Eye on Crops, June 24, 2011

Iroquois County, IL

Field activity has been minimal this week. On June 18, we were able to spray postemergence herbicides on 240 acres and we have not been back in the field since then. This morning, June 24, a neighbor began sidedressing nitrogen on his later-planted corn.

We received a range of 0.6 to 0.9 in. of rain on June 20. The next day we received 0.1-0.2 in. on our farms. The next couple days were cooler and cloudy with some light showers that were not measureable.

Corn in the area is now anywhere from V4 to V10 growth stage. It ranges from 8 in. to 3 ft. tall. At V9 stalk growth will occur rapidly through internode elongation. Corn growth is equal to or even behind where we were at in 2009 in our local area.

Soybean growth ranges from the V1 growth stage to the R1 growth stage. The fields that are at the V5-V6 growth stages are now flowering.

After a week of volatile markets, the local closing bids for June 23 were $6.83 for nearby corn, $6.14 for new-crop corn, $13.24 for nearby soybeans and $12.85 for new-crop soybeans.