Following weekend rainfall (4/18–4/21), most of the area received 1–1.5″. By Wednesday (4/23), fields had dried out enough for farmers to get back to work. Tillage ramped up midweek as we enjoyed sunshine, calm winds, and temps reaching the 80s. Soil temperatures have been hovering in the mid-50s. Soybeans are going in, corn planting is underway, and ag retailers are staying busy with dry fertilizer, anhydrous ammonia, and preplant herbicide applications.
Field work is moving quickly as farmers take advantage of the favorable conditions ahead of Friday’s forecasted rain.

In the fields of Knox County and the surrounding areas, we are seeing soybean planters rolling, sprayers running, and what is presenting to be purple henbit weed popping up across the majority of the fields. Early in the week, planting conditions were ideal, with a slight weather delay mid-week, but by Thursday evening, growers were going again.

Drying field conditions , rivers still above flood stage. Work in uplands progressing very well.

Soil temps are increasing in our no-till field that will be planted to soybeans. I’m hearing that many farmers either started planting this past weekend or going to get in the fields early this week. Spring burn down going on when they can catch a break with the wind.

We kicked off #plant25 by planting 4.0 maturity soybean. We are taking advantage of a very, small planting window before a long stint of forecasted rain.

Harvesting progress has slowed down significantly across Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties due to rain over the last week. This rain, combined with rain forecast for later in the week, means that harvest may be delayed even further. Diseases such as tar spot in corn are beginning to show themselves, but no impacts on yield are expected this late in the growing season.