cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Glufosinate-Resistant Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) Confirmed in Illinois

  • January 9, 2026

  • Aaron Hager

Weed scientists at the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently announced the confirmation of glufosinate resistance in Illinois waterhemp populations. Glufosinate is a non-selective herbicide most commonly applied postemergence in Illinois corn and soybean crops engineered with resistance to the herbicide. Use of glufosinate has increased over the past decade as the efficacy of other postemergence herbicides against waterhemp has been compromised through the evolution of resistance. This confirmation marks the first time that herbicides from all site-of-action groups previously effective for postemergence control of Illinois waterhemp have instances of resistance;…

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Jan 08 | Weather Update and Market Review

  • January 9, 2026

  • Todd Gleason

Happy new year! For the first summary of 2026, we’ll take a quick look back at December and the weather year of 2025, and then look forward to the rest of winter and a bit of spring.
December was around 2.5 degrees colder than normal statewide, which was quite a contrast to a very warm fall season. However, the average temperature in December doesn’t tell the story of its huge temperature swings. Much of the state had temperatures that were 20 to 30 degrees below normal in the middle of the month,…

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Alfalfa insect management survey & insecticide resistance screening

  • January 5, 2026

  • Nick Seiter

If you have found yourself dealing with alfalfa weevil more often in the last few years, you are not alone. Reports of large populations and control failures have seemingly increased in recent years, not just in Illinois but throughout the Midwest. Alfalfa weevil populations resistant to pyrethroid insecticides were confirmed in the western U.S. several years ago, and there are some indications we might be seeing this in the Midwest as well. In Illinois specifically, it has been several years since our management recommendations in alfalfa have been revisited – we want to make sure these recommendations reflect the current situation.…

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Dec 19 | Weather Update and Market Review

  • December 19, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

Temperatures this week were all over the place, but the average temperatures ended 7 to 15 degrees colder than normal across the state. December to date has also been 7 to 14 degrees colder than normal, making it a top 10 coldest start to December on record in most places, including the 6th coldest on record in Bloomington-Normal.
by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Extremely cold air settled in on Sunday night,…

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Asian copperleaf identified in Illinois

  • December 5, 2025

  • Aaron Hager

The genus Acalypha includes approximately 450 species that are mostly of tropical and temperate origin. Approximately five species are native to Illinois, although most are not considered weeds of Illinois agronomic cropping systems. One species previously known to grow in corn and soybean fields is hophornbeam copperleaf (Acalypha ostryifolia), but due to its later emergence characteristic it rarely results in crop yield loss. Other Illinois species in this genus that usually are found in non-crop areas include the common Virginia copperleaf (Acalypha virginica) and rhomboid mercury (Acalypha rhomboidea),…

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Dec 05 | Weather Review and Market Update

  • December 5, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

CLIMATE REVIEW & WEATHER FORECAST
This week marked the start of climatological winter, both by the calendar and by the weather. Average temperatures this week ranged from the low 20s in northern Illinois to the low 30s in southern Illinois, between 8 and 12 degrees below average. Most places in the state saw nighttime low temperatures dip into the teens and single digits, with some very impressive lows like -7 in Lincoln and -6 in Moline.…

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Nov 28 | Weather Review and Market Update 

  • November 28, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

* Invasive Weed Asian Copperleaf Found in Illinois
* East Central Illinois Winter Storm Coming this Weekend
* Register for the Farm Assets Conference
* Commodity Week Podcast
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ASIAN COPPERLEAF WEED FOUND IN ILLINOIS
and interview with Kathryn Seebruck, University of Illinois Extension
Todd Gleason: Now up next, University of Illinois Extension Educator Kathryn Seebruck tells us more about a new invasive weed in the state of Illinois and some of its history here in the United States.…

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Nov 21 | Weather Update and Market Review

  • November 21, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

* Weather with Trent Ford
* Register for the Farm Assets Conference
* Commodity Week Podcast
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CLIMATE REVIEW & WEATHER FORECAST
This week was a bit more like mid-fall than late fall, with average temperatures ranging from the mid-40s to the low 50s, between 2 and 7 degrees above average. Many places saw high temperatures reach into the upper 70s, including 79 in Jacksonville and 78 in Charleston. November temperatures to date have been 1 to 3 degrees warmer than normal statewide.…

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Nov 14 | Weather Review and Market Update

  • November 14, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

– Weather with Trent Ford
– Register for the Farm Assets Conference
– USDA Crop Production and WASDE Reports
– Commodity Week Podcast
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CLIMATE REVIEW & WEATHER FORECAST
 
Welcome to winter… no wait, it’s back to summer. The roller coaster weather this week is typical for mid November. Overall, average temperatures this week ranged from the high 30s in northern Illinois to the high 40s in southern Illinois, between 1 and 4 degrees below normal.…

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Nov 07 | Weather Update and Market Review

  • November 7, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

The 2025 Farm Assets Conference is scheduled for Friday, December 12 at the AgriCenter in Bloomington, Illinois. The doors open at 7:30 a.m. central. The program starts at 8:00 a.m. Registration for 2025 is $80 per person through noon December 8 and $100 thereafter. Media and Extension personnel may register for free.
CLICK TO REGISTER and for complete Farm Assets Conference details.
You may also want to register for the 2025 Illinois Farm Economic Summits.…

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