Currently, the corn and soybean crops are looking good. Some corn in the drier areas has fired on the lower leaves.

Soybeans vary from V5 to R3 (beginning pod), and corn varies from V10 to R2 (blister), with most of the corn crop in the R1 stage. Weed control is generally looking good; however, the amaranths are beginning to poke above the soybean canopy in some soybean fields.

Rainfall over the past 14 days has been over 150% of normal in southern Macon and Piatt counties, and less than 25% of normal through the balance of the three-county area.

Now is the time to begin monitoring corn rootworm beetles — both to evaluate the performance of traits/insecticides used this year and to gauge the need for control next year. We will again be distributing yellow sticky traps to anyone interested in participating in our regional corn rootworm adult monitoring network in 2025 (for more information about the network and to see reports from previous years, visit www.rootwormipm.org).

If you are interested in participating and would like me to send you traps and/or the sampling protocol, please send me an email (nseiter@illinois.edu) with the following information:

• Your name and shipping address
• The number of corn and soybean fields you plan to monitor

The growing season is entering a key phase, during which many fields and plants are transitioning into the reproductive stage of growth. Nearly all of the corn fields in the area have entered the R1 phase, with some likely further along. There are still some fields in the later V-stages, but they won’t be behind the rest for too long. Much the same story can be said of soybeans, with some more mature fields in the R1–R2 phase, while others are in the later V-stages. Rainfall has also been variable across the area over the last week. Some parts of the county received around an inch of rain, while others received a half-inch or less.

In Franklin County this week, I found a couple of soybean fields in full flowering (R2), despite being shin-knee high. Beans in this area vaulted straight into flowering at only V5–V6, since days have started shortening after the solstice. Most double-crop beans are in the ground and at VE–VC.

On the corn side, I have seen one field tasseling — it must have been an atypical field that got planted in April. Most corn fields are still vegetative (V9–V10), with no sign of tassels yet.

Central/West-Central Illinois Report (7/9/25)

About 40-45% of the soybean crop seems to be setting up very well for yield. Color, canopy closure, and general appearance look very good in those fields. The “mid-season vibe” for that portion of the crop is good, but “the final story” is yet to be told. Growers are holding their collective breath for late July/ early August rainfall that would set that story in concrete.

Don’t discount the crop that sits just a shade lower in general appearance (about 40%). That portion also is set up well, but the finish line is still very far ahead.

All of that said, there are some fields that had begun to struggle previous to this week’s rainfall. About 15-18% of fields have not yet closed canopy, generate concern for those fields in the countryside. About 3-5% of fields were doing that because droughty stress had reached severe levels. In those locations low organic matter ribbons of soil were evident with beans graying off, occasionally yellowing up, and – in the worst cases browning. Rainfall totals ranging from a tenth to a few inches alleviated that stress early in the week.

Roughly 65-75% of the corn crop has tasseled. Those fields that have not yet tasseled will do so in 3 to 12 days with an average of about 6 days to tassel (across the geography). As with beans, about 3% of the crop had shown evidence of severe droughty stress previous to rain. Moisture stress induced edge of field potash deficiency is evident in about 6% of fields.

With about 0.5–1.0″ of rain and some cooler temperatures, this past week, corn and soybean crops in Douglas County are looking healthy during this vital flowering period. Most soybean fields are somewhere between the full flowering (R2) and beginning pod (R3) stages, with a few fields moving into full pod (R4). At least 50% of the corn fields I saw during my survey had started to flower. Most of those fields were still in the early stages of silking and anthesis (R1), but a couple of fields I visited were entering the blister stage (R2).

Wheat fields I drove by had all been harvested. Many had been planted to double-crop soybeans sometime last week before the rain, and I saw a couple of farmers getting ready to roll again as soils dried enough to allow for field traffic. In the southwest part of the county, several alfalfa fields had their second cutting, with one or two still standing. Oat fields looked to be a week or so away from harvest.