By Dave Dahl/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois farmers saw almost an inch of rain more than normal fall on their fields in the week just completed, and the people who compile the weekly crop progress reports say there were two effects.
“One is that it slowed down corn harvest. There was a fair amount of corn ready to go, and the rain slowed down that progress,” said Mark Schleusener, state statistician for the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service in Illinois. “Also, for at least some of the soybeans, some of those that have a good amount of green leaves left in the field, those soybeans were able to use that moisture and perhaps improve their yield for the year.”
Corn and soybean conditions remain unchanged from the previous week, with 53 percent of soybeans and 55 percent of corn rated good to excellent.
Six percent of the corn has been harvested, which is below average. Soybeans are 32 percent dropping leaves, which is above average.
Schleusener said with a warm, dry week forecast, it would be a good chance to take out any corn that’s ready to harvest.
