Planting Progress: 2013 versus 2014. State-wide. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, an estimated 95 percent of corn acres have been planted, and 81 percent have emerged as of May 25. Corn progress is ahead of both 2014 and the 5-year average. At this time last year, record spring rainfalls delayed planting and crop emergence, when only 87 percent of the corn acres had been planted and 61 percent had emerged (Figure).

Sixty-four percent of soybean acres have been planted with 32 percent emerged. Last year at this time only 37 percent of the soybean acres had been planted and 10 percent emerged (Figure).

Western Illinois. The Western crop reporting district leads the state in corn planting, with 100 percent of planting complete, and 88 percent of acres emerged. Similar to the whole state, planting progressed more quickly in our region, with 17 percent more acres planted and 44 percent more corn plants emerging this year compared to this time in 2013.

As of May 25, 84 percent and 41 percent of soybean acres have been planted and have emerged, respectively. At this time in 2013, only 25 percent of acres had been planted and 3 percent had emerged.

NWIARDC. More than 99 percent of the corn acres have been planted at the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center (NWIARDC), with the majority of the corn planted between April 18 and May 7. Planting this year was closer to 'normal' than in 2013 when corn planting began on May 1, with the majority completed by May 24.

Approximately 96 percent of the soybean acres have been planted. In 2013 soybean planting began on May 24 and ended on June 12.

Planting date, growing degree days and plant development. Each year corn and soybean planting day experiments are established at the Northwestern Research Center. See the photos above and the tables below and the photos for an idea of crop development and the growing degree units that have accumulated since each planting date.

Table 1. The effect of planting date and total accumulated growing degree units on soybean plant development.

Table 2. The effect of planting date and accumulated growing degree units on corn plant development.

Work unique to NWIARDC. While many spring activities at the Northwestern Research Center are similar to a commercial farming operation (planting, pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides, fertilizer applications, tillage, etc.), other activities are unique to the research center: 1) herbicides are used to establish alleys between banks of plots in research trials, 2) small wooden stakes are also labelled to delineate research plots, 3) mowing is a big job at the Research Center as grass alleyways separate research trials.