News

Illinois farmer says dry June boosted winter wheat yields, but hurt corn and soybeans

Crop conditions have varied across Illinois following a dry June and scattered rainfall in July.

Southwest Illinois farmer Nick Harre of Nashville tells Brownfield crops went over a month with no rain, and when moisture returned a couple weeks ago it came at the expense of severe wind and hail.

“Our earliest corn planted the beginning of April has tasseled and it’s had its fungicide application. We’ll get grain out of it, but I certainly don’t think it will reach its maximum yield just because such a long period of its life thus far as has been drought stricken.”

But he says winter wheat harvest wrapped up in late June and that same drought boosted those yields.

“It wasn’t just a little better than years past, it was about 12 bushels to the acre farm wide better than anything we’d ever had.”

Harre says double crop soybeans were planted in very dry ground, but timely rains have made for a good stand and august weather will be a determining factor for first crop soybean yields.

As of Sunday, the USDA rates Illinois corn 41% good to excellent with 70% silking and 7% in the dough stage. Soybeans are rated 40% good to excellent with 61% blooming and 19% setting pods. 95% of winter wheat harvest is finished and the third cutting of alfalfa hay is 20% complete.