The Field Report

June 27, 2023|

“We need rain,” Trent Says

Near-record dryness in central Illinois is about to take a toll on the corn crop. April 2023 and May 2023 together were among the driest months since records have been kept. Quincy had 3.01 inches from April 1 to May 31, 2023, the third-lowest total on record. Champaign, Illinois, had its ninth driest two months on record.

The old farmer’s saying that “it always rains five minuted before it’s too late” is holding out hope for some rain this coming weekend, “just a few tenths,” Trent said. “It will take inches of rain to get us out of this drouth,” he concluded. Some of Trent’s corn is a week away from tasseling, so he needs rain for pollination to be successful.

Weather irony has been evident in central Illinois. Christian County had an 8-inch rain in one location, making May 2023 there the wettest in 40 years. Unfortunately, Trent doesn’t farm there.

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