Cropwatcher 09/18/09

Todd Easton Coles County September 18 2009: Crops here in Coles County are steadily coming to maturity aided by the recent heat and lack of rain fall. Our growing degree days for late may planted corn are approaching 2500 units which puts the majority of the area corn crop at physiological maturity in less than two weeks. Soybeans are turning rapidly because the hot and dry conditions. We have yet to get the late rain I was hoping the beans would get but there is a chance for some this weekend but it may be too late to do very much good. By this time next week I’m sure there will be a scarce combine or two running with many more following the next week. I can hardly wait for the combine monitors and truck scales to tell us how our crops dealt with such a uniquely challenging year and what we can learn from it.