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A red combine harvesting a field of soybeans.

Counting kernels: A practical approach to yield estimation

August 15, 2025

As harvest approaches, many producers across Central Illinois are asking the same question: How’s the crop looking? Estimating corn and soybean yields before the combine rolls is more than just curiosity—it’s a valuable tool for planning, marketing, and managing risk. While yield estimates aren’t...

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A corn field with a tractor and sprayer.

What’s lurking in the leaves this July? Corn diseases to scout for in Illinois

July 17, 2025

Farm Focus

After a wet spring and early summer, corn and soybean fields across central Illinois are entering critical reproductive stages—and so is the risk of crop disease. While the plants may look healthy from the road, conditions are ripe for several fungal and soilborne pathogens to take hold, often...

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Black cutworm in corn: Identification, impact, and control strategies, part two

May 9, 2025

Farm Focus

This post is the second of a two-part series on black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) and its impact on corn producers in Illinois. Part one discussed the biology and lifecycle of black cutworm, identifying the adult moths and larvae, and the common types of plant injury caused by larvae. This post...

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Black cutworm in corn: Identification, impact, and control strategies, part one

May 2, 2025

Farm Focus

Corn is a cornerstone of agriculture in Illinois, playing a vital role in both the state's economy and the livelihoods of its farmers. As planting season begins, it's crucial to be aware of potential threats to corn crops, one of the most significant being the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon...

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A tractor pulling a planter across a field.

Seeds of success: Preparing and planting for peak yields, part two

March 28, 2025

Farm Focus

This post is the second of a two-part series on preparations for the upcoming planting season in Central Illinois. With Spring officially underway, it is important for farmers to get their equipment ready to go into the field as soon as conditions are right. Part one of this series focused on...

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Corn Blogs

Counting kernels: A practical approach to yield estimation

What’s lurking in the leaves this July? Corn diseases to scout for in Illinois

Black cutworm in corn: Identification, impact, and control strategies, part two

Black cutworm in corn: Identification, impact, and control strategies, part one

Seeds of success: Preparing and planting for peak yields, part two