cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

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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,…

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org radio broadcast content from the work week ending May 8, 2026.
Agricultural Markets Weekly Synthesis
Throughout the week, agricultural markets experienced significant volatility driven by fluctuating crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and the anticipation of upcoming governmental reports and international summits. Early in the week, Curt Kimmel reported that commodity funds aggressively bought contracts, pushing soybeans higher due to a risk premium returning to crude oil amidst Middle East tensions.…

The weed science program at the University of Illinois invites all weed management practitioners to our annual weed science field tour on Wednesday, June 24, at the Department of Crop Sciences field research location known as the Clem Farm, located at 1114 County Road 1200 East, Champaign. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and the tour will start at 9:00 a.m. Preregistration is not required, but please let us know in advance if you will be bringing a large group of participants so we can plan accordingly for meals.…

by Trent Ford, State Climatologist
ISWS PRI University of Illinois
Average temperatures in this first full week of May were actually a little cool, ranging from the high 40s in northern Illinois to the mid-50s in southern Illinois, between 3 and 8 degrees below normal. This followed an April that was a top five warmest on record statewide and felt like a bit of a bait and switch after a taste of summer-like weather last month.…