The rainfall has been quite variable across my 3-county area with some areas receiving less than 25% of normal and other areas with near-normal precipitation. In the dry areas, crops are showing the moisture stress in the heat of the day. Early planted corn is in the R! stage, silking. Wheat harvest is done and double-crop soybean planting is finished, this is early for my part of the state.

Early planted corn and soybean fields are in the V6 and 3rd trifoliate stages, respectively. Most fields in the area are planted, but there are still a few fields have to be planted in the areas that received heavy rains. Ponding in planted fields is a problem in some areas. The emerged crops look good but there is a wide range in plant growth.
The few wheat fields in area are looking good with very little head scab and plant health generally looks good.

Over the past week, rainfall in the three-county area of DeWitt, Macon, & Piatt has varied from about 0.25 to over 1.5 inches. Farmers were able to resume planting again this past weekend for a few days in some areas. Early planted corn and soybeans are in the V3 and V1 stages, respectively. Planting progress varies from nearly complete to 40% complete depending on how wet the soils have been.
Some fields are being planted without the emerged weeds being controlled by burndown herbicide applications or tillage.

Over the past week, the rainfall in my 3 counties – DeWitt, Piatt & Macon has varied from less than 0.5 inch to over 1 inch. Planting started again at the end of last week for a couple days then started again on Monday after the weekend rains.
Corn planted the week of April 10 is in V1 stage approaching V2 and soybean plants are in the unifoliate. About half the fields are planted at this time.

Here in my 3 county area (DeWitt, Macon & Piatt), soybeans are in either R7 – Beginning Maturity or R8 – Full Maturity stage. All corn fields are in the Dent or R5 stage with many fields in the R6 – Physiological Maturity. A few farmers have started to harvest mature early corn varieties. Noting grasshopper feeding damage on field edges (see photo). Areas of local fields where corn was stressed during grain fill are showing signs of stalk quality issues and lodging. It might be worth your time to check stalk quality in corn fields to prevent lodging losses.

Here in my 3 county area (DeWitt, Macon & Piatt), soybeans for the most part are in Full Seed or R6 stage. Most all corn fields are in the Dent or R5 stage with the milk line clearly visible. Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus (SVNV) is showing up in area fields should not affect yield and is caused by juvenile soybean thrips damage earlier in the season.

Here in my 3 county area (DeWitt, Macon & Piatt), soybeans for the most part are in mid R5 or “Beginning Seed” stage. Corn planted in the first half of April is late R4 (Dough) or early R5 (Dent) stage. Corn planted at the end of May is R3 (Milk) stage. The past two weeks has brought above normal rainfall to this region and no longer in “Moderate Drought”. Leaf diseases are at a minimum in both corn and soybean fields.

Early planted corn fields are in “dough” or R4 stage and later planted fields are in “milk” or R3 stage. Most soybean fields are in the “beginning seed” or R5 stage. In my 3 county area, the 9 straight weeks of being listed in the “moderate drought” category by the U.S. Drought Monitor has reduced our incidence of leaf diseases in corn and soybean fields. This week. a little SDS is just beginning to show up in a few soybean fields. The above SDS photo was from an area of a field with deep soil compaction.

With my area still listed as being in “Moderate Drought”, crops are still looking good. Most soybean fields are in the “full pod” or R4 stage. I surveyed 50 consecutive soybean fields on my drive and 13 (26%) of those fields had weed escapes present across the field and volunteer corn was not considered a weed escape. This is another effect of this year’s dry spring weather on the effectiveness of residual and post-emergent herbicides. Most corn fields are in the late “milk” or R3 stage or beginning “dough” or R4 stage. There is some tipback on the corn ears present. Very little leaf disease is showing up in area crop fields, which is common in a drought.

During my 40-mile crop survey across DeWitt, Macon and Piatt counties, I noticed several things. First, the very spotty nature of the recent rains with water standing in a field and a mile away it was powder dry. Second, it seems that residual weed control is not lasting long enough in some 30-inch row soybeans. I saw applicators in two fields spraying to control amaranth in 30-inch soybeans and other fields that had been sprayed in the past week. Third, the effects of the violent storms in late June that crossed the area are particularly evident in corn fields showing tattered leaves or elbowed stalks.
Soybeans for the most part are in the R3 growth stage with early planted fields approaching the R4 stage. Corn field growth stages varying from R2 (blister) to R3 (milk).