La Salle County crop and rainfall report: Fungicide applied to fields

Corn ‘looking pretty good’

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 12 to 18 and is provided with assistance from the La Salle County Farm Bureau.

David Hall, Serena: The week started out with 0.6 inches of rain but dried up thereafter. Fungicide is being applied to many fields of corn and soybeans. Some soybeans were spot sprayed for weed escapes. Hay is being cut and baled and the remainder of wheat straw is getting baled as well. Overall, corn and soybeans still look great, with the exception of a couple wet spots here and there. Time to turn it over to mother nature and see what happens. Fall will be right around the corner. Have a safe week!

David Myer, Marseilles: As we are entering the last half of July our corn is pollinating and fungicide has been applied and great soil moisture so outlook on the corn crop looks very good. This past week rainfall totaled another inch but the soybeans are struggling in many areas because of too much rain in the recent weeks hopefully in mid-August or earlier another 1 to 2 inches would be great. The beans are sure in a fast growth mode as they continue to blossom and soon set pods. Still some wheat to be harvested but the humidity shortens the harvest days and still straw bailing going on. Haying was in high gear this past week with good drying conditions and good quality hay being baled. Grain prices struggle with the drought areas in the U,S. which don’t seem to catch any showers. Hope everyone gets their vacations in soon as school resumes before we know it.

Bill Gray, Tonica/Lostant: Last week I received 1.4 inches of rain. Corn fields are tasseled out and looking pretty good. I’m not seeing much for insect damage at all so far. Aerial application of fungicide is being done on some fields of corn. I’m seeing a few Japanese beetles around and will continue to keep an eye on soybean fields for damage. So far the damage has only been in small areas of the fields. Sunflowers that I planted for the wildlife are doing great and have become a popular place for picture taking. The bees are enjoying them now and our song bird population is increasing as they wait for them to mature. We’ve gotten some odd jobs done around the farm and are back to grass mowing with the recent rains. Have a good week and be safe.

Ken Bernard, Grand Ridge: For the week we received 1.85 inches of rain, this week seems like we can not get out of this rain pattern. It has made the fungicide application difficult to get done.

But it looks like this next week is going to be rain free. Also, hay making weather is very difficult. Some of the corn here was sprayed with fungicide last Saturday, the 17th, and the rest will be sprayed in the next week. They are just starting to spray beans this week with fungicide. The perfect weather environment is the reason that there is so much of this spraying going on along with the rise in corn and soybean prices. Other jobs we are working on is paperwork (which I dislike), mowing yards, road ditches and water ways. Not much else to report, just try to stay cool.

Geoffrey Janssen, Rutland: Another inch of rain to report in the southern part of the county. Soil on farms are starting to dry out but definitely taking time. Corn going through pollination well, no real issues with beetles as far as clipping silks or tassels, seeing more airplanes doing aerial application of fungicide on corn. Some application of herbicide still going on soybeans as the ground conditions permit

Rainfall (in inches):

David Hall 0.6

David Myer 1

Bill Gray 1.4

Ken Bernard 1.85

Geoffrey Janssen 1