Crop Report from the week of June 30: Lots of heat, not a lot of rain

David Hall, Serena – Hot, hot and hot with no rain makes for brown grass and thirsty crops. Some spotty chances for rain, but our total for the week was zero. Corn has again doubled in size and is 6 to 8 feet tall now, with early corn setting tassels. Early 30-inch row beans are close to canopy. Most of the post-spraying herbicide is done, unless there are weed escapes that show up later in beans. Fungicide will be applied soon to many fields. Second-cut baling and wheat harvest is ongoing. Markets are sliding lower for now. Hope to see everyone at the fair!

Ken Beck, Mendota – We are looking for a lot more rain after receiving 0.1 inch this week. It’s starting to show on the crops. By noon, they are starting to show that they are under some stress. Crops still look good but need some rain. Hopefully, we’ll get some soon. Right now, so far, so good!

David Myer, Marseilles – We survived another hot and humid week watching the crops grow and the corn roll up many of those days without really any rain, although I did receive a whopping 0.1 inch, which took three rain events to collect. Wheat harvest in northern La Salle County is underway, but the weather conditions are hampering it, as well as the grain terminals being closed over the Fourth of July holiday, so many had to enjoy the long weekend without harvesting. Illinois’s crop ratings are dropping because of too much rain in the deep South and too little up here. Tariff talks are nonexistent, so crop prices flounder without positive news. It should not be long before the crop-dusting planes make their annual flyovers, but lack of moisture may change farmers’ minds. We have that nasty tar spot in the corn earlier, which can hit the corn plants hard.

Ken Bernard, Grand Ridge – The grass in the yards has pretty well stopped growing, but the water hemp in the fields is still growing. Corn has started to tassel, and it will not be long before the airplanes and helicopters will be flying fungicide on the corn to keep the plants healthy. Beans are being sprayed to get the weeds that have escaped. Neighbors have gotten wheat combined, straw baled and second-crop beans planted, but they need rain before they will come up and get growing. Hauling grain is one of the jobs being done now, along with mowing and other catch-up jobs.

Geoffrey Janssen, Rutland – The crops have definitely changed in the past week. Earliest-planted corn is starting to tassel. The height and color of this corn is amazing. Soybeans also are looking good. Sprayers are running, making a second trip of herbicide for weeds in soybeans. Some Japanese beetles are present, scouting as always. Wheat in my area is getting harvested.

No measurable rainfall this week.

Rainfall

David Hall: none

Ken Beck: 0.1 inch

David Myer: 0.1 inch

Ken Bernard: 0.15 inch

Geoffrey Janssen: none