There is a growing interest in wheat/soybean double-cropping systems in Illinois, extending into parts of central Illinois where wheat acreage has been limited in recent decades. This article summarizes findings from field trials evaluating management practices for double-crop soybean in central Illinois
Category: Crop Production
The 2025 soybean crop as we approach harvest
While August rainfall is the “soybean maker,” July rainfall is also important to the podsetting process that sets up yield potential. July rainfall was plentiful overall in Illinois, but varied from an inch or two less than normal in parts of southern Illinois to more than twice normal amounts in western and northwestern Illinois…
Another bin-busting corn year in Illinois approaches maturity
It was no surprise to see the 2025 corn yield projected at 222 bushels for Iowa, but it was surprising to see 221 bushels projected for Illinois. Ihe US yield is predicted to be 188.8 bushels per acre, 9.5 bushels higher than the previous yield record, set in 2024. So, while 2025 is set to be a great year for corn, we will consider here what it will take to achieve such high yields and what might prevent them from reaching such high levels, at least in some places…
Planting and early-season corn and soybean progress – 2025 update
Overall, crop stands are good to very good across most fields, reflecting the relative freedom from heavy rain, flooding, and crusting after planting. By the beginning of June, corn that had been planted in mid-April in northern and west-northwestern Illinois was just beginning to accelerate stem growth – the process that initiates rapid growth and nutrient uptake…
Optimizing corn and soybean seeding rates
Seed costs for corn and soybeans have risen considerably in recent years, along with genetic yield potential and improved ability of planted seeds to emerge and establish productive plants. Here we reviewed seeding rate trials to highlight what works best in Illinois.
Have we missed the best planting window for 2025?
The dry weather had fields in some places dry enough to work and plant around the middle of March, and although NASS did not report any acreage of corn and soybeans planted as of March 30 (they typically use 1% as the threshold), we know that some fields were planted by the end of March. Should more have been planted?
Recapping the 2024 growing season and looking ahead to 2025
If we were to look at the records of planting date and weather from 2024 without knowing the yields, we might not guess that corn yield beat and soybean tied previous yield records for Illinois. Here, we’ll take a quick look at the 2024 growing season, and consider whether we might apply lessons from it as we manage crops in 2025.
Stress and the 2024 corn and soybean crops
As high temperatures continue and rainfall remains scarce, many Illinois producers are getting concerned about prospects for the 2024 crops. While it is not very productive to ask ourselves if we should have managed tillage and planting differently, remembering how this year’s crop is faring might inform some of our decisions in the future…
Corn and soybean after a slow start to the 2024 season
Although April-May rainfall exceeded normal amounts in Illinois by up to 50 percent in some areas, and average temperatures have exceeded normal by several degrees, the weather record fails to capture what the 2024 planting season actually looked like…
Notes on soybeans as planting gets underway
While statewide precipitation in March averaged 3.21 inches (89% of normal), we saw a clear north-south gradient within Illinois, with totals ranging from half to an inch above normal in the northern part of Illinois to as much as up to two inches below normal in the southern end of the state…