Despite the drier conditions, the soybean crop is progressing and reaching reproductive stages in this area of the state. In my last report, I visited a field with known root-knot nematode pressure, so this week, I decided to check a location with a history of elevated SCN populations. That field had numerous fully developed SCN females (cysts) and foliar symptoms. We may see more SCN foliar this season compared to other years due to the widespread drought.

I will leave some SCN scouting recommendations below. Please visit The SCN Coalition (TheSCNCoalition.com) for detailed SCN sampling recommendations and management insights.
– Visit areas with a history of SCN pressure.
– Look for potential field symptoms (patches with yellow plants and reduced growth – Figure 1).
– Dig (don’t pull) some plants using a shovel (see video 3). Pulling plants may leave some of the females in the soil, especially with the drier-than-normal conditions.
– Inspect the roots and look for adult females. They are small but can be observed with the naked eye (Figure 2).
– Females will look from white/light yellow to brown, depending on their developmental stage and age.

We received .3 inch of rain over the weekend – it was a welcomed rain but not nearly enough to make a dent in the drought.

On a trip to Monmouth this past week I saw the beginning of some likely spider mite infestations; if the drought continues, these become increasingly likely in soybean. This is a great reason to hold off on broad spectrum insecticide applications, which don’t touch the mites but eliminate their natural enemies. (Also, a good reason not to mow your grassways if you don’t have to).

The dryness ensures. Class A’s holding on but class B’s are struggling. The silver side of leaves in soybeans can now be seen after mid-day. A sign of very dry conditions.

This afternoon, I took a drive through western Vermillion County. Like much of the state, still, conditions are very dry. There was large variability in growth stage between fields. Corn generally fell in the V6-V10 range, although some of the later planted fields are not quite there and appear to have significantly slowed growth. In general, the larger corn looked healthier with less water stress, indicating there is some plant available moisture at the deeper soil levels accessible to roots of these larger plants, but perhaps not by the corn closer to V6. Soybean fields also showed a good deal of variation in terms of overall growth (open trifoliates, nodes, branches, etc.), although most fields I stopped an walked into were showing at least some flowers, with several at R2. Although there was variation in the overall appearance of health in the soybean fields surveyed, there were flipped leaves and signs of water stress in all of them. I did come across one wheat field that looked to have good head size and minimal disease. Harvest for that field is likely just around the corner.

Conditions are very dry. We are starting to see Spider Mites and Japanese Beetles in our area.

Corn is hanging on as we are at least getting dew that runs down to the base of the plant. Wheat yield reports continue to be excellent. Both in bu/ac and test weight. Despite the dark clouds and a rainbow, no rain now in many locations for 35 days.

The extreme dry conditions are continuing to stunt plants and causing drought stress on crops across northern IL.

Corn, soybeans, and forages are stressed with growth stunted. V10 growth stage corn is barely shoulder high at its highest point. Soybeans planted in 15-inch rows at the end of April are finally closing over. Most corn is in the V7 – V10 growth stage with some at V11. Soybeans vary from V7 to R1. Wheat harvest is just beginning in this part of Illinois (DeWitt, Macon & Piatt Counties). Second cutting hay looks to yield about 50% of first cutting on the average across the the area. Pastures and roadsides are brown where grazed or mowed.

It is still very dry overall across our area. We have had a few scattered rain chances that have brought most at least some rain, however, we are at such an overall deficit, that it just doesn’t feel that it goes very far. Last weekend was the most “widespread” rainfall we have had, but still some areas got as little as 0.2” but many had 0.6” to 1” with a few getting more than that in isolated areas. The saving grace across the board has been our mild temperatures. Most corn and soybean fields look good and is growing but has some stress areas on hot afternoons. There are areas that missed rain where there was some replanting although it has been a balance as without rain replanting may not be any better than the first attempt. We are in full swing of wheat harvest. It has taken some time to get the crop dried but early reports are of good yields overall. Planters are tailing right behind harvest hoping to get double crop soybean in prior to any possible chance of rain.