Crop Sciences

AGRI-NEWS - Issue 23 - 07, July, 2002

• Coming Events
• June Summary
• Weather
• Crop Report
• Orr Center Events

Coming Events

• July 4 - Independence Day, Office Closed
• July 25 - Pioneer Agronomists Tour, (Orr Center)
• August 13 - Fall Field Day, 9 AM to 11:30 AM
• August 13-14, Agronomy Superintendents Retreat (Noon to Noon)

Weather: Well, another month has slipped by with warmer than Normal temperatures. We did see about 5 days with the nighttime lows into the lower 50’s. Only 10 days of rainfall were recorded for the month, but one of those rain events (June 11) made it into the record books at 3.71 inches. We have ditches in fields that have never had them before. Entire roadways, and fences were all but wiped out. Creeks were out of their banks throughout most of the region as 3 to 6 inches fell in a relatively short period of time. Oddly enough, 20 days later, many of us are looking for another shower because much of the four inch rain ran off and the subsoil has dried out again.

Rainfall intensity, soil type, and soil moisture levels are intimately intertwined. We recorded seven days with the temperature 90 degrees or greater. The relative humidity during the month is what made June memorable.

Crop Report: As the month ended, soil moisture was once again becoming depleted, and the crops were entering varying stages of moisture stress. The corn in the bottoms that was inundated with water is commencing to look as if they are trying to grow. Some of the “buggy-whipping” of the corn leaves are still tightly rolled and may not recover from the effect of water moving over the plant.

We harvested the wheat plots on June 27. Yields were variable and tillage played a big role in yields this year. It appears that the oats are about two weeks from being ready. Bird damage is evident in most of the oat variety plots. A couple of the varieties are lodged, but not completely on the ground.

ORR Center Events: The Illinois Pork Producers Association held their meeting at the Center on June 18. John Wood College hosted the event and the Crop Science and Animal Science Departments hosted a tour for 44 of the IPPA members.

Plans are being made for the August Field Day (Aug. 13). The topics below depict the scope of the event. This is a good time to pose those “burning” questions to the experts. Should the weather conditions not return to a more favorable nature, then, I am sure you will have questions for Dr Steven Hollinger.

FALL FIELD DAY:
We have set August 13 as our Fall Field Day program date, with the tour commencing at 9:00 AM sharp, and concluding at noon. We are offering 8 tour stops of 15 minutes each. The topics include:

• "Insect management Challenges for Western IL." - K. Steffey
• "The Pacific Decadal Oscillation" - S. Hollinger
• "Nitrogen Management Practices For No-Tillage Corn" - S. Ebelhar
• "How Many Corn Leaves Do You Really Need?" - E. Adee
• "Sustainable Agriculture Using Rotational Grazing On Diverse Pastures" - B. Tracy
• "Together Forever? - Corn and Soybean in Rotation" - E. Nafziger
• "Weeds to Watch Out For" - C. Sprague (the title may change by Field Day)
• "The Past 25 Years - A Look Back" - G. Raines

SUPERINTENDENTS RETREAT:
Following on the heels of the Field day will be the annual Agronomy Superintendents Retreat, which will be hosted at the ORR Center this year. This meeting is for the Center Superintendents and Campus faculty and staff that conduct research work on any of the 6 Centers that are situated around the State. We will meet in the Centers Conference room on the afternoon of Aug. 13, and conclude our deliberations by noon Aug. 14. Accommodations are being made at a local motel.

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