The USDA report summarizing the production picture as of Sunday, June 11, showed less than half of Illinois’ fields have “adequate” moisture to grow the corn and soybean harvest for which seed was planted this year. The topsoil, which drains first, is dry and dusty in Illinois, with 27% of the fields reporting “adequate” topsoil moisture. In 42% of the fields, moisture is short, and in 31% it is very short.
This means that for at least half of Illinois’ corn and bean fields, growing conditions are fair to poor as of mid-June. Rainfall is usually adequate in June, and the dry weather conditions are being called “the worst drought in a decade.” Some Illinois farmers are starting to express concerns about crop conditions. Heavy rainfall, if it comes, could improve these conditions.