cropCENTRAL | Field Crop Production Resources

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending September 18, 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 shaped by early harvest progress, surging energy-related transportation surcharges, speculative fund activity, and geopolitical and macroeconomic developments.…

Russ Higgins – Commercial Agriculture Educator
Grundy County
Soil Conditions: Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
Rain is expected for Northeast Illinois this week, if it materializes it will provide needed moisture. Its benefit to most crops at this stage is uncertain, but we will decrease the fire risk associated with starting harvest when crops are tinder dry. It’s becoming a challenge to share information on the 2026 crop;…

The following is a summary of the WILLAg.org content from the work week ending September 11, 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
Early in the week, Naomi Blohm (Total Farm Marketing) noted quiet post-holiday trade for corn and soybeans, observing that corn closed below key moving averages and required fresh bullish news to avoid a pullback.…

Steve Brand – Commercial Ag Specialist
DeKalb County
Soil Conditions: Near Normal
Cooler and wet conditions have moved in across northern Illinois. Light rain and heavy morning dews have propagated some late season disease in both corn and soybeans as we start to enter wide-scale senescence and harvest.
Soybeans in McHenry and DeKalb counties are producing large amounts of pods, as well as filling those pods very well. I expect many soybean fields to have high yields.…