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Ron Frieders, Waterman
DeKalb

Conditions: As crops continue to mature, one only can speculate on yields. Early planting and good rains have crops off and running. But, good rains quickly turned into big rains drowning out and stunting areas across all fields, and leaching away nitrogen. Record breaking continuous daily high temperatures were stressful to crops as well. Sudden death and other diseases are also very prevalent in beans fields. It looks like we will see from very good to very bad yields in the same round.

Conditions: Crops are rapidly maturing. Early corn is turning brown, husks are loosening, and the ear is starting to drop. I am sure the cattle feeders will be chopping silage any day. Early varieties of soybeans have started to turn. They are very tall and quite a few pods. There is a lot of disease in almost every field. Affected areas are scattered throughout and dying prematurely. Last year, in the areas with disease, the yields were cut in half. Let’s all think safety this harvest and every day.

Conditions: We had another week of extremely high temperatures and humidity. This Florida weather may be great for going to the beach, but not for growing corn and soybeans. Insect pressure is phenomenal, and disease is really showing up, especially in soybeans. What we perceived as a bumper crop is dwindling rapidly. The weather seems to be in a pattern of extremes, and it's the only thing you can't control.

Conditions: July 23 was a wild weather night in Northern Illinois. The DuPage County Fair completely stopped. Livestock buildings were locked down, tents closed, rides shut off, and people sent to the main buildings of the fair grounds. Thankfully, the worst of the storm missed the fair and activities resumed after an hour. Crops continue to mature. Insects seem to be a threat. Clouds of corn borer moths, greater than I have ever seen are present. Even when mowing the grass or at night on the house windows. There are plenty of rootworm beetles in the corn and also feeding on soybeans. Japanese beetles are defoliating the beans also. We sprayed insecticide on most of the beans two weeks ago, but the heavy rains must have cut its resistance.

Conditions: After more than a week of very high temperatures, crops are showing stress. The lower leaves on lots of corn are fired and brown, much earlier than normal. Insect pressure is growing in soybean fields and leaf-eating is more evident. The hot and dry conditions are favorable for aphids to move into the bean fields and populations need to be monitored.

Conditions: Once in awhile I like to look at my notes and compare today with past years. In 2006, crop conditions were very similar. Corn was tasseling, beans over knee high and blooming and wheat being harvested. Another similarity is that people were urged to contact their legislators and push for the passage of the Permanent Estate Tax Release Act of 2006. On January 1, the Death Tax returns with a 55 percent rate. Let's not the oil spill, recession, or the war distract us or our elected officials. This most unfair double taxation small business destroying tax on the property people work so hard all their lives for is just about here. Let our elected officials know you are aware and November elections will soon be here.

Conditions: A welcome reprieve from all of the wet weather is letting folks play catch up. Sprayers are running full speed in the beans. Combines are starting in the wheat and hay is being baled. Corn is starting to tassel, but it is extremely variable in every field. Lots of drowned out and stunted corn from this year’s rain and last year’s compaction. Soybeans, too, are suffering. Low ground is gone and the surrounding ground, the beans are yellow from wet feet. I’ll hopefully have a report on wheat yields for next week. Hope everyone has a pleasant Fourth of July.

Conditions: Wow! Four 4 inches of rain last week on saturated soils. Creeks are out of their banks, and all of the low spots are full of water. After numerous heavy rains, there are large areas of stunted and drowned-out crops. Weed pressure is a big problem this year because sprayers are unable to keep up with demand. Crops are growing at a phenomenal rate. Some corn is more than 6 feet tall and looks like it could be tasseling by July 4 or earlier. Some beans are 16 inches tall and flowering. The wheat looks ready to combine.

Conditions: For six weeks now, we have had numerous showers and storms. This year, again, the planting weather window was very early for this area. The timeliness of corn planting, frequency of rain, and the abundance of heat units are all adding the development of what could be an excellent corn crop. Most corn is waist high or better. The early-planted soybeans have benefited as well, however, their planting was slowed by wet conditions and their maturity is much more variable. Some beans are 10 inches tall and others are small in comparison. The wheat is turning and looks very good. It looks like the harvest will be early as well.

Conditions: So far, rain has kept the wet spots wet. The low ground we carefully planted a couple of weeks ago refilled the next day and has not been dry since. I have never seen such a difference in corn planted in soybean stubble vs. corn on corn. The corn following beans has looked considerably better all spring and now is almost waist high, at least 6 inches taller than our corn-on-corn ground. This time last year, corn was only 4 or 5 inches tall and soybean planting was only 90 percent complete. This year, some of the beans are 5 inches tall. Getting the crops sprayed has been a challenge with frequent rains and lots of windy conditions. A friend of mine usually puts in 20 acres of pumpkins and gourds, but because of wet conditions, he hasn’t been able to plant. He said he needs to plant very soon or the kids won’t have pumpkins for Halloween.

Conditions: Average corn is 6 to 8 inches tall and after a week of very warm weather has better color. Sidedressing nitrogen and some post spraying is keeping cornfields active. There is about 10 percent of the soybeans remaining to be planted. Low spots are slow to dry out and scattered showers continue to re-wet them. The showers have helped the soybeans that were planted before the heavy rains a couple weeks ago. They are still struggling to emerge through crusted soil. Hay is being cut and ditches mowed. There is no lack of jobs this busy time of year.

Conditions: Thursday was the first day a few people tried to get some fieldwork done. Some tried and quit because of wet conditions. A few found spots were dry enough to go, but rain late in the afternoon shut everything down again. There are still lots of ponds and wet spots. I don’t understand their tenacity to remain. By now, I would have expected the fields to be dried out. The corn seems to have survived, except for the very wet spots. I thought from the look of things last week, we would lose more acres. If it dries out soon, we will be replanting wet holes. Soybeans are trying to emerge. The ground is very hard after being pounded down with 5 inches of rain just after planting. It’s been too wet to rotary hoe and the rain might be the best chance the beans have to get out through the hard crust.

Conditions: On Friday morning looking out I see numerous ponds and the creek out of its bank. More than 4 inches of rain really messed up emerged corn and pounded beans trying to come up. Unusually cold temperatures stalled the growth and turned young corn plants a pale yellow. I am afraid we will be getting the rotary hoe out, as well as replanting drowned-out areas. The weather stopped fieldwork all week. When it dries, sidedressing corn, spraying, finishing planting the remaining bean fields, replanting, and rotary hoeing will all be on the agenda for area farms.

Conditions: Never ever can I remember being finished planting the corn and beans this early. Over half the corn is up and most looks good. Corn planted in soybean stubble clearly emerged and is looking nicer than corn on corn. Soybean planting has been at a record pace with close to 75 percent completion. As I write this report early Friday morning, it is raining. So far, we have received eight tenths of an inch of rain. Soil didn't work up as nice as you would like, mainly because of all the corn stalks on top and we really needed the rain to help with germination.

Conditions: Hello from DeKalb County and welcome to another exciting year in agriculture. What a difference a year makes. This time last year we were still waiting for the fields to dry out. This year, corn planting is complete and some fields are up already. Wednesday morning the lawns were white with frost and temperatures of 28 degrees. I haven't been past a field that was planted on Easter to see if there was damage. It is the biggest corn around. Most other fields are just emerged to still in the ground. Soybean planting is also in progress. Some beans got put in the middle of the week. I have never been in a planning season which everyone felt such an urgent push to get crops planted. It will take a while after the struggle of last year for people to return to an average pace. Thursday afternoon, we were in the field. The wind was 40 miles per hour with gusts to 50. A half a mile from us, we saw a field fire. It was explosive. Fire spread faster than you could run. 400 acres burnt along with some buildings and vehicles. It took 14 area fire departments to extinguish the blaze. Please take time to be careful and stay safe.

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