News

Illinois crop development trails average

 

Warm, dry weather for Illinois allowed farmers to continue cutting hay last week and helped corn and soybean development, with an average of 6 days available for fieldwork. However, everything is still catching up from the very wet conditions experienced earlier in the growing season.

As of Sunday, 94% of corn is silking and 46% is at the dough making stage, with 8% dented, all slower than average. 56% of the crop is in good to excellent condition.

82% of soybeans are blooming and 52% are at the pod setting stage, also all behind normal. 50% of soybeans are called good to excellent.

The second cutting of alfalfa is at 84% and the third cutting is at 23%.

76% of Illinois’ pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent shape.