cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

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;…

Nearly all of Illinois received below-normal rainfall in June, with the lowest amounts found in east central Illinois. In contrast, most of the state has received above-normal rainfall in July, with very high totals in parts of southern Illinois, above-normal amounts in much of northern Illinois, and a strip of moderately below-normal rainfall that roughly follows I-74 from the Quad Cities to Danville. The US drought map from last week (July 21) has about a third of the state as abnormally dry,…

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, University of Illinois Field Crop Insects Extension Specialist
I received a report of spraying for spider mites in an area of northeastern Illinois that has missed much of the recent rains;…

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).
Aaron Hager, Extension Weeds Specialist, University of Illinois
Nearly all herbicide labels (soil-applied or postemergence) have rotational crop intervals that specify the amount of time that must elapse between herbicide application and planting a rotational crop.…

Tar spot on corn is here to stay in Illinois. Given that the pathogen that causes tar spot on corn can overwinter in infected residue, once the pathogen is in a field, it is more likely to be problematic in that field in the future. If you’ve been a victim of high incidence and/or severity of corn tar spot in your fields, you know how limiting this disease can be on corn yield.
 
As this disease can be seriously yield-limiting AND the pathogen is relatively new yet in Illinois,…