Douglas B. Gucker 
IL Extension
dgucker@illinois.edu

Douglas B. Gucker 
IL Extension
dgucker@illinois.edu

DOUGLAS B. GUCKER UPDATES

Region 5 | July 17, 2025 | DeWitt, Macon, Piatt

Doug Gucker
dgucker@illinois.edu

Caption: Soybeans in R3 stage with plants still blooming, even in the very dry areas.
Caption: More advanced corn fields are in the R3, milk stage.
Caption: I pried this corn plant out of dry ground. Note the depth of one of the roots that I did not break off.
SYNOPSIS

It has been a tale of the “haves and have-nots” with regard to rainfall. The far southern areas of Macon and Piatt Counties are at near-to-above-normal rainfall levels, with the majority of the three counties hovering around 50% of normal rainfall.

In the dry areas, grasshopper populations are increasing. Some foliar feeding by Japanese beetles and grasshoppers is visible, but so far the levels are below the threshold for control.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THIS COUNTY?
Moderately Dry (soil is dry, plants may be browning or stressed, water bodies are low)
IF CONDITIONS ARE ON THE DRY END, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING US DROUGHT MONITOR CATEGORIES BEST FIT CURRENT CONDITIONS
Abnormally Dry (D0)
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