Illinois Crop Update – May 23, 2025

Emily Hansen – Commercial Agriculture Educator

LaSalle County

Soil Conditions: Moderately Wet (soil is damp, standing water may be present in low areas, water bodies are full)

It has been a wet and chilly week following the hot, dry weather last week. LaSalle County saw nearly 5 inches of rainfall, which has led to ponding in some of the more low-lying areas of fields. Nearly all corn acres are planted, with most corn around stage V1-V2. The most mature corn I observed was at V4. Around 50-60% of soy acres are planted/emerged, with earlier planted soy reaching V2. I have also noticed a small uptick in corn-on-corn in LaSalle County this year compared to previous.

While it may be tempting to mow ditches, roadsides, and fence rows now that vegetation is getting larger with the increased rainfall, it is nesting season for ground-dwelling birds like pheasants. Avoid mowing until August to give these birds time to nest, especially in areas with more diverse stands of grasses that provide more attractive habitat.

 

 

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator

Grundy County

Soil Conditions: Near Normal

Widespread precipitation this week in NE Illinois along with much cooler temperatures. Most planting is starting to wrap up in the region. I visited several soy fields that after an initial rain event went weeks without additional precipitation leading to emergence issues. When visiting the field after recent rains, some emergence is still taking place while other soy seedlings simply couldn’t push through the crusted soil. Soybeans have epigeal emergence which means the hypocotyl arch pulls the cotyledons through the soil surface. Crusted soil can make this a challenge. Finer textured soils with low organic matter that have limited residue are more prone to crust. Crusting is also more likely following a heavy rainfall event causing soil aggregates to move into the open pore space. Limited rainfall after the heavy rainfall event intensifies the chance for soil crusting. Soil crusting causes soybeans to use all their energy trying to emerge from the soil and can result in a poor stand. What soy population is needed before considering a replant? Dr. Emerson Nafziger addressed this issue for both corn and soy in a 2020 farmdoc Daily posting https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2020/05/replanting-corn-and-soybeans.html . In his article Dr. Nafziger shared an adage for soybean stands, ” When plants are easy to count without bending over, there aren’t enough of them”. While we are cognizant of lower soy population’s remarkable ability to compensate yield, growers are still encouraged to scout fields that are prone to crusting or emergence issues for adequate stands. NE Illinois alfalfa fields are starting to blossom, I expect the season’s first cuttings to take place as soon as window of favorable weather for drying and harvest takes place.

 

 

 

Meagan Diss – Commercial Agriculture Specialist

Warren  County

Soil Conditions: Near Normal

The rain we received this week was definitely needed. Most fields are showing emergence, or just past, although you may catch a tractor or two in the field finishing up planting. As long the rain keeps coming, we should see soil conditions improve and crops progressing.

 

Reagan Tibbs  – Commercial Agriculture Educator

Logan County

Soil Conditions: Moderately Wet (soil is damp, standing water may be present in low areas, water bodies are full)

This past week was a rollercoaster for weather. Rain came on Thursday (5/15), but it also brought hail to parts of Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties. There were reports of two-inch diameter hail in the Athens area. Friday (5/15) saw a significant dust storm impact several parts of Central Illinois. Tuesday (5/20) again saw major storms move through the area, with more hail impacting the Springfield area and around an inch of rain falling. Despite the hail and high winds, not much crop damage has been observed or reported. Crop growth continues to be strong, with some corn and soybeans in the V2 stage.

 

 

Doug Gucker – Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator

Dewitt, Macon, and Piatt County

Soil Conditions: Moderately Wet (soil is damp, standing water may be present in low areas, water bodies are full)

It has been quite a week weather-wise. May 16 severe storms caused a Haboob that wind-whipped crops across east-central Illinois. May 20 severe storms brought hail in parts of the area. Currently, all the corn crop has its growing point below ground, so the hail-damaged crop should recover well. Soybeans, on the other hand, may be a different story especially if hail cut the plants off below the cotyledons.

Nearly all cropland is planted with crops stages varying from just emerging to V4 almost V5 stage corn and soybeans nearly at the V3 stage of 3 fully developed trifoliate leaves.

 

 

Talon Becker – Commercial Agriculture Specialist

Vermilion County

Soil Conditions: Moderately Wet (soil is damp, standing water may be present in low areas, water bodies are full)

For my crop survey this week, I traveled to southern Vermilion County. Most of the area had received at least an inch of rain over the past 24 hours, and likely more is some areas over the past week with the pop-up showers that were prevalent before temps cooled down. Although it was on the wet side, most fields had been planted and the majority of those had emerged, with just a couple areas with fields tilled but still unplanted. Corn generally ranged from VE to V3-4, and soybean ranged from VE to V1-2. The couple wheat fields I found were fully headed out.

 

 

 

Dane Hunter – Commercial Agricultural Specialist

Marion County

Soil Conditions: Moderately Wet (soil is damp, standing water may be present in low areas, water bodies are full)

Still wet. We were briefly dry enough at the end of last week to allow some planting, especially on notill or lightly worked ground. Then, most of the area received 1-2″ on May 19-20, which has paused field operations again for now. I have seen a couple of fields in Clinton County with emerged corn and beans that must have been squeezed in a few weeks ago. Hopefully will see some emergence in Marion County soon. It is supposed to be windy and sunny for the next few days. We’ll see if any ground can get dry enough to plant before the next forecasted storm rolls through, predicted for June 24-25.

The Illinois Wheat Association had its annual wheat tour on May 20, and estimated an average yield of 106 bu. Considering how wet it has been, the wheat looks pretty good, where it hasn’t been drowned out.