La Salle County crop and rainfall report: Corn looking healthy after balance heat, moisture

The summer crop and rainfall report, which features crop condition and rainfall updates from La Salle County farmers, is published regularly during the growing season.

This is the seventh report of the summer.

The following report covers July 15 to 21 and is provided with assistance from the La Salle County Farm Bureau.

David Hall, Serena: Another week of summer yielded another 0.8 inches of rain from the Monday night storm that produced wind and tornadoes for some. Luckily in our immediate area we did not receive any damage from the wind. Crops have really benefited from the last two weeks of rain and look great. Planes are still out and about applying fungicide to limit potential diseases in this warm and moist environment. Other area activities include mowing ditches, catching weed escapes on field edges and monitoring for impact of pests. Have a safe week everyone!

Ken Beck, Mendota: No report this week.

David Myer, Marseilles: No rain to report this past week, but we are very thankful for the rain event the previous week that recharged the soil. Corn looks good just like the traders in Chicago and USDA reports. Soybeans looking good as well with fungicide and insecticide applications having got going. Cheater beans emerged quickly and growing, may need a post application soon for weed pressure after the rains. Haying was the major activity for those growers with dry cooler days but heavy dews and fog after the weekend slowing drying down.

Bill Gray, Tonica/Lostant: Last week I received 1.2 inches of rain. The corn and soybean crops are looking good in my area. Most all of the corn is tasseled out and soon treating with fungicide on corn will be done. There are very few insect pests present in the corn. Japanese beetles are present in my soybean fields and are doing some damage and soon will be treated. Aerial application of fungicide, foliar feeding and in some fields, and insecticide has begun. We’ve started looking over trucks and harvest equipment, so we are ready when the crop is ready for harvest. We continue to spray some weeds along roadsides and mow where we need to. I see several deer around the area on my early morning rides to check fields and some of the buck’s antlers should be pretty nice by hunting season. The summer is going by fast. Have a good week and be safe.

Ken Bernard, Grand Ridge: For the week I received 1.7 inches of rain. A very good week for rain and crop development. All except Monday and Tuesday, the nice temps with the moisture were well received by the corn and soybeans. We were very fortunate that we were out of the area of the bad storms, we had a couple of trees broken over, but it could have been a lot worse than it was. Corn has pretty well all tasseled out now, and most of the fungicide has been applied. The soybeans also are being sprayed with fungicide and some fields are getting another dose of herbicide to kill the late germinating weeds. We finally got all the second crop hay baled. It was about 10 days later than what would have been ideal, but it is done. With the rain we are back to mowing the yards every week again. Been hauling grain out of the bins for a price we all do not want to discuss, but that is what it is. Go forward and do not look back. Not much else to report, have a safe week.

Geoffrey Janssen, Rutland: Fungicide still is being applied to corn. There is more emphasis on plant health after the recent series of storms. Some of the corn that was twisted by wind has started to straighten up. Soybeans are still looking good, growing rapidly. I have had no rain since the last report.

Rainfall (in inches):

David Hall 0.8

David Myer 0

Bill Gray 1.2

Ken Bernard 1.7

Geoffrey Janssen 0