Region Updates

Region 5 | June 23, 2023 | Vermillion

Talon Becker
tbecker2@illinois.edu

Caption: The “Lincoln Marker” at the Champaign-Vermillion County line with struggling soybeans and corn in the background.
Caption: Stunted and water-stressed corn at V5-6 – Vermillion County, June 23, 2023.
Caption: Soybeans showing water stress (flipped leaves) at R2 – Vermillion County, June 23, 2023.
SYNOPSIS

This afternoon, I took a drive through western Vermillion County. Like much of the state, still, conditions are very dry. There was large variability in growth stage between fields. Corn generally fell in the V6-V10 range, although some of the later planted fields are not quite there and appear to have significantly slowed growth. In general, the larger corn looked healthier with less water stress, indicating there is some plant available moisture at the deeper soil levels accessible to roots of these larger plants, but perhaps not by the corn closer to V6. Soybean fields also showed a good deal of variation in terms of overall growth (open trifoliates, nodes, branches, etc.), although most fields I stopped an walked into were showing at least some flowers, with several at R2. Although there was variation in the overall appearance of health in the soybean fields surveyed, there were flipped leaves and signs of water stress in all of them. I did come across one wheat field that looked to have good head size and minimal disease. Harvest for that field is likely just around the corner.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THIS COUNTY?
Moderately Dry (soil is dry, plants may be browning or stressed, water bodies are low)
IF CONDITIONS ARE ON THE DRY END, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING US DROUGHT MONITOR CATEGORIES BEST FIT CURRENT CONDITIONS
Severe Drought (D2)