Last week stayed mostly dry with the exception of a very light rain shower on the 5th of June. Corn is turning dark green and is taking off in growth. Corn and soybean post herbicide applications are well underway. Last week and this week also seems to be ideal to get hay baled.

In St. Clair county, just about all of the corn has been planted, including some replants. Most corn is in V2-V4 range with a few outliers at V6. The majority of the first crop soybeans are in the ground, and I’d venture to say that by the end of the week the rest will follow. Most soy fields are VE-VC with a couple of outliers at V1-V2.

Over the past week wheat harvest has started across the Route 50 corridor and is well underway farther south. Some early reports show that despite fungicide application, the wet weather this spring has reduced yields below the expectations of early scouting reports. I’m sure by next week we will have a much fuller picture of that situation.

More rain this week. Progress was slow.

Fields are more uniform and seemed to be less variable across a field. There is still variation from field to field in growth stages, but the fields in general appear to be in good shape. Less impact from heavy rainfall and no apparent sins from planting into wet soils (compaction)

The last field planted a week ago is up and soybean populations look good. Post Herbicide going on R1 soybeans before more rain in the forecast. Some morningglory and waterhemp escapes after post herbicide in corn. Bacterial blight coming on strong in R1 soybeans and Anthracnose blight as well as common rust starting to show up on lower leaves in V7 corn. No major insect issues besides scattered stinkbug injury in corn.

Brief rain showers overnight provided some much-appreciated rain for the area. Growing conditions remain steady across Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties, with planting mostly concluded.

I have received a few reports of cutworm injury, one from black cutworm and one from variegated cutworm. This injury should wind down once corn reaches V5 or so, but continue to monitor later planted corn (especially in fields where winter annual vegetation was present close to planting time).

A good growing week in NE Illinois for most. Some precipitation and several rain free days with sunshine. The earliest planted corn is V7 to V8 and earlier planted soybean is V3 to V4. Now that most planters are parked, other activities are underway. They include sidedressing nitrogen, post herbicide applications on corn, and harvesting the first cutting of hay. Several days after corn post herbicide applications have taken place, scout fields to evaluate the performance of your post herbicide application. Be wary of hard to control weeds such as Marestail, with populations resistant to glyphosate in Illinois and a challenge to other chemistries once they bolt and reach a height of 6 – 8 inches. To learn about the newest in weed management plan on attending the University of Illinois 2024 Weed Science Field Research Tour on June 26th. The tour takes place at the Department of Crop Sciences field research location known as the Clem Farm, located at 1114 County Road 1200 East, Champaign. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and the tour will start at 9:00 a.m.

Conditions this week were similar to last, with scattered showers and plenty of sunshine. The most mature soybeans I scouted this week were at V3, and the most mature corn was at V6. I’m starting to see more Amaranthus spp. popping up in fields.

In western Clinton County, there is quite a bit of corn out of the ground, almost all of which is between V2-V4. I saw no beans past VC in the area.

I drove down to Carbondale earlier this week and would venture to say that almost all of the corn in the western side of southern Illinois has been planted, and around 75% of first crop beans. South central Illinois is farther behind.