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…
A very pleasant weather week brought cooler temperatures that were welcomed as the crop continues to fill. We’ve been in a dry pattern for most of July, but the grass has stayed green, and both corn and beans remain mostly stress‑free. In most of my years of farming, this is the point in the…
Recently weather has stayed warm and muggy, moving crops along steadily. Field activity continues as needed, and occasional spotty showers have been the main source of moisture. A shift toward more comfortable temperatures is expected soon, which should help ease overall crop stress.
The crops had a fairly uneventful week. The corn is pollinating, and fungicide applications are being flown on. Disease pressure remains low overall, with only a little gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight showing up. A stretch of hot weather is ahead, and rainfall chances look limit…
This week’s highs in the upper 80s will feel almost like fall compared to the heat we just came through. A few storms rolled through and brought some wind. Isolated pockets showed a little snap in the corn, but nothing widespread. We’re getting very close to tassel, and I’d guess by the next…
The area finally dried out enough toward the end of the week to get into some bean fields for post spraying. Most of the corn is still handling the excess moisture better than the beans. I’ve heard a few reports of tar spot showing up, though I haven’t seen any myself. The forecasted heat wi…
On-and-off rain showers have continued throughout the week. Soybean fields were sprayed in between rains — not ideal conditions, but the waterhemp and overall weed pressure has reached the point where something had to be done. One of the apps I follow shows a field with over 16 inches of rai…
Off‑and‑on rain showers paired with hot, muggy weather summed up the past week. Some fields took on far too much water (9 inches or more in seven days) and could really use a break, but at least none of the storms brought the high winds that were originally forecast. Once things finally dry …
The crops held up well through the hot, dry stretch early in the week and were rewarded with some much‑needed rain over the weekend. Totals were extremely spotty across the area. A few farms picked up 4-5 inches, while others saw only sprinkles to a half inch. The places that caught the full…
Hot and dry conditions dominated the week in our area. A significant amount of post‑spraying was completed, and a few soybean fields were spotted in for replant. Some of the 15‑inch beans on lighter soils didn’t achieve the stand farmers were hoping for, but overall, the crops look solid. Co…
It was a fairly slow week following the weekend rains and the cooler stretch midweek. Most of the April‑planted corn is sitting around the V4 stage, and the May‑planted soybeans have emerged quickly — you can row them easily from the road. I’d expect to see a lot of post‑spraying happening n…
Warm temperatures and a couple of timely rains over the weekend gave the crops a nice boost. Both corn and soybeans are gaining height and showing a healthy green color. Populations look solid overall, though it seems like everyone has at least one field they’ve double‑checked.
Spotty showers slowed things down mid‑week, but field activity picked up again and the area finished strong toward the end of the week. Emerged corn is moving slowly, though the warmer temperatures heading into the weekend gave it a much‑needed push. Soybeans are starting to show as well, ev…
This week lived up to expectations — fast, busy and full of progress. Sprayers were running hard, and both corn and soybeans went in across the area. Ground conditions weren’t quite as ideal as the past couple of years, but those seasons spoiled us. Even so, soils shaped up reasonably well, …
In my immediate area, there hasn’t been much fieldwork accomplished so far in April. Some of our farms have already seen around 6 inches of rain this month. A little burndown has been applied but not much. If the forecast holds, this week could finally allow a lot of equipment to get rolling…
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 …
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