cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Aug 08 | Weather Update and Markets Review

  • August 9, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

 
We all breathed a sigh of relief at our much more comfortable temperatures last weekend and early next week. Temperatures in the first full week of August ranged from the low 60s in northern Illinois to the mid-70s in southern Illinois, between 1 and 5 degrees below normal. Some of the more impressive nighttime low temperatures included 49 degrees in Stockton and 50 in McHenry.
The cooler and less humid air came with a break from precipitation this week as well.…

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Illinois Crop Update – August 8, 2025

  • August 8, 2025

  • Illinois Extension

Steve Brand – Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
Conditions over the past 2 weeks have reverted back to being dry with temperatures in the upper 80’s to low 90’s. The corn and soybeans have been progressing very quickly with the increased Growth Degree Units and just enough moisture. As we look at the drought map most of Northern IL remains in the D0 drought with a small area south of Chicago in a D1.…

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Watch the Smart Nitrogen Management Webinar

  • August 8, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

Smart Nitrogen Management: Timing, Rate, and ROI
MRTN | CORN NITROGEN RATE CALCULATOR
Laura Gentry & Gary Schnitkey
Tuesday, August 5th, 2025
11:00 am – Noon CT
Learn how to optimize nitrogen fertilizer rates using the MRTN N-Rate Calculator and application timing to boost profitability and efficiency. Discover PCM’s data-driven insights into nitrogen management on both high- and low-SPR soils.
REGISTER NOW
Upcoming webinars in the PCM Series
–…

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Aug 01 | Weather Update and Market Review

  • August 1, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

 
by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
Illinois State Water Survey | Prairie Research Institute
University of Illinois
We can wrap a bow around a very hot and humid month of July across Illinois. Average temperatures in July were between 2 and 6 degrees above average, and last month will likely be a top 20 warmest July on record statewide. However, the character of the heat was different than past very hot Julys. We did not have several days with temperatures in the triple digits,…

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Illinois Crop Update – August 1, 2025

  • August 1, 2025

  • Illinois Extension

Emily Hansen – Commercial Agriculture Educator
LaSalle County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy)
The heat and humidity has finally broken today after what feels like a very miserable few weeks. Over the past week rainfall in LaSalle, Bureau, Marshall, and Putnam counties has been sporadic, with some areas seeing nearly 6 inches and others seeing less than an inch. Crops in areas that received less rainfall are still looking a little heat stressed.…

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Red Crown Rot Progressing in Illinois: Symptoms Confirmed in Shelby County Commercial Fields

  • July 28, 2025

  • Boris X. Camiletti

Symptoms of Red Crown Rot (RCR), caused by the soilborne fungus Calonectria ilicicola, are now appearing in commercial soybean fields. As of July 29, 2025, leaf, stem, and root symptoms have been observed in commercial fields in Shelby County, an area with a known history of RCR dating back to 2023. Additional cases have been confirmed in research plots in Madison and Macoupin counties, which also have recurring disease pressure.
In Shelby County,…

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Jul 25 | Market Review and Weather Update

  • July 25, 2025

  • Todd Gleason

by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
Illinois State Water Survey | Prairie Research Institute
University of Illinois
Another week of hot and humid weather across the state had me October dreaming. Average temperature this week ranged from the mid-70s in northern Illinois to the mid-80s in southern Illinois, between 2 and 6 degrees above normal. Virtually all parts of the state saw multiple days with high temperatures well into the 90s, including 98 degrees in Rock Island and 96 in Mt Vernon.…

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Empowering IL Soybean Producers: Harnessing Climate Tools ($350 for first 25 registrants)

  • July 25, 2025

  • Trent Ford

Calling all corn and soybean producers and agricultural advisers! The United Soybean Board (USB), in partnership with the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), Illinois Extension, Illinois State Water Survey (Illinois State Climatologist) and the Illinois Soybean Association, invites you to a virtual workshop informing the future of the MRCC’s Ag Climate Dashboard and new ag climate tool production.
The Ag Climate Dashboard provides climate and agricultural data for producers, advisers, and researchers in the Midwest. Here’s a sneak peek.…

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Illinois Crop Update – July 25, 2025

  • July 25, 2025

  • Illinois Extension

Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
Its another hot week upon as a heat dome settles down on the Midwest as a whole. July so far has brought 3.5 – 5 inches of rain depending on the area you are in, excluding Will county which is still in a somewhat severe drought. Northwest Illinois is on pace for historical averages and enjoying a great growing season. South of Chicago and some of the suburban counties are drier than normal and continue to be in either a D1 or D2 drought.…

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Red Crown Rot Symptoms Emerging in Illinois Soybeans

  • July 21, 2025

  • Boris X. Camiletti

Symptoms of Red Crown Rot (RCR), caused by the soilborne fungus Calonectria ilicicola, have begun to appear in our 2025 field trials at Illinois farms in Madison and Macoupin counties with a known history of the disease (Figure 1). Similar observations are being reported by colleagues in Kentucky and Indiana, indicating regional disease activity is underway.

Figure 1. Early foliar symptoms of red crown rot in soybean observed in Madison and Macoupin counties on July 17,…

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