Crops are generally doing quite well, although severe storms on June 17 did bring high winds and hail to portions of the 3-county area. The majority of the corn is in the V8 to V12 stage, and soybean fields are in the R1 stage. Presently, seeing only minor Gray Leaf Spot lesions in a few fields, and no Tar Spot so far. Japanese beetles are emerging. Low areas in fields are showing ponding and water-damaged plants. There will be cornfields tasseling by July 4.

Peoria County has received around 4.5 inches of rain over the past two weeks, with limited opportunities for soils to dry between events. Fields with good drainage are doing well overall, but poorly drained areas are showing ponding. This week has provided a needed window for some dry down, and I haven’t seen any widespread crop damage from wind. Looking ahead, another chance of moisture followed by higher temperatures should support crop growth but may increase disease concerns.

2026 may be the tale of two (or three) seasons. Pictures above show the contrast between corn planted in early April vs no-till corn in cover crops planted late May, and also first crop soybeans planted early April (flowering) and those planted early June. Early crops appear to have a distinct advantage, but we will have to see how the season plays out. Everything planted in the middle of those two windows struggled to emerge and many acres had to be replanted. Some of that middle season corn is V5-V7 now and growing rapidly, but showing some unevenness across the field, probably due to compaction and waterlogged soils.

Soft red winter wheat is nearing harvest, with some acres having been cut in the area. Yields are reportedly very, strong and we are anxious to get started on harvest.

Storms dropped another 1.9″ of rain this week along with some powerful tornados that ripped through the area and caused extensive damage to buildings and trees. Thank the Lord, we were safe and were spared any damage at our farm. Prayers to those families who were not so fortunate.

Side-dress N and post herbicide in corn should wrap up next week. Some early beans got first post herbicide apps before the big rain.

It has been unusually quiet so far this year for insect reports. Late last week, I received a report of spider mite activity in soybean in south-central Illinois near Macedonia. Most of the state received a healthy (or even unhealthy) dose of rain at least once or twice in the last week – that will do more to eliminate spider mites as a threat than even the best miticides available. Cooler temperatures will also help. If you are in an area that remains hot and dry and have spider mites, evaluate the potential for continued growth in the population based on the weather forecast and the extent of current injury to make a control decision.

I’ve also received a report that grape colaspis are active again in at least a limited area near Mt. Auburn where they have been a problem in the past. Affected plants will exhibit nutrient deficiency symptoms, especially purpling of the lower leaves and often concentrated on higher/better drained portions of the fields. Digging up the plants will reveal the larvae, which resemble tiny white grubs. By this point, affected plants will be noticeably stunted relative to surrounding, healthy plants, and the larvae may be close to finishing their development and emerging as adults. There is no effective rescue treatment for this pest in corn.

We will again be distributing yellow sticky traps to anyone who wishes to participate in our regional corn rootworm monitoring network. If that applies to you, send me an email (nseiter@illinois.edu) with “rootworm monitoring” in the subject heading.

Another week, with yet another round of storms and rain across Logan County. Storms on June 17th brought anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain. While ditches and low-lying areas are full of water, there does not appear to be any significant crop damage from the high winds that accompanied the rain. This latest round, combined with roughly half an inch over the weekend, will surely add some extra “gas” in the tank for crop growth as temperatures and conditions appear to remain favorable over the coming days.

After the multiple severe storms over the past week in LaSalle County, field conditions are severely wet. There is a wide range of conditions, with well-drained fields looking fantastic and healthy. There are far more fields with large areas of standing water that have been present for over a week. These areas with significant ponding are a near total loss. Some fields that are slightly better drained have significantly stunted plants, with soybeans looking much worse than corn of similar growth stages. There is more rain in the forecast for this weekend and next week, so I do not anticipate these fields having much chance to dry out. Additionally, there are areas of LaSalle County where crops have been damaged by the strong winds from recent storms, with corn fields taking the brunt of this with many plants leveled and under water. Areas around Streator have suffered significant damage after an EF-3 tornado touched down last week as well. Overall, crop conditions are far from ideal in LaSalle County right now.