Corn pollination is taking place. Soybeans will be approaching R3 (pod set) soon. Both corn and soybeans will be at the correct growth stage for fungicide and insecticide in about a week. There appears to be a lot of waterhemp escapes. Also saw minor corn snap and lodging.

This week started with drought and wildfire smoke and ended with ponds in the field. Southern Woodford County had 2.5 inches of rain over two separate storms a few hours apart. The first storm was in the overnight hours and had small hail. The second storm was an intense downpour. We were lucky to not have damage to the crop in this area. Next week will be focused on which weeds are germinating and what we can do about it. The herbicide options are limited and may or may not control the weeds emerging. Cultivation is an option in organic or later planted beans that are not close to the rows closing. Read the herbicide label for crop growth height and stage restrictions.

Much of the corn in NW IL was starting to roll and pineapple on late last week. The rain over the weekend and cooler conditions reduced this impact through mid week. Many fields of corn and soybean field seem to be behind in height and canopy closure at this point. Some of the early planted field which received timely showers during May and June look more normal. This really shows the spotty distribution of late spring showers.

We have been dry again this week, having missed any potential rain chances that were predicted. Our temperatures have also warmed up with most days at 90 degrees or above for highs. This has really put the stress to crops especially in the afternoon. Overall, crops look fairly good considering the dry, but they are growing fairly slow. Some early planted corn in the river bottom is starting to tassel. Wheat harvest is wrapping up and all reports I have heard have had very good yields and quality. Double crop soybeans are emerging fairly well, but they along with everything else, will really be hurting if we continue to stay hot and dry.

Much-anticipated rainfall fell across much of central Illinois on Thursday, June 29, accompanied by high winds and hail in some places. More rain is forecast in coming days, and we hope this means an end to the drought of 2023. It would be better if the rain came more slowly without hail, but we won’t complain. Two inches or so of rain over the next two weeks should be enough to get corn through pollination in most fields, and to get soybean growth and yield potential back on track.
The fact that corn has stayed relatively short and plants are not as brittle as they would have been with more soil moisture should help the crop withstand windstorms. Short corn can have high yield potential, as long as canopy cover is complete by pollination, and leaves remain healthy. Lower leaves that have lost color may not come back, but nutrient uptake and color of larger leaves should get back to normal. We can expect soybean leaf area to develop rapidly, and having the plants shorter than normal with less internal shading may help pod development and retention as plants continue to flower over the coming weeks.
Rainfall should bring a quick reversal of the recent decline in crop condition ratings of both corn and soybean. Answering the question about whether yield potential has been irreversibly lowered by stress will get easier over the next few weeks as plants resume growth and canopy development. We do expect yield potential to recover well, if perhaps not fully in those fields most affected by drought up to now. That will be helped along by normal rainfall, temperatures, and sunlight in July.