cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Planting of the 2022 Illinois soybean crop began a little later than normal, and ended ahead of normal (Figure 1). Although summer temperatures were a little higher than normal, the onset and pace of flowering (“blooming”) and podsetting lagged behind what we would have expected based on planting progress. This is unusual Given that there was unusually cool weather in July. The most likely explanation is that the dry weather held back both vegetative and reproductive development to some extent.…

Similar to last year, we will conduct a survey for dectes stem borer stem tunneling in Illinois over the next several weeks, and are looking for volunteers to help us monitor fields. If you are interested in scouting some of your fields for dectes stem borer, send me an email (nseiter@illinois.edu) and I will provide you our sampling protocol/data sheet. Basically, it involves splitting 25 soybean stems per field between R6 and R8 and counting the number of tunnels and larvae.…

Nick Seiter, Extension Field Crops Entomologist, University of Illinois
Second-generation bean leaf beetle adults have been emerging over the last few weeks; pod scarring has been an issue in some areas over the last two years. Consider scouting your R6 beans, particularly in fields that you expect to mature late. Remember, it takes a lot of beetles and a lot of this sort of damage to reduce yield and/or quality. The beetles do not directly feed on the seed,…

Nick Seiter, Field Crops Entomology Specialist, University of Illinois
I conducted a survey along the northwestern border of Illinois (roughly Quincy to Galena) for the potentially invasive soybean gall midge; we didn’t find it, and have never observed it in Illinois, so that’s good news. What I did see in that part of the state was (1) more stink bugs than I’m used to seeing up there; (2) several isolated areas with spider mites damage (some of this was old damage,…

Nick Seiter, Extension Field Crops Entomology Specialist, University of Illinois
As many soybean fields start to reach R5, begin scouting for stink bugs. Populations appear to be elevated in some areas; economic threshold is 9 per 25 sweeps or 1 per row-ft. Spider mites continue to be found in isolated areas that are experiencing drought stress.
Talon Becker, Commercial Agriculture Extension Educator, Southern IL
In south central IL, crop conditions are still good in most fields.…

Each week, I put out a request to crops educators and specialists from the University of Illinois to compile an update to share with the entire state. We hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions or suggestions about the format or any feedback in general about these updates, please email me (harbach2@illinois.edu).
Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist, Illinois State Water Survey
Following a cold front that moved through mid-week,…

Each week, I put out a request to crops educators and specialists from the University of Illinois to compile an update to share with the entire state. We hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions or suggestions about the format or any feedback in general about these updates, please email me (harbach2@illinois.edu).
Nick Seiter, Field Crops Entomology Extension Specialist
Recent heavy rains should help to slow down or stop pockets of spider mites in soybean in drought-stressed areas.…

Each week, I put out a request to crops educators and specialists from the University of Illinois to compile an update to share with the entire state. We hope you find this information useful. If you have any questions or suggestions about the format or any feedback in general about these updates, please email me (harbach2@illinois.edu).
Nick Seiter, Field Crops Entomology Extension Specialist, UIUC
We picked up a report of spider mites getting started in east central Illinois this past week;…