Crop growing conditions remain steady across Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties. Mild temperatures during the day and cooler evenings have relieved later-planted crops. Weed pressure is also becoming more prevalent in fields planted late, but high winds during the last week have prevented many fields from being sprayed. Nearly all of the first hay cutting is also completed, with most hay fields growing reasonably well. Hot temperatures are expected to come into the area later this week and weekend, so plants will likely experience some stress. Rain is also forecast for Thursday, which could provide some needed topsoil moisture.

Sunshine and warmer weather are accelerating crop and weed growth. Because of varied planting and replanting dates, both corn and soy post herbicide applications are underway. Largest corn is V9 – V10 stage, soy is V4 to V5 and nearly R1 (beginning bloom, one open flower at any node on the main stem). We are getting flowers on soy over a week before summer solstice! Despite what some of us learned about the connection between the longest day of the year and flowering, this phenomenon is becoming more frequent with earlier plantings. Photoperiod sensitive soybeans are considered a short-day plant. Despite the inference, flower induction is triggered with a longer night length. The soy plant’s ability to measure night length starts early, when the unifoliate leaflets are present and a young trifoliate can be detected at the second node. Dependent upon the soybean variety and maturity, once that plants critical night length is reached, flowering is initiated, before or after June 21st.
With our Dicamba products for Xtend technology soy reaching their June 12th application cutoff in Illinois, we should also look at label recommendations for Enlist products. The Enlist One label specifies for post applications applied to Enlist traited soy, ” Apply when weeds are no larger than 6 inches and any time after soybean emergence through the R1 growth stage.” As always, take the time to read and follow label directions before mixing and applying pesticides.

Last week stayed mostly dry with the exception of a very light rain shower on the 5th of June. Corn is turning dark green and is taking off in growth. Corn and soybean post herbicide applications are well underway. Last week and this week also seems to be ideal to get hay baled.

In St. Clair county, just about all of the corn has been planted, including some replants. Most corn is in V2-V4 range with a few outliers at V6. The majority of the first crop soybeans are in the ground, and I’d venture to say that by the end of the week the rest will follow. Most soy fields are VE-VC with a couple of outliers at V1-V2.

Over the past week wheat harvest has started across the Route 50 corridor and is well underway farther south. Some early reports show that despite fungicide application, the wet weather this spring has reduced yields below the expectations of early scouting reports. I’m sure by next week we will have a much fuller picture of that situation.

More rain this week. Progress was slow.

Fields are more uniform and seemed to be less variable across a field. There is still variation from field to field in growth stages, but the fields in general appear to be in good shape. Less impact from heavy rainfall and no apparent sins from planting into wet soils (compaction)