Field conditions are still wet in northern Champaign County, with 2.5-3 inches of rain falling across most of that half of the county since June 17. A large proportion of fields I saw during my survey on Wednesday (6/24) morning had at least some low-lying and/or poorly drained areas with stunted, dying, or dead crop from the inundation those plants have experienced over the past couple of weeks. For the most part, these areas were relatively isolated in fields, and standing water is no longer present. However, I did see several fields with large areas of dead or stunted crop, some still with standing water. Relief from the wet conditions may still be a few days away, with more rain in the forecast for the remainder of this week. But drier conditions and warmer temperatures in next week’s forecast offer some hope.

Because of the generally wet conditions we had in this part of the state so far this season, crop progress is variable both across the area and across the field, in many cases. Healthy areas of corn fields are generally somewhere around V8, with some fields getting closer to the V10-V11 growth stages. Most soybean fields are still in vegetative growth stages, but I did find a handful of fields that have started to flower (R1) and a couple fields getting closer to full flower (R2). Wheat fields I checked were nearing full senescence with grain in the ‘ripening’ stage (Feekes 11.3) and could likely be harvested next week if the hot and dry forecast holds. As can be expected, weed control was variable across the area, with some fields presumably missing their timely post-emergence application windows due to the wet conditions. That said, I saw several sprayers on the roads while doing my survey, so at least some of those acres may get covered today or tomorrow, if the rain holds off long enough.

Although June started dry, the past 10 days have brought about several inches of rain to most of the east central Illinois region. Soil conditions in Iroquois County, as I conducted my survey on Tuesday (6/16) morning, were already on the wet side, with standing water prevalent, particularly in the southwest portion of the county. And since then, over the past couple days, the latest round of storms have brought another inch of rain or more. Most fields on higher ground with good drainage still looked healthy at the time of my survey, but unfortunately, there were some fields within areas where crop will be lost, either from lack of oxygen to the root or subsequent disease issues, and timely weed control operations will be difficult. Most soybeans in the county appeared to be in the V3-V5 range, but I didn’t see any flowers poking out quite yet. Corn fields were generally somewhere near V5-V7, with some early-planted fields are starting to grow more rapidly as they approach V10. The few wheat fields I visited were somewhere in the late milk to early dough stages (Feekes 11.1-11.2).

After a wet past four days in east central IL (2-3 inches so far in most areas), many fields in northern Vermilion County have standing water as of my survey on Thursday morning. For most fields, this is isolated to small, low lying areas and field edges. But in pockets of that part of the county, there are fields with relatively large areas underwater, at times with the young crop fully submerged. With more rain in the forecast over the next few days, it may be some time before those areas fully drain. As for crop progress, most corn was somewhere in the V4-V8 range, and most soybeans were V1-V3. The five wheat fields I found were all in the dough stage of kernel development (Feekes 11.2), and some minimal lodging could be seen along field edges and in low areas in a couple of those fields.

During my survey of Douglas County on Wednesday afternoon, I saw just a handful of fields yet to be planted, with planters rolling in a couple of them. Others were busy filling in some low spots of fields that failed to survive the wet conditions we experience in the area in late April and early May. Timely post-emergence herbicide applications were also being made, with most waterhemp seedlings in the area still small enough to effectively control. While most fields were planted, somewhere around 10% of fields did not yet have emerged crop. Soybean fields were generally in the V1-V2 range, with active nodules starting to form. Several fields were showing some damage on early leaves, likely related to the cool, moist conditions experienced during emergence and possibly compounded by increased duration of contact between those tissues and soil-applied pre-emergence or carryover herbicides. However, new growth looked healthy in most fields. Most corn was in the V3-V4 range, with some early-planted fields getting up to V8. Signs of side-dress nitrogen could be seen in several of those early-planted fields, with most of the more mature corn fields showing a nice dark green canopy. However, some of the corn fields in the V3-V5 range were showing uneven canopy color, possibly still waiting on some side-dress nitrogen.

The southern half of Champaign County has received more rain in the past month than the north half of the county and is therefore just a bit behind in overall crop progress. As I conducted my survey on Tuesday afternoon, the majority of fields had emerged crop, but most were still in early growth stages with few fields beyond V4 for either corn or soybean. The few wheat fields I saw were in the later stages of flowering (Feekes 10.5.2 – 10.5.4) or just moving into ripening (Feekes 11.1). Dryer conditions this past week have allowed for planting to continue and near completion in that part of the county. In the southeast part of the county in particular, I saw several areas of fields that were drowned out and have been replanted or will soon need a replant, but these areas were generally small and not too widespread. So far, the forecast for next week is looking dry and a bit warmer, which should help most farmers finish up planting and POST herbicide applications on early-planted fields.

Much of the crop in Ford County is in the ground and the remaining fields should get planted sometime this week or early next. As I drove through the county for my survey on Wednesday morning, conditions were starting to dry up just enough for traffic in many fields, although some fields in the southern part of the county were still a bit on the wet side. About half of the fields I drove by and visited had emerged crop, with many of those still in that VE stage. I found a few fields of early planted corn around V4-V5 and soybeans around V2-V3. The more advanced corn was showing some striping (interveinal chlorosis) in parts of a couple fields, potentially from nutrient deficiencies caused by cool temps and the subsequent lack of root growth and slow mineralization of soil organic matter. As conditions warm and root systems continue to develop, previous years have shown these symptoms subside with sufficient sulfur supplied by soils. Warmer temps and relatively dry conditions in the short-term forecast are welcomed and will help the crop catch up a bit from the cool May we’ve had so far.

Cooler than average temperatures have remained in the east central Illinois region. That, combined with the 4 to 6″ of rain much of the region has received over the past 30 days, continues to slow planting progress and early crop growth. In southern Vermilion County this week, soils were just drying up enough for field work and planting to resume. I saw a number of fields that had been tilled and/or planted in the past couple days, as well as several planters rolling down the roads and in fields during my Wednesday morning survey. About 10% of fields had emerged crop, with the most advanced fields of corn at V3-V4 and soybeans at VC-V1. In those fields, damage from the recent storms was visible on early-emerged leaves, but new growth is intact and looking healthy.

Planters were rolling over the weekend in parts of Champaign County, but rain from Monday into Tuesday has kept everyone out of the field since. Most fields I passed during my survey of the northern half of the county had been planted, but maybe only 10% to 15% had crop emergence. Cooler weather and relatively wet soils over the past couple of weeks have made the crop slow to emerge in many fields, with some taking more than two weeks after planting. Most soybeans are just starting to get out of the ground, while a few corn fields I saw were a bit further along, near the V2 stage. The one wheat field I found was still in the stem elongation phase, with the flag leaf visible on some of the more advanced plants.

This past week brought some relief from the dry weather in east-central IL, but rainfall totals in the region were generally 1″ and variable, with some areas receiving 0.1″ (IL State Water Survey – WARM Program; Midwest Regional Climate Center – Ag Climate Dashboard). Unfortunately, it comes too late for most of the corn and soybean crop to benefit. That said, during my survey in Ford County this week, I did see a number of pastures, double-crop soybean fields, a few alfalfa fields, and a handful of fields planted to annual forage mixes that will get some benefit from the precipitation as the growing season winds down.

Harvested corn and soybean acres in Ford County were still low—perhaps 10%—with the recent rain stalling progress for a few days. At the time of my survey, more soybean fields had been cleared than corn fields, though there were still a number of corn fields fully harvested or at least “opened up.” All corn fields surveyed were at R6 (“black layer”), but about half were still showing some green in the upper canopy. Tar spot is also easy to find at this point in the season, with heavier pressure in the northern part of the county. However, it appears to have come in late enough not to have greatly affected yields, with relatively full ears on most plants checked during the survey. Of the full-season soybean fields surveyed, most were at R8 (“full maturity”), while the couple of double-crop soybean fields I stopped at seemed to be stuck in R5, struggling to fill pods.

Harvest is underway in southern Vermilion County. With the hot, dry weather we’ve had, most farmers seem to be focusing on soybeans, likely in hopes of minimizing shatter and header losses. I did see a number of cornfields harvested, but those were mostly seed corn fields and only a couple of production fields. Of the corn still standing, the majority is at R6, or “black layer,” but with some green remaining in the leaves of the upper canopy. I did find a couple of fields still in early R5, or “dent,” yet to reach maturity, but those were few and far between.

As has been the story for much of the region, ear size and tip fill have been relatively variable field to field, with some showing full ears and others an inch or more of bare cob. Soybean fields still standing were generally in the R7, or “beginning maturity,” to R8, or “full maturity,” stages, with a few stragglers still in late R6, or “full seed.”