high temperatures continue and rainfall remains scarce, many Illinois producers are getting concerned about prospects for the 2024 crops. While it is not very productive to ask ourselves if we should have managed tillage and planting differently, remembering how this year’s crop is faring might inform some of our decisions in the future.
After a planting season that stretched from late March to mid-June and included a substantial amount of replanting, Illinois corn and soybeans are almost completely planted;…

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Corn Rootworm Bt Resistance Webinar Today at 11am

  • March 30, 2023
  • Todd Gleason

Register for today’s 11am central Webinar
Bt Resistance and Management Recommendations for Illinois
REGISTER NOW
Corn rootworm remains the most economically damaging insect pest of corn in Illinois, though its impact in recent years has primarily been felt in the northern third of the state. The ongoing development of resistance to Bt traits has complicated management decisions for Illinois farmers. Join University of Illinois scientists to discuss the status of rootworm populations and Bt resistance throughout Illinois,…

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2023 Illinois Crop Management Conference

  • January 24, 2023
  • Talon Becker

If you haven’t already, there is still time to register at the early bird rate for the Illinois Crop Management Conferences in Champaign and Sycamore.  We will also be offering an online option, as we have the past couple years, for those that prefer to view recorded presentations as their schedule allows.
CHAMPAIGN | FEB. 7
REGISTER HERE – https://go.illinois.edu/23CMC-Champaign
AGENDA – CLICK HERE
Registration on or before Jan. 31 is $80;…

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Considerations as the 2022 Corn Crop Approaches Maturity

  • September 1, 2022
  • Emerson Nafziger

The 2022 Illinois corn crop was planted about two weeks later than normal, but slightly above-normal temperatures this summer have helped move crop development along (Figure 1); the crop is only a few days behind normal as it reaches late grainfilling stages and maturity. With the forecast for warm weather to continue into September, we can expect the majority of the crop to reach maturity by mid-September.
One helpful tool to help track development and maturity in corn is the corn GDD tool located at https://mygeohub.org/groups/u2u/purdue_gdd.…

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EVENT: 2022 Ag Field Day at Monmouth Research Farm

  • June 30, 2022
  • Chelsea Harbach


The Northwest Illinois Agriculture Research and Demonstration Center outside of Monmouth, Illinois will be holding an Ag Field Day on July 27 this year. The program will run from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Presenters for the field day are Nick Seiter, Emerson Nafziger, Trent Ford, Phillip Alberti, and Greg Steckel. Topics will include corn rootworm, nitrogen management, climate trends, hemp, and corn/soybean planting dates. The program is free to attend, and water/light refreshments will be provided.…

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