Majority of crops in good-to-excellent condition

Posted on October 9, 2019
crop production
The past week saw average rainfall-too wet in the north and too dry in the south (Photo courtesy Pixabay)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The upcoming cooler weather should be all right for Illinois crops, seeing as how it is not a frost or freeze, according to USDA Illinois statistician Mark Schleusener of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

A big drawback to the late progress in 2019, he says, is there has not been enough time for everything to mature.

The crop progress: 91 percent of corn is in the dent stage, 59 percent mature, 13 percent harvested. 88 percent of soybeans are turning color, 65 percent are dropping leaves, and eleven percent has been harvested.

The crop conditions: 21 percent of corn and 20 percent of soybeans are in poor-to-very poor condition. 46 percent of corn and 43 percent of soybeans are in good-to-excellent condition.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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