Douglas B. Gucker 
IL Extension
dgucker@illinois.edu

Douglas B. Gucker 
IL Extension
dgucker@illinois.edu

DOUGLAS B. GUCKER UPDATES

Region 5 | September 3, 2025 | DeWitt, Macon & Piatt Counties

Doug Gucker
dgucker@illinois.edu

Caption: Soybean fields are turning yellow and leaves are dropping signaling that fields are entering the R7, beginning maturity stage.
Caption: In the past 2 weeks, the leaf diseases have made their appearance in fields with and without fungicide treatments.
Caption: The corn ear on the left is from an area listed as being in “Moderate Drought”, and the right ear is from an area listed as “No Drought”.
SYNOPSIS

The past two weeks have seen late-season leaf diseases appear in area fields: tar spot, common rust, southern rust, gray leaf spot, and others. A few farmers have taken out end rows in corn fields. In moderate drought areas, corn fields have fired up to the ear in the drier parts of the fields. Corn fields are in the dent stage (R5), and a few fields are in the mature stage (R6).

Soybean fields are turning yellow, reaching the R7 (beginning maturity) stage, with early-maturity soybean fields at or nearly at the R8 (full maturity) stage.

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)
Download PDF