First crop soybeans range from beginning to set seed at R5 to some fields still in late R2 just starting to think about putting out pods. Double-crop soybeans are in R2, full of flowers.
Some corn is full dough stage and starting to firm up kernels but not quite to R5 yet. Later planted corn is still transitioning from the blister to the milk stage, R2-R3.

As we move into the later stages of grain fill, the corn and soybean crop in Douglas County is currently looking very healthy, overall. During my drive around the county, I saw very few soybean fields with drowned out areas. Soybean maturity in fields surveyed ranged from R5 (beginning seed) to R6 (full seed), with some more mature fields starting to show leaf senescence in the lower canopy. Most corn fields surveyed were in late R4 (dough) to early R5 (dent) and had full ears with minimal kernel abortion at ear tips. Soil moisture conditions were good, with drying in the top couple of inches but still plenty of plant-available moisture in the root zone.

Milder temperatures this week are great for pods and kernel fill. A few sprayers/airplanes in the air. Keep monitoring for insects and disease.

We have reached that time of year that we sit back and see how this crop is going to continue. We have several weeks for fungicide applications coming to an end. The aphids have disappeared, leaving behind some disappointing carnage in some corn fields. We will see how much damage was done come fall.

This week precipitation has been mixed in northeast Illinois, areas north of the Rte. 80 corridor have received multiple rainfall events while areas south have received limited to no precipitation. Soy continues to progress, reaching R5, beginning seed stage. Depending upon variety maturity and planting date, most corn fields visited were R3-R4 to R4-R5. An unwelcome discovery this week was significant Tar spot symptoms in several corn fields. The decision on using a fungicide treatment is difficult in later maturity stages, especially when we are near R5, the dent stage. A reminder that grain fill in the dent stage often extends to 30 days or more. However, with declining commodity prices farmers need to consider their ROI (return on investment) when considering a or additional fungicide applications. A tool available to aid in the decision making is the Corn Fungicide ROI Calculator from the Crop Protection Network. The purpose of the Corn Fungicide ROI Calculator is to share results from university uniform corn fungicide trials conducted in the United States and Canada and allow farmers and others in the agricultural industry to calculate the potential return on investment (ROI) for corn fungicide application across a variety of user-defined factors, which is based on research data included in this calculator. The two variables needed are expected corn yield and marketing price. The calculator can be accessed at https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/fungicide-roi-calculator

Crops across Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties continue to grow and develop nicely, thanks to last week’s rain showers. Despite having high winds during some storms, there does not appear to be any wind damage to the crops. Many soybean fields are in the R4 stage, with some earlier planted fields beginning to develop seeds (R5). Much of the same can be said for the corn crop as well. Most fields are in the R4 dough stage, with some of the earlier planted fields beginning to dent (R5). The alfalfa across the area has grown back nicely as well, with last week’s rains and this week’s cooler temperatures helping. Most fields look to be in Stage 3 (early bud).