We Need Rain in Central Illinois
Trent Brandenburg is watching every cloud. If it even gives a few drops of rain, he will want it to back up and try again. Trent sees his corn and soybean plants mostly off to a good start. The fields that did not get ponded by a recednt 5-inch rain are in need of a timely rain now to keep the growth going. His corn plants were planted early enough to get their root systems deep enough to get moisture from below the top layer of soil which is well dried from lack of rain.
This is the problem with the soybean fields Trent had to replant after the ponding drowned out the first seeding. The replanted soybeans are not germinating well due to the very top layer of soil being so dry. The 90-degree temperatures stress plants in dry soil. Today’s (June 1, 2023) Illinois drought map https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IL shows moderate drought over most of east central Illinois.
More from The Field Report
Replanting Done, Corn and Beans Look Good
Trent Brandenburg has replanted his few ponded field "wet spots" as many as three times. The replanted areas are "thin," Trent observed, because "It has been too wet. But at least [replanting] will keep the weeds down." Trent is now [...]
First Round Of Planting Done, Ponds Need Replanting
Trent Brandenburg is done with his "first round" of planting, as he puts it. The corn and soybeans he planted in April are up and growing in excellent condition. Trent's later-planted crops are germinating but not as far along as [...]
Not Much Field Work This Week
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