News

Illinois farmers near end of soybean planting

Soybean planting is nearly complete in Illinois as farmers work to get double crop beans in following wheat harvest.

The USDA reports as of Sunday 97% of soybeans are planted, 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Ninety percent of the crop has emerged and 2% is blooming. Illinois soybeans are rated 60% good to excellent, falling short of other Midwestern states including Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota whose soybean crops rate 80% good to excellent or higher.

Winter wheat harvest is also rolling steady at 26% complete, up 23 points from the previous week but still 11 points behind average. The crop is rated 65% good to excellent.

Other highlights in the weekly report include a corn rating of 59% good to excellent and the beginning of the second cutting of alfalfa hay.

Thirty-three percent of topsoil falls in the short to very short moisture category indicating that parts of Illinois are in need of rain.