Drew DeSutter farms with his dad Jim, uncle Randy and cousin Matthew in Knox, Mercer and Henry counties. He returned to the farm after graduating from the University of Illinois in 2009 with a degree in ag business and farm management. The family follows a 50-50 corn-soybean rotation and has…
Drew DeSutter farms with his dad Jim, uncle Randy and cousin Matthew in Knox, Mercer and Henry counties. He returned to the farm after graduating from the University of Illinois in 2009 with a degree in ag business and farm management. The family follows a 50-50 corn-soybean rotation and has…
Drew DeSutter farms with his dad Jim, uncle Randy and cousin Matthew in Knox, Mercer and Henry counties. He returned to the farm after graduating from the University of Illinois in 2009 with a degree in ag business and farm management. The family follows a 50-50 corn-soybean rotation and has…
As I look back on the year, it was marked by a fast planting and harvest window under predominantly dry conditions. June held fairly dry, but July brought a shift to wet and humid weather that, while seemingly ideal, ended up creating a perfect environment for crop disease. Yields varied mor…
There’s a lot of anhydrous going on across many fields now as farmers take advantage of the dry stretch to catch up on fall fieldwork. While some crops are still being harvested, those acres are getting fewer and farther between. The earlier-than-usual harvest finish and continued good weath…
Harvest continues for some farmers in the area, though progress has slowed due to last weekend’s storms, which knocked down portions of corn and made fields more challenging to navigate. A fair amount of fall anhydrous application began last week, and there’s been increased activity in worki…
Harvest continues at a steady pace across the area. Some farmers are nearing the finish line, while others have already wrapped things up. Dry fertilizer applications have been widespread, and we finally saw a change in the weather — Saturday night brought over an inch of much-needed rain.
We received between half an inch to an inch of rain this past week — not enough to break the drought, but certainly welcome. Soybeans responded well, picking up moisture and cutting closer to ideal levels. Many growers are wrapping up soybean harvest and shifting back to corn, and the fields…
It’s been another hot and dry week, and unfortunately, several combine fires have occurred over the past few days. Anyone who’s experienced one knows that under the right conditions, they’re nearly impossible to prevent. While they can build more machines, they can’t replace the people opera…
The past week has brought continued hot and dry weather, which has allowed farmers to make excellent progress on fall harvest. Soybean cutting was widespread, and while yield reports for both corn and beans have been relatively quiet, early indications suggest that soybean yields are looking…
Harvest is in full swing across the area, with most farmers having taken off some corn, soybeans or a mix of both. Corn yields are proving variable and, overall, not on par with last year’s crop, while moisture levels are unusually low — ideal for fast harvest but reflective of the season’s …
Harvest is picking up speed across the area. The recent heat and lack of rainfall have accelerated crop maturity, and corn is drying down fast. I’d expect soybeans to start coming off this week too — they’ve really turned. Yields are still a bit of a question mark on our own ground, but from…
The weather’s been beautiful this past week, and a few farmers took advantage, getting into corn fields over the weekend. More will likely follow as conditions hold. Soybeans, on the other hand, seem to have hit a bit of a slowdown.
Corn is changing fast, and disease pressure is clearly winning out. Tar spot, southern rust and gray leaf spot are widespread, with symptoms accelerating across fields. While ear size and kernel weight look solid, stalk quality is increasingly suspect. Soybeans are beginning to turn, but pro…
The cooler weather this past week was a welcome change — refreshing and a clear signal that fall is creeping in. Corn disease has really taken hold and thickened up fast. I think some of those early, overly optimistic yield projections are starting to get reeled back. On the flip side, soybe…
Not much change in the fields since last week. Plant health is beginning to decline, which is expected given the time of year and the ongoing hot, humid conditions. The weather continues to be relentless — high heat and humidity remain the dominant theme. At this point, I’m more than ready f…
Soybeans are showing some yellowing and signs of sudden death syndrome in spots. Corn maturity is ahead of schedule in some fields, with plants already at full dent. Ears have solid kernel counts and good weight. Overall plant health remains surprisingly good given the weather, though contin…
Fields have dried out after excessive moisture, improving crop conditions as soybeans were starting to show some stress from too much rain. The week ahead brings ideal temperatures and minimal rain chances, though showers may return by the weekend. Markets remain weak — every bushel will mat…
Another week brings another 1.5 to 2 inches of rain. The heat and humidity continue their relentless summer stretch, setting the stage for increased crop disease pressure. With moisture building and temperatures rising, it’ll be interesting to see how disease factors into final yield. Lookin…
This week’s theme was focused on pollination concerns. A few corn fields showed signs of incomplete pollination, though it’s difficult to assess the overall impact at this stage. My sense is that it’s not severe enough to affect yields in a major way, but it’s still frustrating, especially g…
Somewhere between 2-3 inches of rain fell over most of the area over the past week. There were areas of flooding around the Quad Cities, but our immediate area seemed to soak in all the precipitation. On corn, fungicide applications are going on in between rains. More rain is forecasted for …
We managed to sneak in about an inch of much-needed rain over the Fourth of July weekend. With that moisture, a lot of corn is beginning to tassel. I’d expect fungicide applications to start ramping up this week. Fortunately, it looks like the heat is easing off a bit, and there are chances …
Last week brought heat and scattered showers. Some areas saw as much as 3-5 inches of rain, while neighboring spots barely scraped half an inch. Our fields landed somewhere in the middle with about 1 to 1.5 inches. Corn is moving along nicely, roughly three leaves away from tasseling. I’ve b…
We picked up two rains last week totaling around 0.7 to 1 inch, which was enough to help push the crops along. The recent heat has really accelerated things, and the beans are looking a lot better than they did just a week ago. I’ve been hearing the second cutting of alfalfa is better than t…
The past week was mostly humid and cloudy — typical early summer. Post-emergence spraying dominated the workload. Corn is holding up really well and looks strong overall. Soybeans, on the other hand, are struggling in spots, appearing uneven and yellow, especially in areas with heavy residue…
Recently Listed
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
