Local farmers are taking to the fields as we’ve reached planting season in West Central Illinois.
WLDS-WEAI News caught up with University of Illinois Extension Educator Duane Friend to discuss soil temperatures and ideal planting time for area producers.
Friend says right now the conditions are as good as they get when it comes to planting.
“Soil temperatures are in the mid-sixty range, that’s at four-inch depth at bare soil. The minimum is still above sixty and usually you want anything above fifty degrees, so the soil temperatures are ideal for planting and now’s the time to be hitting it hard,” says Friend.
Friend says he saw a number of local farmers out planting over the past several days, especially on Friday and Saturday.
As for how this year’s planting season measures up to years past, Friend says farmers appear to be planting earlier and earlier each year.
Friend also mentioned that local producers will have to find certain windows of when they can and cannot plant over the next couple of weeks.