cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Russ Higgins – Extension Commercial Ag Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Recent high day and nighttime temperatures have local farmers and crops stressed. In my immediate area in northeast Illinois, the opportunity for “bonus fill” of kernels experienced last year appears very unlikely as the R6 (dent) corn hastens to maturity. Fields with greater water holding capacity are faring much better than lighter soils,…

Russ Higgins – Extension Commercial Ag Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Again, sounding like a broken record, hit or miss on rainfall for areas in NE Illinois. This past week some fields received inches while others received tenths. While management decisions are dwindling this late in the growing season, we can still learn from field visits. An area in a soybean field that from the road I predicted to be SDS or BSR turned out to be White Mold. …

Rainfall in late June and early July brought relief from very dry conditions, but soils dried out again before August 5-9 rains over most of Illinois recharged soil moisture enough to restore crop prospects for the 2023 season. The August 15 U.S. drought monitor map showed 28% of Illinois to have no drought, 57% to be abnormally dry, and 14% to be in moderate drought. At this point in the season, there’s little concern about abnormal dryness,…

Kathryn Seebruck – Extension Commercial Ag Educator
Winnebago County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy)
In soybeans, some feeding by Japanese beetles was found closer to field edges, in addition to both minor and advanced spider mite damage (each in different fields). With the recent rainfall and more moderate temperatures, continued damage isn’t expected but will be monitored. In corn, some western corn rootworm beetles were found but in low numbers and with minimal damage.…

Russ Higgins – Extension Commercial Ag Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Scouting corn this week, I’m starting to find some leaf disease, mostly lower in the canopy. To date, I have yet to find tar spot in fields I have visited but am aware it has been confirmed in Indiana counties east of NE Illinois. Predicting what if any yield drag may arise from our dry June should be easier to determine as we progress through the reproductive stages.…

Russ Higgins – Extension Commercial Ag Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
It’s hot! Temperatures exceeding 90 degrees for consecutive days in NE Illinois. Despite the ambient temperature, both corn and soy fields are holding up well, but additional rainfall would be welcomed. Most corn fields are at or near R3, the milk stage. Some ears have visible aborted kernels at the ear tip.…

*Edited July 24, 2023 to include report from R. Higgins.
Russ Higgins – Extension Commercial Ag Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Wheat harvest has mostly wrapped up in NE Illinois. This week, fungicide applications started in earnest, and I observed fields sprayed by plane, helicopter, ground rigs and a drone! Many growers simply include a fungicide application in their management plan;…

Russ Higgins – Extension Commercial Ag Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy)
Another week with precipitation; July has been much more favorable than June for northeast Illinois crops. Even with the rain, some no-till soy fields are noticeably lagging in growth behind tilled fields in our area, especially on lighter ground. Those scouting fields have an opportunity to evaluate their post herbicide applications.…

Nearly all of Illinois received rainfall in the late June and early July, with amounts of 2 to 5 inches across a large part of the state (Figure 1). There is more variability than the map shows – for example, only 1.67 inches fell at Willard Airport near Champaign, not the 2.5-3” indicated on the map. But there is no doubt that the rain boosted crop prospects for 2023, and reversed the month-long decline in crop condition.…