This week we have been busy helping with the Knox County Ag in the Classroom for fourth graders. We helped by teaching students about planting wildflowers and pumpkins. Also, the importance of crops and soil to Illinois and gave drone application demos. We believe it is important to teach younger generations about agriculture and what we do in ag retail to provide support to farmers. Paired with Ag Day, this event helped students get hands-on experience and learn more about agriculture.

Farmers are making good progress planting this week and many are expecting to wrap by the end of the weekend. The soil has finally become fit for planting; this has helped tremendously with field progress. We have also been planting corn/soybean variety test plots to evaluate throughout the growing season. This research will help us know which varieties perform better under this season’s growing conditions in a side-by-side setting.

In our travels this week we have been checking on emerged corn and soybean fields, focusing on emergence and crop stands. Farmers that have waited for optimal conditions for planting corn have finally received their wish. Soil temps have warmed and soils are not sticky to the feel. Now that most farmers have their crops in, we would welcome a nice steady rain to help with crop growth and development over the weeks to come.

We are noticing a trend in weather with rain patterns at the beginning of the week, suspending fieldwork for many farmers until typically late Wednesday or early Thursday due to cold, overcast weather conditions following the rain events. Weather continues to be an issue, with cooler temperatures in the 30s at night and frost as we wake up in the morning. This slows the pace for everyone as we wait for the sun to shine and temperatures to climb to get field activity rolling in the mornings. The struggle to get soil conditions near optimal continues as farmers try to finish planting season and we try to finish pre-herbicide applications. With more rainfall in the forecast next week, we may see the same trends again. Many conversations focus on the weather and what the right thing to do is with current forecasts. Many are getting anxious, but we reflect on the past few years and how great the conditions have been in our territory.

Our region received between 0.4 and 1 inch of rain on Monday, April 27, and the majority of the week was cool and overcast with small chances of rain every day during the week. Since the first part of the week was not optimal for fieldwork, we found a way to stay busy doing projects like aerial seeding a new pasture. Farmers are pushing to get more done before the next rain. Fieldwork picked up toward the end of the week, allowing us to accomplish more than anticipated, as well as assisting in planting corn research plots at the FS Technology Learning Center in Galesburg.

We started off the week with unfavorable (15-20 mph-plus) winds, which kept us out of the field for the first half of the week. In the meantime, we have kept busy finishing up spring anhydrous ammonia and delivering seed to customers. We continue to make progress with trials, such as our HumiK trial near Lomax, Ill., where we spread dry fertilizer on Friday—now just to plant—and our ISA on-farm Sulfur 2.0 trial also was planted on Saturday. Wednesday, we started spraying, and a lot of local farmers have started planting as well. Friday morning, we were set back a day from 0.10-0.20 inch of rain. Last Friday, we got severe storms with 1-2 inches of rain, high winds and hail. Temperatures have been in the 50s, with frost overnight. We are expecting more severe storms this next week, which could set everyone back with fieldwork once again.

Started off the week with rain, so field conditions have not been optimal for fieldwork. Our area is officially out of the drought. With the ground being moist, people are still preparing for when it becomes dry. While expecting more rain this weekend, the hope is to get conditions dry enough for next week.

We have kept ourselves busy by helping with FFA events, “Land Use Council 4 Envirothon” for Fulton County, Hancock County, McDonough County, Knox County and Warren County, and Ag in the Classroom, “Ag Day for fourth graders.”

Soil temperatures have risen to around 62 degrees. Temperatures are staying warmer throughout the night, which will help keep soil temperatures up and continuing to rise.

Daytime temperatures are fluctuating from the 40s to the 80s. With 3-5 inches of rain from last week and 0.4-1 inch this week, soil conditions have been moist. Due to cooler nights, soil temperatures are not optimal for planting conditions. While days become warmer and soil gets up to optimal conditions, we have laid out and accomplished proper protocols for the Sulfur 2.0 trial and HumiK trials.

With the Sulfur 2.0 trial, in one field we are comparing ATS vs. AMS vs. untreated. In another field, we are comparing AMS vs. 32%. With these comparisons, the goal is to find what better fits the sulfur. In another field, we set up our HumiK trial, which allows organic matter to build in the soil.

The field we are trialing has a very sandy-like texture, which lacks organic matter, giving us the opportunity to experiment on whether this product will benefit this field and how to build it up to get the most yield possible.

Over the past few weeks, weather conditions have been fairly dry—so much so that many were hopeful for a shower or two to help finish grain fill. Thankfully, our territory caught a few nice rains, ranging from ¼ inch to 1 inch. Temperatures went from unbearably hot to super comfortable and fall-like, which has been a blessing after a long, abnormally warm spell.

In my opinion, as I’ve revisited corn fields after pollination, the ears have filled very nicely, leaving me anxious for harvest to begin. Last week, most of our cattle producers who chop silage put theirs up. A few growers have also started harvesting their early-maturing varieties, like 106–108-day corn, with moistures as low as 24–25%. Many of the hand-shelled moisture tests I’ve taken have been in the 28–36% range, so we may be a week or so away from broader harvest. I anticipate many more starting next week for sure.

As for soybeans, they are starting to change—and seem to change by the day. Early last week, we flew on the majority of our cover crop mixes that will be used for grazing this fall and into the spring. More planes will be rolling tomorrow, spreading rye and radish mixes over corn going to soybeans.

Corn fungicide applications have been in full swing, with planes, helicopters, and drones zooming through the air! Late last week and this week, the focus has shifted to soybean fungicide applications, typically done with ground rigs. Scouting continues to be a priority to monitor what is happening in corn and soybeans. Reports of wrapped tassels and other tassel-related problems have been a major concern. Producers and seed companies have scrambled to scout corn, as these issues have caused pollination problems in some areas. This is something we continue to monitor.

Crops are off like a rocket in our territory. Favorable growing conditions—warm weather and timely rains—have set us up for success. With these conditions, concerns about crop diseases like the dreaded tar spot are becoming a reality. There have been several sightings of it in our territory. If the heat continues as it has this week, we believe it will help reduce the push of infection.

As for soybeans, many post applications have been applied. These treatments continue to show significant crop response on the leaves. We’re also seeing good success with these applications in controlling waterhemp and other tough-to-kill pests.

It’s that time of year when we encourage producers to take a two-week vacation—and come back to clean fields and beautiful crops! Corn is coming out of its ugly stage as it finds nitrogen, and soybeans are rebounding nicely after the initial setback from post applications. All in all, we’re excited about the potential our crops continue to show.

The past few weeks we have had nice rains to replenish our soil moisture. Air/ soil temps continue to increase over the past few weeks as well. Crop in our territory has started to take off growing at a fast pace. Weed control continues to be focal point for us here in ag retail as we are in full swing of post emergence applications in both corn and soybean. We are applying layered residuals to help control the vicious watershemp populations. Top dress urea and side dress solution application are being made as a split rate approach to our nitrogen management plans.

In previous weeks, we were praying for rain and battling windy conditions. Thank goodness our hopes came true! Last week, we didn’t have a single day without rain from Sunday through Thursday. In common wet spots in fields, there was standing water for a few days. These conditions brought all sprayers and field work to a halt.

Before the rain, there was a large window and no rush to apply post-emergence chemistries. Now, that window has drastically narrowed. As of midday Saturday into Sunday, we’ve started to see a little field activity pick up. Hopefully, by Tuesday—following the busy holiday weekend—field and environmental conditions will be favorable for getting the post-emergence chemistries on!

For us, this past week was full of inventory, organizing, and catching up on projects around the plant before the next big push.

This week came in as a warm one! Growers are finishing planting with the favorable conditions we have had here in Knox County. For me personally, we completed nine plots total last week, two of which are research plots for Western Illinois University and Williamsfield FFA a local FFA chapters Land lab. Sprayers stayed parked for most of the week, and we started to get them ready for post emerge applications.

Planting of soybeans is coming to an end here in the west central part of the state. Corn planting is in full swing as soil conditions are as favorable as they have been in a long time for April. Many worked through the weekend to get as much done as possible before the rain forecasted for mid-week. Sprayers continue to roll as they strive to keep up with planters to ensure that all planted crop is covered. Soybean burndown and pre-emergence chemistries are on track to be done with in a day or two if not done already after soils dry up from the rain that we received Wednesday- Friday. The rain we received was enough to activate all of the residual herbicides being applied.

After receiving a significant amount of rain (1.5-2.0) over 2-3 days, planting and spraying halted until late week, with sprayers rolling again on Thursday. These wet conditions allowed everyone to catch up on maintenance items, mapping boundaries, and ultimately not feeling guilty about taking some family time Easter Sunday. We anticipate planting to resume Friday into the weekend as conditions become more favorable. There was also learning opportunities to “sharpen the blade” such as Illinois Soybean Association’s Agronomy Team’s Q&A webinar and other industry insight webinars.

In the fields of Knox County and the surrounding areas, we are seeing soybean planters rolling, sprayers running, and what is presenting to be purple henbit weed popping up across the majority of the fields. Early in the week, planting conditions were ideal, with a slight weather delay mid-week, but by Thursday evening, growers were going again.