Talon Becker 
IL Extension
tbecker2@illinois.edu

Talon Becker 
IL Extension
tbecker2@illinois.edu

TALON BECKER UPDATES

Region 5 | July 21, 2023 | Champaign

Talon Becker
tbecker2@illinois.edu

Caption: Waterhemp pushing through soybean canopy – Champaign County, July 21, 2023
Caption: Corn at milk stage (R3) – Champaign County, July 21, 2023
SYNOPSIS

This week, I visited fields in central Champaign County. With much of the recently forecasted rain missing the area, soils are starting to dry up again. Digging down in a few field, there is still some moisture present a few inches below the surface, but that too is starting to dry. Plants do not looked stress at this point in time, but that could change quickly with a warm week ahead of us an minimal chances for rain in the current forecast. The vast majority of corn fields I visited had finished pollination, and were generally at blister (R2) or milk (R3) stages. Soybeans were generally at beginning pod (R3) to full pod (R4). Weed control was variable, with most pressure coming from waterhemp, and a few morning glories here and there. From the road, many soybean fields still look rather clean, but waterhemp pushing through the canopy is also starting to become a more common sight in the area.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THIS COUNTY?
Mildly Dry (soil is drier than normal, plant growth may have slowed)
IF CONDITIONS ARE ON THE DRY END, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING US DROUGHT MONITOR CATEGORIES BEST FIT CURRENT CONDITIONS
Moderate Drought (D1)