Most corn producers are aware of growing degree days as a way to both monitor the accumulation of heat units favorable to growth and estimate when a crop may reach important developmental milestones. Briefly, to calculate the GDD value for a particular day, the daily high and low temperatures (...

A wet week. In a 7 day period between May 4 and 10, the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research & Demonstration Center (NWIARDC) received 2.21 inches of rain (Figure), an inch more than was received during the entire month of April! This rain largely put a...

Corn ears are thought to be most susceptible to infection by Stenocarpella maydis, the fungus that causes Diplodia ear mold, in the 3 weeks after silking (milk stage), when the silks begin to die. Fungal spores are rain-splash disseminated onto the crop from residue from previously...

Since last Friday daily wind speeds have averaged between 5.9 and 11.6 mph at the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research & Demonstration Center. Warmer high temperatures and breezy weather through tomorrow and most of Thursday provide ideal conditions for in-field grain drying. Many crop...

Growing conditions influence growth and development of weed plants. Each of the past several growing seasons has seen unique challenges and triumphs. In 2012, favorable soil conditions allowed for early planting, soon followed by drought conditions. In 2013, record-setting spring...

There are economic and environmental pressures for farmers to consider applying their nitrogen at more than one time. Nitrogen that is lost to nitrification and nitrate leaching is not available for crop use. In addition, nitrate-nitrogen lost from farm fields can move into ground and surface...

Timely planting in April and May was followed by record-setting rains in June. This led to ponded water that remained for long periods of time in some areas. Research has shown that flooded, anaerobic soil conditions can be devastating for young corn plants, resulting in suffocation death after...

Each year the University of Illinois Extension's regional Crop Management Conferences offer hours of research-based education to farmers, Certified Crop Advisors, and other agricultural professionals. Interactive online courses were developed from 2015 conference presentations by University of...

Last week, symptoms of sudden death syndrome (SDS) began to appear in April 15-planted soybeans at the University of Illinois' Northwestern Research Center in Warren County. Weather during the 2015 growing season has been favorable for the development of SDS: cool, moist soils after planting...

Attendees can learn results of some of the latest soil fertility research going on at Midwestern Universities at the 2015 Soil Fertility Seminar. Certified Crop Advisors can earn up to FIVE Nutrient Management CEUs at the 2015 Soil Fertility Seminar. This seminar, to be held in 17...

Crop Production Summaries. At the end of each harvest season, the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Survey undertakes a County Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS) targeting all of the farms in each of the 44 participating states. Through mail-surveys...

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) caused significant yield losses in soybeans in west-central Illinois in 2014. SDS was again reported in some west-central Illinois fields in 2015, and also appeared in the earliest (April 15) planted soybeans at the Northwestern IL Ag. R&D Center (NWIARDC). With...

Throughout January and February, University of Illinois Extension Agricultural Economists, in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Services Agency and the Illinois Farm Bureau, will be holding 14 complimentary regional meetings to help walk people through the 2014...

Soil conditions and weather was cooperating enough at the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center (NWIARDC) to both begin spring nitrogen applications and sow the first corn on April 1. As is the case most years, the first corn planted on the NWIARDC is planted earlier...

Purdue University's Center for Commercial Agriculture is hosting an upcoming webinar entitled, "Making Long-Term Cash Rent Decisions Using a Cash Rent Decision Tool" to be held on Friday, December 18 between 8 and 9 a.m. (CST). The Director of...

Symptoms of bacterial blight are prevalent at the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research & Demonstration Center in 2015. As the disease name suggests, bacterial blight is caused by a bacterium called Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. glycinea. Disease is favored by conditions...

Precipitation. May precipitation at the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center (NWIARDC) totaled 4.76 inches - surpassing the total accumulated during the four previous months combined (Table) and totaling very close to the 30-year...

Do you produce soybeans in Illinois? Would you be willing to spend 10 minutes helping to tailor programs and projects geared toward improving future soybean yield and profitability? If your answer to both questions is "yes", assist a joint effort of personnel from the University of Illinois...

Corn planting date trials. Each year, personnel at the Northwestern Research and Demonstration Center establish a replicated planting date trial. The trial established this year will tell us, given the conditions that will be experienced by the crop from planting until harvest,...

As part of their Agrichemical Container Recycling Program, the Illinois Department of Agriculture has released the locations, dates and times for the single day collections this July and August (Figure). These single-day sites complement the three permanent container collection...