The Field Report

Trent Brandenburg is very happy today. March is predicted to come in like a lion, with rain every day for the first week. Central Illinois has been in extreme drought conditions for months. The northern half of Piatt County and the central part of the west half of Champaign County have had less than 25% of normal precipitation for 60 days. All the rest of Piatt and surrounding counties have has less than half of normal precipitation for 60 days. This was the 22nd driest January since 1895. The week of rainfall will not replenish the deep soil moisture at the 12-inch and 24-inch depths, where it is needed to sustain the crop for the dry months of summer, but at least, with some April showers that don’t delay planting too much, there will be moisture enough for germination.

Trent does not plan any changes in his rotations or crop protection plans for the new growing season. He scouts his fields carefully and will use crop protections he finds need for. With the corn and soybean market prices so low, careful management of input costs is mandatory.