La Salle County crop and rainfall report: Crops enters dog days of summer, farmers hope weather cooperates

The summer crop and rainfall report, which features crop condition and rainfall updates from La Salle County farmers, is published regularly during the growing season. The following report covers July 25 to July 31 and is provided with assistance from the La Salle County Farm Bureau. It will be the final one of the summer.

David Hall, Serena: Our final report before harvest has arrived. Not that we will be harvesting anywhere close to next week of course, but the action slows down a bit from here until harvest. We will be preparing equipment for fall. We did not receive any measurable rainfall for the reporting week, and it gave growers an opportunity to wrap up fungicide applications on both corn and soybeans. Corn pollination is wrapping up on the longer season and later planted corn, and soybeans are flowering. Soybeans can set an immense amount of flowers, but many can be aborted and do not produce pods. Soybean growth before flowering is dependent on hours of sunlight per day. But final pod counts will be determined mostly by temperature and available subsoil moisture. Moisture looks adequate for the time being, but any hot and windy days will chip away at that quickly. Another good rain in August will definitely help with pod set and fill. Cool nights will help corn with grain fill.

I traveled through Champaign into western Indiana along Interstate 74 corridor over the week, and crops were very short of moisture there. You could definitely tell where the poorer soils were with corn leaves rolled up tight and a sickly green color. Soybeans didn’t look as bad. A look at the drought maps show Champaign County as maybe the worst spot in the state for lack of rainfall. I think overall we will see above average yields in La Salle County and Illinois. Maybe that will make up for the guys out west who have already lost their crop to drought. The markets looked like they might be picking up on that loss, but then we dropped again. Apparently when it rains at the CBOT in Chicago that’s good enough for the whole Midwest. Yield tours will be occurring soon around the Midwest, and it will be interesting to see what the markets do then.

I haven’t heard much for 2023 input pricing yet. There is still a lot of pricing uncertainty given the issues in Europe, Ukraine and Russia. Have a safe harvest everyone!

Ken Beck, Mendota: Things are pretty good here in the northwest part of the county. Not much to report about, the dog days of summer are here. We had 0.7 inches of rain this week but we don’t need a lot of water right now. If we catch a rain this week and another one in August that would put the icing on the cake.

David Myer, Marseilles: My crops in Rutland Township look good but we have just been getting by all summer getting just enough rain to keep the crops going, but this week only 0.1 inches and we really need it now. Corn crop is now in control by the weather not much else we can do but pray for more timely showers. I did hear possible green snap in some corn furies a couple weeks back. Soybeans looking good as well and most in the reproductive stage so spraying fungicide and insecticide as timing is right for it now. Will be prepping equipment for fall harvest as this month rolls on and sure hope the grass still needs to be cut cause that means we’ve got some rain. Thanks for all the people who read our reports each week and also thanks to The Times and NewsTribune for putting a local farm weekly summer crop report in their paper and online. And thanks to staff at La Salle County Farm Bureau for submitting our reports to The Times and NewsTribune.

Bill Gray, Tonica/Lostant: Last week I received no rainfall. The corn crop is looking good in my area. The ears continue to get larger as the kernel size increases. Not much we can do but wait for it to mature and get dry enough to harvest at this point.

The soybean crop is able to take advantage of any summer rains yet as pods continue to fill and plants set a few more pods. Aerial application of fungicide continues to happen on some fields.

I’ve started getting equipment ready for harvest and will soon begin mowing road ditches for the final time this year.

The end of summer is here once again. Squirrel season is open and before you know it, dove and deer season will be here. The days are beginning to shorten and this is my last report until after harvest. Where has the summer gone?

Have a great fall and be safe.

Ken Bernard, Grand Ridge: Last week I received no rainfall.

The corn crop is looking good in my area. The ears continue to get larger as the kernel size increases. Not much we can do but wait for it to mature and get dry enough to harvest at this point.

The soybean crop is able to take advantage of any summer rains yet as pods continue to fill and plants set a few more pods. Aerial application of fungicide continues to happen on some fields.

I’ve started getting equipment ready for harvest and will soon begin mowing road ditches for the final time this year.

The end of summer is here once again. Squirrel season is open and before you know it, dove and deer season will be here. The days are beginning to shorten and this is my last report until after harvest. Where has the summer gone?

Have a great fall and be safe.

Geoffrey Janssen, Rutland: As we get ready for harvest it has been an interesting season again. Weather has definitely played a big role as always. It seems as we go from one extreme to the other. Fortunately at this time crops are looking very good in my area. Hopefully everyone will get to spend some quality time with family and friends before the summer ends and a hectic harvest season begins. No measurable rainfall in my area.

Rainfall (in inches):

David Hall 0

Ken Beck 0.7

David Myer 0.1

Bill Gray 0

Ken Bernard 0

Geoffrey Janssen 0