cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Steve Brand– Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
The rains have finally arrived in northern IL with a handful of widespread storm events with more starting this weekend and pushing into next week. Most areas have reverted to D0 or D1 drought status and crops are doing well. Will county is the only area still in a D2 drought.…

by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
Illinois State Water Survey | Prairie Research Institute
University of Illinois
It was another hot, humid, and stormy week across the Prairie State. Average temperatures this week ranged from the low 70s in far northern Illinois to the low 80s in southern Illinois, between 1 and 5 degrees above normal. July temperatures to date have been 1 to 3 degrees above normal across Illinois.
An active stormtrack with abundant humidity created multiple rounds of storms this week.…

Southern rust of corn, caused by the fungus Puccinia polysora, has recently been confirmed in counties of Indiana and Kentucky bordering southern Illinois. While not yet confirmed in Illinois this season, its proximity makes it important to stay alert, scout actively, and be prepared to manage the disease if it arrives.
Recognizing Southern Rust
Southern rust produces small, orange to light-brown pustules typically found on the upper surface of corn leaves, often concentrated in the upper canopy.…

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2025 crop progress
Despite intermittent delays in southern Illinois and replanting in some areas, the 2025 planting season has largely tracked the 5-year average of 2020-2024. The winter wheat development lagged through May, but picked up in June, with harvest progress similar to recent years. That meant normal doublecrop soybean planting progress.
Corn crop ratings improved through June, rising from 63% good + excellent (G+E) on June 2 to 74% by June 22,…