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WILLAg Radio Week 36 in Review

  • September 5, 2026

  • Todd Gleason

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending September 4, 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 markets experienced multi-year highs driven by strong demand, geopolitical friction, and weather-related supply concerns, before softening ahead of the holiday weekend.…

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Illinois Crop Update | September 4, 2026

  • September 4, 2026

  • Illinois Extension

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
Entering September an intense shift in weather as a “heat dome” became established in Northeast Illinois. While fields near the Wisconsin state line received precipitation, most areas did not. The ninety degrees plus days provided ample Growing Degree Days (GDDs) for crops finishing grain fill. On lighter soils the temperatures are causing a water deficit reflected by the wilting/yellowing plants.…

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WILLAg Radio Week 35 in Review

  • August 29, 2026

  • Todd Gleason

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending August 28, 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
Agricultural markets experienced a significant late-summer rally driven by supply-side reductions, escalating geopolitical tensions, and robust global demand. Wheat led the broader grain complex higher—surging as much as 45 cents in a limit move—due to intensifying military conflicts and export infrastructure disruptions in the Russia-Ukraine Black Sea corridor.…

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Illinois Crop Update | August 28, 2026

  • August 28, 2026

  • Illinois Extension

Steve Brand – Commercial Agriculture Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
We have caught a very nice break from severe weather and storms, with some pleasant temperatures to boot, as we begin to enter the home stretch of the growing season. Corn fields across northern Illinois are starting to fire, while soybean fields continue to stay green and produce large pods and seeds.…

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Aug 28 | Climate Review and Weather Update

  • August 28, 2026

  • Todd Gleason

by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
We had a lovely weather week, seemingly rare for this year. Average temperatures this week ranged from the mid-60s in northern Illinois to high 70s in southern Illinois, between 1 and 4 degrees below average. Lower humidity allowed for some very comfortable overnight temperatures, and even a few – dare I say – nippy early mornings. Some of the more impressive nighttime low temperatures this week included 49 in Elgin and 51 in Danville.…

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WILLAg Radio Week 34 in Review

  • August 22, 2026

  • Todd Gleason

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending August 21, 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 experienced a counter-seasonal rally supported by evidence of potentially lower corn yields relative to earlier USDA forecasts, but primarily driven by late-season demand for U.S.…

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Late-season weather and the 2026 Illinois corn crop

  • August 21, 2026

  • Giovani Preza Fontes

You can also read the article in Portuguese and Spanish
Weather and crop condition
Planting and emergence of the 2026 Illinois corn crop began a little earlier than normal, and overall average temperatures this summer have kept crop development near a normal pace (Figure 1). Rainfall and temperature fluctuations in late April and early May resulted in uneven emergence and stands in some fields, while repeated rainfall events during June caused flooding and prolonged periods of saturated soils across much of the state.…

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Illinois Crop Update | August 21, 2026

  • August 21, 2026

  • Illinois Extension

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.…

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WILLAg Radio Week 33 in Review

  • August 15, 2026

  • Todd Gleason

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,…

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Illinois Crop Update | August 14, 2026

  • August 14, 2026

  • Illinois Extension

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.…

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