Illinois crop conditions vary by rainfall amounts in Illinois

Crop conditions are all over the board in Illinois. USDA rated soybeans at just 55% good to excellent as of June 28. (Photo by Catrina Rawson of FarmWeek)

By RHIANNON BRANCH
FarmWeek
July began with a heat dome across Illinois, boosting growing degree units for corn and soybeans.
FarmWeek interviewed four farmers across the state for a glimpse at crop conditions in different areas and what fields need to succeed in the coming weeks.
Brad Smith, Carroll County
Smith’s farm near Milledgeville has avoided the heavy rains received in other parts of the state, so he is satisfied with how corn looks so far.
“A year ago, we had already identified tar spot in some fields and this year we have not seen it as of yet, so that’s a good thing,” Smith said.
Soybeans look a little rough since fields were planted during wet conditions in April, followed by a dry spell in May.
“There are some fields starting to come out of it, but for the most part, I wish I could have a do-over on a few soybean fields,” he said.
Soil moisture is ample and Smith expects corn to begin tasseling in the first half of July. He also cited waterhemp as an ongoing threat.
Jon Boylen, Brown County
Boylen grows 2,200 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat near Mt. Sterling and said his corn looks excellent with plenty of moisture to get it through the hot spell.
“We had close to 17 inches in the month of June, which is about 3 inches above our annual rainfall,” Boylen said.
“The beans definitely were struggling with all the moisture. They’ve got a little yellow tint to them, but I think they’ll come out of it.”
Boylen had to replant some acres due to soil crusting and wildlife damage. He also noted a lot of volunteer corn this year which has been an added expense to eliminate.
“If we can catch a rain or two here in July, I think we’re going to finish off a really nice crop that’s off to a great start,” he said.
John Yeley, Clark County
Yeley farms 3,500 acres of corn and soybeans near Marshall where crop growth is spread out. He began planting the last day of March, but rain in late April and May didn’t allow him to finish until early June.
“All the earlier crops are looking great,” Yeley said. “The ones that were planted later are struggling by the copious amount of rain we’ve had in the last six weeks or so.”
He said rainfall has caused a lot of variation in crop stands and height.
“We really need it to dry up, at least in our area,” he said. “If we could get a week or 10 days with no rain, that would help, but then I’d like to see a couple of nice showers in July, especially during pollination.”
Tom Miller, Williamson County
Miller grows 300 acres of corn and soybeans and raises 70 beef cows near Marion. His crops look good, but others in his area are lacking moisture.
“I think a lot of it boils down to where you’re at,” Miller said. “If they get rain, they talk like they’re going to have a good crop, but right now rain is a critical thing, and it seems to be hit and miss.”
Miller said his crops look average to above average for this point in the season and pasture ground also looks good with a lot of growth.
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■ This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.