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.

Crop Watcher 06/03/11

Todd Easton Coles County June 3 2011: It has been a good week in the fields as they seem to get noticeably greener every day. Last week after the rain it looked like there were going to be many drowned out areas in practically every field. Astonishingly the water went away relatively quickly and with the help of the cooler temperatures in the days after the rain the water damage was minimal to what it could have been. Sprayers and side dress applicators are running hard in fast growing corn fields with some of the early fields approaching V5 maturity. Soybean fields also had a good week as most of them have emerged with real good stands. There have been some trouble spots though mostly in the southern part of the county and rotary hoes have been in the fields to help the beans break through the crust.

Crop Watcher Week Five

Todd Easton Coles County May 27 2011: We almost got the third week of planting window that I asked for in last weeks report. On and off rain showers set in throughout Wednesday followed by more severe storms that evening. The rain gauges that could still be found on their posts showed just short of three inches the next morning. Many producers did complete their planting while many others got close to being done. Along side the planters sprayers got a good start on spring applications and side dress applicators got a slight start on the acres that everyone has indicated will receive late season N this year. Out in the fields crops are looking good on the high ground with the early corn well into the V3 stage and the rest in V1. There has been some damage in select corn fields from black cutworms and local agronomists are advising that fields be scouted for the problem. Soybean fields are in various stages ranging from barely emerging to approaching V2. The handful of area wheat fields are heading out and for the most part standing pretty good so far. Finally I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend and took time to thank all those who have sacrificed for our freedoms.

Crop Watcher week four - Getting There

Todd Easton Coles County May 19 2011: It has been another week of hard work for producers as planters cultivators and sprayers continue to move at a fast pace. Even though we did have a small break over the weekend due to a half inch of precipitation everyone is getting close wrapping up corn planting with about 85 to 90 percent of the crop in the ground. Bean planters have started in and moved pretty fast getting over a third of that crop in the ground the past few days. As far as crop growth goes the warmth and sunshine earlier in the week helped perk up the early April planted corn and bring some of the May planted corn acres out of the ground. I also saw one field of beans that I didn’t even know was planted emerged and already at the V1 stage. Once again the forecast is promising rain this weekend but if it doesn’t add up to much like last weekend than planting should be getting close to done by next report keep your fingers crossed.

Crop Watcher week three - Finally Progress

Todd Easton Coles County May 13 2011: What a difference a week can make when conditions are finally right and everyone has been waiting too long. Monday morning the ground was dry enough to start working and in the four days since it looks like producers took from 5 percent in the ground to well over 50 percent. Coming into this weekend the forecast is indicating a strong chance of rain which may slow progress but hopefully with the warmer weather not for long. There have also been a handful of soybean fields planted in the last couple days but not a significant amount as everyone has been putting most efforts into corn planting. The corn that planted in early April is still just at the V2 stage and unfortunately by appearance shows that it has had a very tough first month. It will be interesting to see how that corn will compare in yield to what we have planted this week. I can’t ever remember in my short farming career everyone putting in such long and hard hours as we are this spring. Along with that comes a much higher chance for accidents so we must always remember SAFETY FIRST.

Crop Watcher May 6 - Not Quite There

Todd Easton Coles County May 6 2011: It has been another idle week across the area as a little rain here and there has been keeping fields too wet to work in. Producers are crossing their fingers that the forecasted rain over the weekend doesn’t materialize into much and gives us an opportunity to start some work next week. The corn in the fields has had another tough week with the cool and wet weather making for slow growth and slightly pale color as the majority of the corn enters the V2 stage. The plant life that has been growing rapidly in many fields is winter annuals and early season weeds and the muddy conditions have prevented sprayers from doing anything about it. I will keep my fingers crossed that I will have actual progress to report next week.

First Crop Watcher 2011 : Not set in stone yet

Todd Easton Coles County April 29 2011: Well its that time of year again and I am glad to be back to share the progress of this years corn, soybean, and wheat crop as it unfolds across Coles County. While the fields were in the midst of their winter rest our family grew shortly before Christmas as Kelly, Maddison, and I were blessed with the arrival of a healthy baby boy named Case William. We came out of a near perfect fall from the standpoint of field preparation although some producers did hold back on Anhydrous application because of very dry soil. Eventually they found a nice window to apply the nutrient during the very last of March and First of April. Also in the first week of the April some planters started across the fields putting the first five percent of the corn crop in the ground while others hesitated due to the forecast of heavy rains and cooler temperatures. Unfortunately that forecast turned out to be quite correct and hasn’t really changed in the three weeks since. Unrelenting precipitation has saturated fields to the point that planters will be lucky to resume sometime within the next couple weeks. The crop that is in the ground has been slow growing because of the coolness of the weather and also suffered considerable damage from flooding. I hate to admit there are a lot of similarities between this spring and the infamous spring of 2009 so far but that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. For now we will have to play the waiting game and hopefully we will end up having a safe and productive season after all.