Aside from some gusty winds, it was an overall good week of weather for West Central Illinois farmers.
In the West Southwest District, 82 percent of corn has reached the silking stage, while eight percent is at the dough stage. Soybeans are 70 percent blooming locally, while 21 percent are setting pods.
State crop statistician Brad Summa says those numbers are better than the statewide numbers.
“For corn crop, corn silking reached 77-percent, up 22-percent from a week ago and compared to 69-percent last year. Corn dough was at five-percent compared 12-percent for the five-year average. Corn condition was rated five-percent very poor to poor, 15-percent fair, 58-percent good and 22-percent excellent. For the soybean crops, soybean blooming were up 60-percent, up 21-percent from a week ago and compared to 49-percent last year. Soybean setting pods reached 15-percent. Soybean condition was rated six-percent very poor to poor, 18-percent fair, 59-percent good and 17-percent excellent,” says Summa.
In the local district was very close to the statewide average of 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture in the local district was 10-percent short, 83-percent adequate and 6-percent surplus. Subsoil was 14-percent short, 84-percent adequate and two-percent surplus.
The average statewide temperature was 76.1 degrees, which is about a tenth of a degree below normal. The local district held an average temperature of 78 degrees.
As for precipitation, the state averaged 1.07 inches, compared to 1.27 inches in the West Southwest District, which is 0.71 inches above normal.