After the strong storms that passed through the region yesterday (June 18), most fields in northern Vermilion County are saturated, with a little standing water in low-lying areas and compacted headlands. The storms also brought strong winds, but fortunately, the damage to crops seems to be minimal in that part of the county.

Most corn in the area was leaning, but there were only a couple of areas where the crop was nearly flat. The affected corn was on the more advanced end of the crop growth range in the region, which is around the V8 to V10 growth stages. However, I saw minimal greensnap, so much of that corn, which is currently horizontal, will likely recover — albeit with a goosenecked stalk. Later-planted corn, generally in the V3 to V4 range, was affected little by the winds.

Soybeans ranged in growth stage from V1/V2 to R1, with some earlier-maturity soybeans starting to open their first flowers. Weed control in both corn and soybeans was mixed, with the wet conditions likely contributing to an inability for farmers to get timely postemergence herbicide applications completed.

I found a couple of wheat fields during my survey, both of which were in the Feekes 11.2 growth stage, with kernel starches at a “soft dough” consistency.