News

Western Illinois planting update

Western Illinois farmer Ron Moore has wrapped up soybean planting.    “We’re very happy,” he says.

But, he tells Brownfield there are some challenges in fields that were planted before heavy rains moved in recently.  “There’s some crusting of soil on some corn and bean fields we planted about two weeks ago,” he says.  “They’re not completely emerged yet – so we’re hopeful we can get a rain – that half inch rain that’s forecasted and help soften that crust up so we don’t have to replant those few days we had planted.”

Moore says they are also concerned about pest pressure this spring.  “Last week we were getting a lot of black cutworm moths that were flying,” he says.  “The research facility up the road here was catching 35 black cutworm moths every night.  We’ve been scouting to see if the cutworms are working on the corn plants.”

He says they haven’t seen a lot of damage yet – but it is still early in the season.

Moore farms near Roseville, Illinois – about 30 miles east of the Mississippi River.