Ron Haase, Iroquois County, IL
We had a light 0.05-in. rain shower on Sunday, June 3. It was cool and cloudy so it soaked into the soil. It wasn't much but every amount helps when the soil is dry. The water-holding capacity of the top soil is very important at this time. The soil directly below is dry. The next level of moisture is 3 ft. deep or more. Most area crops only have roots in the topsoil.
We finished sidedressing nitrogen on our corn on June 5 – before we even started last year. We are now applying our post-emergence application of a herbicide mix which includes glyphosate. The corn and soybean fields planted in the latter part of May have big lambsquarter plants that the field cultivator or herbicide did not kill.
Corn in the local area ranges from V2 up to V9. The plants entering V9 will begin rapid stalk growth through internode elongation. Most soybean fields in the area range from V1 to V3. Some fields have areas of reduced population due to soybeans being planted into dry soils. Some plants in the dry areas began to emerge after the shower on May 31.
The local closing prices for June 7 were $6.19 for nearby corn, $5.05 for new-crop corn, $4.99 for fall 2013 corn, $14.18 for nearby soybeans and $13.13 for new-crop beans.