Extension center educators, unit educators, and unit assistants in northern, west-central, east-central, and southern Illinois prepare regional reports to provide more localized insight into pest situations and crop conditions in Illinois. The reports will keep you up to date on situations in field and forage crops as they develop throughout the season. The regions have been defined broadly to include the agricultural statistics districts as designated by the Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service, with slight modifications:

North (Northwest and Northeast districts, plus Stark and Marshall counties)

West-central (West and West Southwest districts, and Peoria, Woodford, Tazewell, Mason, Menard, and Logan counties from the Central district)

East-central (East and East Southeast districts [except Marion, Clay, Richland, and Lawrence counties], McLean, DeWitt, and Macon counties from the Central district)

South (Southwest and Southeast districts, and Marion, Clay, Richland, and Lawrence counties from the East Southeast district)

We hope these reports will provide additional benefits for staying current as the season progresses.

Northern Illinois

The main activity the past week has been soybean postemergence herbicide application. Scattered thunderstorms occurred throughout the weekend, but additional rainfall would be welcome. Early-planted corn in the center of the region is at V11 to V12. As has been the trend this growing season, we have received few reports of insect infestations.

Just a reminder that the annual Weed Control Tour at the U of I Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Center, Shabbona, will be held next Wednesday, July 9, beginning at 5:00 p.m. U of I weed scientists and graduate students will discuss some of the more than 30 weed control research studies being conducted at the center. At the conclusion of the 1-1/2-hour tour, a meal will be available on site.