Crop Report

Region 3 | April 9, 2026 | Iroquois

Darby Danzl
darby.danzl@ilsoy.org

Caption: Winter barley treatment strip (left) vs cereal rye treatment strip (right)
Caption: Cereal rye and winter barley growth progression
Caption: Rhizosheath on winter barley plant roots
SYNOPSIS

Cover crop growth in Iroquois County is quickly progressing with the recent rainfall and warming weather.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THIS COUNTY?
Mildly Wet (soil is wetter than normal, local vegetation is healthy)
IF CONDITIONS ARE ON THE DRY END, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING US DROUGHT MONITOR CATEGORIES BEST FIT CURRENT CONDITIONS
Abnormally Dry (D0)
WEATHER

70°F

FIELD/SOIL CONDITIONS

Soil is slightly tacky from rainfall within the past couple of weeks.

WEEDS

Henbit and pennycress are blooming and forming a sea of purple in some fields.

COVER CROP INSIGHTS

Cover crops in this field have grown nearly 3 inches over the past two weeks, based on plant measurements collected at this On-Farm Trial Network location in Iroquois County. With warm weather and precipitation in the forecast, growth is expected to accelerate.

This study compares cereal rye and winter barley to better understand their influence on weed suppression. In the comparison photo, the cereal rye plants are larger and have overwintered more consistently than the winter barley. We look forward to tracking their growth as we move closer to planting soybeans.

While digging plants to collect measurements, prominent rhizosheaths were observed on the roots of the winter barley. Rhizosheaths indicate strong plant, soil and microbial interactions and provide a visible sign of the positive impact cover crops can have on soil health.

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