Illinois Corn Crop Continues to Thrive

Last week’s high temperatures and humidity levels made for some uncomfortable conditions, but they weren’t enough to slow the progress of the Illinois corn crop. Timely rains helped manage the heat somewhat and kept the crop thriving.

In its latest crop condition ratings, Illinois corn is rated 24 percent excellent, 58 percent good, 14 percent fair, 3 percent poor, and 1 percent very poor as of Sunday. 90 percent has silked with 18 percent in the dough stage, which is a little bit behind the five-year average.

Soybeans are rated 19 percent excellent, 58 percent good, 17 percent fair, 4 percent poor, and 2 percent very poor. 76 percent have bloomed with about one-third setting pods, which is a few days ahead of schedule.

The surprise in last week’s weather was the rainfall. Six of the nine reporting districts had at least 2.3 inches of rainfall last week, with more than 3 inches in the northeast.