After last week’s storms, the corn that was most heavily impacted (which was minimal) has mostly come back up. Everything still looks very healthy as we continue to receive rainfall. Corn is silking and soybeans are anywhere between R3 and R5. I have seen some rootworm beetles and subsequent silk clipping but not in high amounts. Soybeans have some Japanese beetle feeding but it’s very minimal. I also have not seen any significant disease pressure.

In general, the corn and soybean fields look good. Weed escapes are beginning to show in a few soybean fields. Early planted soybean fields are in the R3 stage. Early planted corn fields are R3 stage with late planted fields in R1 (silking) stage. Corn leaf aphids are making a presence in the R1 corn fields, but at this time there is no need to apply control measures. Silking corn fields should be monitored for aphid numbers and whether the crop is suffering moisture stress. Current IL thresholds for aphid control in corn is >50% of the corn plants have more than 100 aphids per plant and the plant is in moisture stress; OR >3% of the corn plants have heavily infested tassels and upper corn leaves plus suffering moisture stress. Remember aphids are controlled by insect predators, diseases and rainfall washing them off.

April planted corn has fully pollinated. Both corn and soybeans have had fungicide and insecticide applications. The late May planted soybeans are not there yet and only at R2. Mid May soybeans have canopied. Stink bug feeding and bacterial leaf diseases showing up in corn. Could use more rain soon.

Continue to scout soybean fields for regrowth on waterhemp. Be on the lookout for aphids in corn fields. Scout corn fields once a week for disease presence. Soybeans are adding regrowth of vegetation but will return to R1/R2 in the near future. Be ready for applications when we reach R2 growth stage.

Widespread precipitation across the area has been a big benefit to the crop. Most of central IL did not have much reported damage from the derecho on the night of the 15th. Rain amounts varied, but most of the area received some much needed rain from Beryl and the storms following. Now to keep our eyes on what could be optimal conditions for disease progression especially considering that the planting dates are wider than normal.

Monday night’s derecho brought significant rainfall to the area. Most parts of Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties received 1.5 to nearly 3 inches of rain. This rain, combined with the rain received from Hurricane Beryl, caused some low-lying areas to have standing water. Thankfully, there does not appear to be any signs of wind damage. Nearly all of the corn across the three counties has tasseled, and pollination is beginning. Soybeans also look good, almost all in the R2 to R3 stages. Waterhemp continues to be a prevalent issue. Japanese beetles are also present, but damage has yet to reach the economic threshold in the fields I have walked through.