cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

Steve Brand – Commercial Agronomy Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Overall, planting is close to finished across more of northern Illinois. Field work over the last 2 weeks has been non-stop, and most fields I saw were either planted or just beginning to emerge, whether that was corn or soybeans. After a wild and wet April, May has been very dry and unusually cool,…

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending May 15, 2026.
Agricultural Markets Weekly Synthesis
Throughout the week, the agricultural markets were heavily influenced by the USDA WASDE report, macroeconomic indicators, geopolitical trade developments, and the shifting positions of commodity funds. Early in the week, Curt Kimmel emphasized the significant influence of commodity funds, which held massive net-long positions, and noted that robust global demand was required to push new crop corn above $5 and soybeans above $12.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
A favorable week for field work in the region. Many corn and soy fields were planted, and operations continue in the area. Earlier planted corn appears to be emerging with a slight advantage to soy. This week we will be starting the aphid suction collection trap in Morris, part of the Suction Trap Network that will be monitored through October.…

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April ended with temperatures averaging 4 to 8 degrees above normal in Illinois, and despite several rainfall events across the state, planting progress continued to advance. Conditions have generally allowed for steady fieldwork, with USDA-NASS reporting 3.5 to 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork during each of the last four weeks, which has been enough to get a lot of planting done.
The first week of May,…