Corn emerges in a field north of Normal. (Carrie Muehling/WJBC)
By Carrie Muehling
BLOOMINGTON – Ninety-four percent of Illinois farmers have finished corn planting for 2015, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
When it comes to soybeans, an area agronomist estimates growers he works with are anywhere from twenty-five percent finished to completely done planting. He said crop emergence has been good, especially for corn.
“We’re taking plant stands out in the field and looking at spacing. Stuff is coming up really well,” said Jarrod Hudson, field agronomist with DuPont Pioneer. “For the most part, if guys were planning on dropping 34,000 seeds per acre, they’re getting pretty close to that number for an emergence on their stands, so stuff is looking pretty good right now as far as our stands go.”
Hudson said there are a few areas in his territory that will require pockets of fields to be replanted for both corn and soybeans due to excess moisture. Farmers still have a few weeks to get crops planted and won’t worry about changing management practices unless they hit mid-June without finishing.
Hudson said there is some concern about pockets of disease in soybean fields.
“Especially in fields that are planted with higher residue, so they’re going to hold more moisture. There are some pockets where we are seeing some seedling disease, such as pythium or rhizoctonia, some of those common seedling diseases,” said Hudson. “They are starting to show up a little bit. I wouldn’t say that it’s really widespread.”
Hudson also encouraged farmers to scout for black cutworm.
“There’s been a lot of talk about black cutworm counts, not only in Illinois but in our neighboring states, as well. And I have seen some pinhole feeding on small corn seedling plants. Just kind of an indicator that there are cutworms in that field. In a lot of cases, the fields aren’t far enough along that we’ve seen cutting yet, but that is another thing as you’re getting out across your fields to keep an eye out for.
He said black cutworm moth flight numbers have been high so far this spring.
Carrie Muehling can be reached at [email protected].
