West Central Illinois, like much of the rest of the state, is finally bidding farewell to harvest.
As winter approaches, many areas throughout the state experienced their first freeze of the season last week. The average temperature in the local district was 48.5 degrees, 4.8 degrees above normal.
Statewide precipitation remains low. The local district received just 0.17 inches of precipitation, more than half-an-inch below normal.
Topsoil moisture in the West Southwest District was 17 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Local subsoil moisture was 18 percent short, 77 percent adequate and five-percent surplus.
State crop statistician Mark Schleusener looks at numbers for corn and wheat…
“Corn harvest advanced by three points last week and is now 97-percent complete compared to 100-percent one year ago and 96-percent for the five-year average. Winter wheat planting reached 95-percent complete, compared to 99-percent one year ago and 96-percent normally. Eighty-five percent of wheat acres have emerged, compared to 80-percent normally at this time. The condition of next year’s wheat crop is rated as three percent very poor, one percent poor, 28 fair, 54 good and 14 percent excellent condition, slightly worse than one week ago,” says Schleusener.
In the West Southwest District, 100 percent of corn acres are harvested.
With harvest all but complete throughout much of Illinois, many farmers now turn to anhydrous ammonia application and fall tillage.