Crop Watcher 06/10/11

Todd Easton Coles County June 10 2011: It has been a hot week in Coles County which has kicked crop development into high gear. A small shower Sunday Morning that only delivered just over a tenth of an inch of rain barely slowed down sprayers and side dress applicators which are all getting very close to completing their duties for the year in the corn fields. Corn plants are in rapid growth mode with many of the early April planted fields coming into the V6 stage this week and the first of the May planted corn well into the V3 stage. Soybean fields are also greening up nicely this week with the majority that was planted throughout May around the V2 stage of development. Bailers in the area also had a good week to cut and bale a very healthy first cutting of hay and get it stacked in the barn. Looking back at the year ago report shows that we are considerably behind on our crop development from where we were last June but this year’s corn crop seems to be off to a much healthier start in these early stages and hopefully we will get to take that to the grain bin next fall.