Central/West-Central Illinois Crop Report 6/23/25

A drive through WC/C IL late last week showed a sizable fraction of the soybean crop still fighting to get past the “early-season” uglies—the typical yellow-green look we see every year. That story began to shift over the weekend as heat drove further root development, turning the countryside (in many places) a more satisfying dark green.

As we would expect, given variable planting dates, crop development remains diverse. The bean crop currently averages 6 to 7 nodes, with the earliest-planted fields showing 10 to 11 nodes and the latest-planted showing 3 to 4. Rows in many areas have begun to canopy, and our first batch of flowers can now be observed in several locations.

Weed control has been a recent point of discussion. Some of those conversations have included concerns about damaging the first flush of flowers, particularly where weed pressure has been more difficult to manage.

The southeastern portion of this area is experiencing what Southern Illinoisans know too well—the rain never wanted to shut off, and now it seems to have disappeared.

Japanese beetle emergence began last week, and grape colaspis adults will soon follow.

In other row crop news, tassels began emerging in our earliest-planted corn fields over the weekend. Most of the corn crop is still several leaves away from the reproductive stage, but kernel establishment is approaching quickly.

Wheat harvest will soon knock on the door, and hay bales are beginning to dot fields across the area.