The Field Report

September 18, 2025|

In a Drought, but Corn is Too Wet to Harvest

The current Illinois drought map (11 September) shows severe drought in the northern 40% of Piatt County and moderate drought in the rest of Piatt and adjacent areas of neighboring counties.

Trent Brandenburg has barely started harvesting because his corn moisture ranges from 40% to 17% and he doesn’t want to pay the elevator to dry it. “Soybeans are not ready yet; they are still green,” he continued. So Trent has just “cut the corners,” harvesting the very corner of his cornfields at rural crossroads to provide better visibility (and safety) for motorists approaching the crossroad. Trent estimates he has harvested “about 4%” of his crops so far this year.

Trent got his best yields, thus far, from corn planted in early April. He is happy with the test weights he has seen. Rain is predicted for later this week (18-19 September), but not a significant amount. The Illinois State Climatologist reports the driest August on record in Mt Vernon (0.09 inches), Centralia (0.09 inches), and Charleston (0.03 inches), and the second driest in Springfield (0.16 inches) and Effingham (0.32 inches). Northern Illinois was much wetter.

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Dry Weather Hastens Harvest

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Not Quite Harvest Time Just Yet

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Replanting Done, Corn and Beans Look Good

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First Round Of Planting Done, Ponds Need Replanting

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Trent Brandenburg is done with his "first round" of planting, as he puts it. The corn and soybeans he planted in April are up and growing in excellent condition. Trent's later-planted crops are germinating but not as far along as his April plantings. The frequent [...]

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