Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
The rains have finally arrived in northern IL with a handful of widespread storm events with more starting this weekend and pushing into next week. Most areas have reverted to D0 or D1 drought status and crops are doing well. Will county is the only area still in a D2 drought.…
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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2025 crop progress
Despite intermittent delays in southern Illinois and replanting in some areas, the 2025 planting season has largely tracked the 5-year average of 2020-2024. The winter wheat development lagged through May, but picked up in June, with harvest progress similar to recent years. That meant normal doublecrop soybean planting progress.
Corn crop ratings improved through June, rising from 63% good + excellent (G+E) on June 2 to 74% by June 22,…
Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
Grundy and DeKalb Counties
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Another dry week for northern IL with a few isolated storms occurring further west or in Chicago. We have slid back into a predominantly D1 drought, with large areas of Kane and Will County entering into a D2 drought. Corn and soybeans have started to grow out of the early season stunting,…
July 16 – Orr Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center Field Day
July 23 – Monmouth Field Day
July 24 – Ewing Demonstration Center Field Day
July 25 – Hemp Research Open House
Orr Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center Field Day
Event Date: Wednesday, July 16, All Day
Location: 37804 State Highway 104, Baylis, IL 62314
Sponsor: Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois
Contact Name: Luke Merritt
Contact E-Mail: lukem@illinois.edu
EVENT DETAILS:
To be guaranteed a meal,…
* 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,…
Kathryn Seebruck – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Winnebago County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Across much of the area, there are entire fields of soybeans exhibiting cupping. The widespread nature of the symptom could point to environmental stress as the cause, potentially from hot and dry conditions over the past week and a half. Many soybean fields are still not canopied.
Corn has greatly increased in height recently due to the accumulation of over 240 GDDs over the past week and a half.…
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WILLAg.org radio programming for the work week ending June 27, 2025
Commodity Week can be heard in the 2 o’clock hour central time on WILL AM580 or you may subscribe to it using the links in the player below. This week the panelists include Naomi Blohm from TotalFarmMarketing.com and Jim McCormick of AgMarket.net.
The Closing Market Report airs at 2:06 p.m. central daily on WILL AM580. It, too, is a podcast. Subscribe using the link in the player.…
Soybean Phytophthora root, crown, and stem rot is one of the most significant diseases affecting soybean production worldwide. Multiple species of Phytophthora, a group of related soilborne pathogens, can infect soybean and cause primarily root rots while Phytophthora sojae causes root, crown, and stem rot, resulting in more severe symptoms and increased yield loss. In the state of Illinois, it ranks among the top yield-reducing diseases, following white mold and soybean cyst nematode (SCN).…
Steve Brand – Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
Overall, it’s been a very hot and humid week across northern IL as we begin to move out of the heat dome that’s been sitting on us for the past 5 days. This week alone, we have added nearly 200 GDU from the heat wave for Dekalb county with totals reaching 959 GDU on the season, and isolated rainstorms have brought a little bit of relief to the drought-stricken areas.…