Widespread precipitation this week in NE Illinois along with much cooler temperatures. Most planting is starting to wrap up in the region. I visited several soy fields that after an initial rain event went weeks without additional precipitation leading to emergence issues. When visiting the field after recent rains, some emergence is still taking place while other soy seedlings simply couldn’t push through the crusted soil. Soybeans have epigeal emergence which means the hypocotyl arch pulls the cotyledons through the soil surface. Crusted soil can make this a challenge. Finer textured soils with low organic matter that have limited residue are more prone to crust. Crusting is also more likely following a heavy rainfall event causing soil aggregates to move into the open pore space. Limited rainfall after the heavy rainfall event intensifies the chance for soil crusting. Soil crusting causes soybeans to use all their energy trying to emerge from the soil and can result in a poor stand. What soy population is needed before considering a replant? Dr. Emerson Nafziger addressed this issue for both corn and soy in a 2020 farmdocDaily posting https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2020/05/replanting-corn-and-soybeans.html . In his article Dr. Nafziger shared an adage for soybean stands, ” When plants are easy to count without bending over, there aren’t enough of them”. While we are cognizant of lower soy population’s remarkable ability to compensate yield, growers are still encouraged to scout fields that are prone to crusting or emergence issues for adequate stands. NE Illinois alfalfa fields are starting to blossom, I expect the season’s first cuttings to take place as soon as window of favorable weather for drying and harvest takes place.