What is going on with Illinois corn?

Despite increasing drought conditions caused by a heatwave in June, corn silking is ahead of the five-year average in Illinois, according to the USDA Crop Progress report for Illinois for the week ending June 30.

USDA’s 2024 corn crop stats

According to UDSA’s Prospective Plantings report published on March 28, Illinois farmers were expected to plant 10.9 million acres of corn in 2024. According to the USDA NASS June Acreage Survey for 2024, 10.9 million acres was planted in Illinois in June, which is 300,000 acres less than last year, but unchanged from the March report.

Corn silking

Currently, corn silking has reached 17% for the Illinois corn crop. That’s ahead of the five-year average of just 3%, as well as this time last year’s 4%. 

Corn condition

The latest USDA Crop Progress report rated Illinois corn 4% very poor, 6% poor, 25% fair, 53% good, and 12% excellent. 

Corn season weather patterns

The latest USDA Crop Progress report shows there were 5.4 suitable days for fieldwork in Illinois for the week ending June 30. The statewide average temperature was 76.1℉, 1.8℉ above normal. Precipitation averaged 1.07 inches, 0.13 inches above normal. 

Trent Ford, the Illinois state climatologist, says some intense weather has impacted the state over the last few weeks. However, he says the severe weather patterns aren’t out of the ordinary for Illinois.

“June brought its typical rounds of severe weather,” Ford says, “which included some hail and strong winds.” 

As far as potential crop damages, Ford says he hasn’t received any reports of widespread damage from the recent severe weather. “The corn is early enough that I would expect it could recover pretty quickly from the wind,” he says.

The most significant weather patterns that have affected Illinois has been a bout of extreme heat that encompassed the majority of the state for 7-10 days in June, Ford says.

“We were seeing evaporation rates of up to 0.30 inches per day, which is pretty extreme,” Ford notes.

Ford says that, while the extreme heat was impacting the state, he heard that much of the state’s corn crop was rolling its leaves in the afternoons to protect itself and its moisture reserves. 

In central and south-central Illinois, Ford says conditions have been “pretty dry going back to mid-May.” He says some parts of that region of the state have only received about one to two inches of rain from mid-May throughout the month of June, which is 40-50% of normal.

“The combination of dryness and heat is not ideal this time of the season,” Ford says, “but we came into the growing season with abundant–and in some cases, surplus–soil moisture.”

Any problems caused by the early heatwave and dryness remain to be seen on this season’s corn crop, Ford says. July is typically a more impactful month on the state’s corn, Ford says, and he expects enough rain and some breaks from the heat will significantly reduce any potential issues from earlier in the season. “If we continue a hot and dry pattern in parts of the state,” he says, “we’ll have to reevaluate crop condition and potential impacts.”

Drought conditions

Drought conditions have been steadily worsening in Illinois since the May 28 drought monitor map when none of the state was experiencing drought conditions.

According to the latest drought monitor map for Illinois released July 3, 12% of the state is in D1 moderate drought, 46% is abnormally dry, and the remaining 42% is free from drought stress. This is a slight increase in drought conditions from the previous week when 46% of the state was drought free.

Soil moisture supplies

According to the USDA Crop Progress report for Illinois for the week ending June 30, despite the increased drought conditions statewide, soil moisture supplies remained predominantly adequate. Topsoil moisture supplies were 11% very short, 30% short, 58% adequate, and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 9% very short, 28% short, 61% adequate, and 2% surplus.