Illinois
Slightly cooler weather and scattered showers across much of the state made for a favorable growing week, while providing a welcome change from the hot, dry conditions, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Statewide, temperatures averaged 72.5 degrees.

The northern portion of the state experienced slightly above-normal precipitation; however, statewide precipitation was still nearly 0.2 inch below average, ending the week at 0.65 inch.

“Let’s hope we continue to receive timely rains as we enter grain fill,” said Russ Higgins, manager of the University of Illinois Agronomy Research Center near DeKalb.

“We need to continue having weekly showers,” said Dave Yaeger, Cortland, Ill. farmer. “The (soy)bean crop can still use moisture.”

Topsoil moisture is 15 percent very short, 41 percent short, 43 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Producers are taking advantage of the cooler weather to prepare equipment and facilities for harvest. Other activities continuing included aerial spraying of fungicides and insecticides, baling hay and mowing roadsides.

Crop conditions remained fairly steady from the previous week. Corn is rated at 8 percent excellent, 42 percent good, 33 percent fair, 13 percent poor and 4 percent very poor. Corn in the dough stage reached 74 percent, up 18 from the previous week. Corn dented increased from 10 percent the previous week to 30 last week.

Soybean condition is rated at 8 percent excellent, 49 percent good, 31 percent fair and 12 percent poor or very poor. Soybeans setting pods are at 75 percent, up from 57 percent last week and only 1 below the five-year average.
By Deborah Behrends
Illinois Correspondent

Indiana
Weather in many Indiana counties have folks scratching their heads. Satellite radar shows much-needed storms building up in adjacent counties, only to break up and disappear before reaching parched crops in many areas.
“We have not had any relief except for the extreme south and north sections of the county,” said Shelby County extension Director Scott Gabbard. “The storms split and go in either direction.”

While the U.S. Drought Monitor shows most of the state as abnormally dry, a swath of counties through central Indiana are in the grip of a moderate drought. Counties either fully or partially affected as of Aug. 16 are Warren, Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Marion, Johnson, Shelby, Hancock, Rush, Fayette and Henry.

Indianapolis International Airport reports rainfall average since June at four inches below normal.

“The corn is not doing well and pollination suffered.  The beans could use a rain,” Gabbard said of Shelby County crops.

Cooler temperatures and scattered thunderstorms brought some relief to crops and livestock last week, according to NASS, with crops and pastures responding quickly to any moisture. The majority continue to suffer, however.
The soybean crop is especially in need of rainfall as the pods struggle to fill. Ninety percent of the soybean acreage is blooming, compared with 97 percent last year. In the northern region, 61 percent are setting pods, 57 percent in the central region and 61 percent in the south.

Soybean condition is rated 47 percent good to excellent, compared with 59 percent last year at this time.

Ninety-eight percent of the corn crop has silked. By region, 41 percent is in dough stage in the north, 47 percent in the central region and 63 percent in the south. Six percent is in dent stage, compared with 36 percent last year and 18 for the five-year average. Corn condition is rated 39 percent good, compared with 59 percent last year.

The third cutting of alfalfa is 41 percent complete, and livestock have nibbled down to brown stubble as pastures have dried up and are rated 25 percent good to excellent.
By Nancy Voris
Indiana Correspondent

Ohio
According to the NASS Aug. 15 report the average temperature for the week in Ohio was 71 degrees, 0.7 degree below normal. Along with the cooler temperatures, rain also helped reduce heat stress and aided corn and soybean progress.

“What we think, and this applies to soybean wheat and corn, the cooler temperatures at night reduce the amount of wasteful respiration that occurs at night,” said Peter Thomison, Ohio State University extension specialist in corn production. “If the plant is releasing a lot of carbon dioxide (through wasteful respiration), that is carbon that is not going into the grain of the corn plant. You want to preserve your carbon supply in the plant.”

Throughout the state 95 percent of the corn was in tassel, compared to 100 percent last year and 99 percent for the five-year average. Corn in dough was at 31 percent, which was 49 percent behind 2010 and 29 percent behind the five-year average. Corn dented was 3 percent, compared to 31 percent last year and 13 for the five-year average.

Ninety-three percent of soybeans were blooming compared to 99 percent last year and 99 percent for the five-year average. Forty-six percent of the beans were setting pods, compared to 81 percent last year and 84 for the five-year average.

Ninety-six percent of the oat acreage was harvested, 4 percent behind last year and 2 percent behind the five-year average.

Sixty-seven percent of peaches were harvested compared to 75 percent last year. Sixty-two percent of summer apples were harvested, compared to 80 percent in 2010. Processing tomatoes were 3 percent harvested, which was 4 percent behind last year.
By Celeste Baumgartner
Ohio Correspondent