cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

How is the ongoing conflict in Iran impacting global agriculture? In this farmdoc daily webinar, University of Illinois agricultural economists Nick Paulson and Gary Schnitkey are joined by industry experts to break down the recent spikes in fertilizer and fuel prices.
The panel discusses the immediate effects on the 2026 crop year, the critical differences between this market shock and the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, and what decreased input affordability means for farmer profitability heading into 2027.…

This week was quintessential spring in Illinois. Average temperatures ranged from the mid-40s in northern Illinois to the high 50s in southern Illinois, between 6 and 12 degrees above normal.
by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Some of the more impressive daytime high temperatures this week included 92 degrees in Springfield and 89 in Bloomington-Normal. Springfield’s 90 degree day this week was the earliest in the year since 1907, and only the second time on record where the capital hit 90 in March.…

A series of targeted strikes on critical oil and natural gas facilities across the Middle East has ignited fears of a global supply chain crisis, threatening both worldwide energy stability and the spring agricultural planting season.
During the middle of March, Iranian forces launched attacks against a Saudi Arabian oil facility on the Red Sea and oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates. In a separate, direct retaliation for an earlier Israeli raid on the South Pars gas field,…

As corn yields continue to climb across the Midwest, farmers are facing a growing operational challenge: managing the massive amounts of crop residue left behind after the combine rolls through.
In a recent webinar hosted by the Illinois Soybean Association, University of Illinois Crop Scientist Connor Sible detailed multi-layered strategies for breaking down crop residue, ensuring that fields are clean, healthy, and ready for spring planting.
Speaking with University of Illinois Extension’s Todd Gleason, Sible emphasized that residue management is a critical issue across all farming systems,…