cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Southern rust of corn, caused by the fungus Puccinia polysora, has now been confirmed in Illinois for the 2026 growing season. The first report was received on July 23 from Williamson County in southern Illinois.
This confirmation indicates that southern rust spores have reached the state and that corn growers and agronomists should begin scouting, particularly in fields with susceptible hybrids that have not yet reached the later reproductive stages. The disease can develop rapidly under warm,…

Steve Brand – Commercial Ag Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
After a busy July, I am back with another crop report. We are coming out of a very significant heat wave. Northern Illinois is entering a mild drought with little to no rain in the foreseeable future, and the Canadian wildfires smoked most of us in Northern Illinois out for the tail end of the week and well into the weekend.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Specialist
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
A favorable week for crop growth in the northeast region of Illinois. Corn is pollinating, despite predicted 90 degrees plus highs this week, most fields have adequate moisture and should not suffer despite elevated temperatures at this critical stage for the corn crop. I enjoy my early morning coffee looking across several corn and soy fields. This past week I noted most mornings start with a mist or fog.…

Kathryn Seebruck – Commercial Agriculture Educator   
Winnebago County 
Soil Conditions: Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy) 
With the ample rainfall received over the past month, some fields in the area with low spots still have standing water and areas where the crop will not recover. It is advised to be diligent about scouting as fungicide application decisions are being made. As has been shared in other reports,…

Despite June temperatures averaging near normal across Illinois, weather conditions shifted dramatically during the second half of the month. The first half of June was very warm, with temperatures ranging from 3 to 10°F above normal. Conditions then turned cooler and much wetter during the second half of the month as multiple rounds of storms moved through Illinois. Total June rainfall ranged from about 2 inches (localized areas in southern Illinois) to more than 10 inches in other parts;…