A warm and mostly dry week for growing crops (and weeds). Several mid to high eighty-degree days pushed corn from V3 last week to V5. At V5, all of the embryonic leaves and ears have been initiated in the corn plant, and its growing point (meristem) will soon be above ground. The warm weather also pushed the soy crop, last week a no-till soy field at VE has reached nearly V1 with the first set of trifoliates unfurling. I would be remiss if I did not share that the great growing weather also benefitted weeds as well. Several species, especially waterhemp are matching the crops quickened growth. In this region, most planting has finished and farmers are taking advantage of the rain free forecast to harvest the first hay cutting.
Over the years I have made numerous trips from Grundy County to the University of Illinois campus. My most frequent route includes a stretch of Route 47 straight south to Interstate 74. Yesterday I made the trip and wanted to share my windshield observations. I noted several agronomy practices that seem to be picking up in frequency, they include sidedressing corn with liquid nitrogen, no-tilling soy into a standing cereal rye cover crop, and a growing number of winter wheat acres in rotation. It will be interesting to follow these fields and practices as the growing season progresses.