Crop Prospective Feedback
Written by Greg early AM Friday, 7 July, 2023:
Roger, Crop prospective from a farmer in Central Illinois, our farming operation is located about 10 miles west of Mowery Auction in Milford IL and spans in a 15 mile radius. Most Corn fields here are 5-6' tall and vary in height due to soil types and stress on the crop. The corn is tasseling and the recent rainfall over the 4th week helped to add moisture as we pollinate. We measured 1.8-2.5" of rain from June 30- today on our farms some of these fields have not had more than .4 rain since planting in April. I was out scouting with our retail agronomist and we are not sure how the corn plant will respond to the early stress and are going to wait on a fungicide application until after pollination, (besides there are no foliar diseases present as we are dry). This last rainfall is going to really help the early beans as they are starting to set pods. The crops look the same from Kankakee IL to Champaign IL and from the State Line with Indiana west to Bloomington IL or the I55 corridor. This section of the state in the past few years has been the leader as far as Yield Potential and Total Acres of Corn and Soybeans Grown. We are Talking about Iroquois, McLean, Champaign Counties if you were to look at the state production by county. I am still optimistic about raising a crop. I think yield will be 20% less at least for our corn crop from the data I have gathered. Yields will definitely be varied by tillage practices and soil types should we finish strong. The last rain is completely soaked in or used by the crop. Our wheat was cut the 4th after the rain cleared and we were able to plant double crop beans with no problem.
Also written Friday Morning from near Eureka, Illinois:
Hi Roger, Not sure what Interstates the driver was on, but if that trip was within the last week and he's claiming that, I'd question his vision. I've driven between Peoria and Bloomington three times over the last two weeks; drove the I-55 corridor from Bloomington up to I-80, then 80 across Northern IN Father's Day weekend... and my Son has driven from Sylvis to Peoria a couple of times during the last two weeks. Have seen corn shorter than normal and heard reports of shorter than normal but nothing in the 2-3 foot range that was tasseling. We've had almost 4" of rain over the last 10 days; the first was 2.5" over about two hours. I think the corn around my place grew about an inch an hour after that first rain; nearly doubled in height over about 5 days. There were pockets of varying rainfall amounts, but that was the first really measurable rain since side-dressed at about knee-high. For many in the Woodford / Peoria / Tazewell / McLean County area, that rain was a difference maker; we are still drier than normal and there's no water running in tiles, but that rain was a huge boost for many. Some early planted corn is starting to tassel here; corn will be shorter than normal and I think our yield will be below average; still way too early to tell. A farmer friend who lives 8 miles south of me told me last night he had about 1/3 the rain I did. But he did get some needed rain. The trucker’s claims just seem hard to believe, at least from my driving east & north, or reports I’ve seen from 90 miles south of me near Springfield or Champaign. I know there’s likely some sandier soils in the Princeton-Hennepin-Mcknab area that are likely hurting; doesn’t hold water well. From what I see; Illinois will likely be decent, but no way we hit the current projections of USDA; too much top end potential is gone.