cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Steve Brand – Commercial Ag Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy)
The heavy storms and even a derecho have passed, and we have been left with some gorgeous weather to end the week before some more rain chances next week. Not too many updates agronomically from my last update. Corn has moved into R5 dent across northern Illinois, with many fields at the early stages of senescence.…

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending August 14, 2026. WILLAg.org is a partnership of Illinois Public Media and University of Illinois Extension. Its mission is to distribute regionally, nationally, and internationally information and analysis of commodity markets and agricultural weather.
Agricultural Markets Synthesis
Throughout the week, agricultural commodity markets were primarily driven by the release of USDA’s August Crop Production and WASDE reports, escalating geopolitical turmoil in the Black Sea and Middle East,…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Moderately Wet (soil is damp, standing water may be present in low areas, water bodies are full)
A very active weather pattern across northeast Illinois that spawned tornados, a derecho, and significant rainfall and flooding across the region. In corn fields, foliar leaf diseases are now more easily detected, including Southern rust. A Southern rust report was received by Dr.…

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending August 7, 2026. WILLAg.org is a partnership of Illinois Public Media and University of Illinois Extension. Its mission is to distribute regionally, nationally, and internationally information and analysis of commodity markets and agricultural weather.
Agricultural Markets Synthesis
Throughout the week, agricultural commodity markets exhibited a shifting dynamic from early technical bounces to cautious, sideways-to-lower trading driven by weather relief and pre-report positioning.…