The heat wave is upon us this week bringing 90+ degree temperatures with very high humidity. After a few weeks of cooler weather and lots of precipitation, the corn and soybeans that were not waterlogged are thriving and have jumped multiple growth stages since last week. I scouted corn fields anywhere between V5/V6 up to V10 with rapid growth from all the heat units being added into the environment. Soybeans are a bit more spaced out depending on planting date, with some fields as far along as R2 upper node flowering.

Water damage from previous storms is becoming increasingly evident where it was sitting for multiple days, drowning out both corn and soybeans, with many fields showing bare ground from a low spot leading to islands of complete crop loss. Much of this was heavily dependent on who received heavy and damaging rain and winds.

I would advise being vigilant about your scouting for disease. I have not seen tar spot or Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB) yet, but a colleague in Morris Illinois, has found large NCLB lesions in fields. After 2 weeks of ideal tar spot weather, despite not seeing any today, I have concerns we may see early outbreaks this season, especially compared to last season and the early drought we experienced in northern Illinois.