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Illinois Crops Benefit from Hot, Dry Weather
What a difference a week makes. The crop report for last week indicates that all crops are getting closer to catching up to recent progress records, and Illinois topped one record just weeks after above-average rainfall threatened to devastate the state's crops.

Brad Schwab, USDA crop statistician, says the number of "growing degree day units" since May 1st hit 1,048, which puts this year ahead of the historic average by 36 units, versus a deficit of 13 units the week before, but a foot ahead of last week.

Looking at each crop, corn height is doing well. The average is 29 inches, 4 inches short of last year, and 21 inches short of the five-year average of 50 inches. Soybeans are emerging too. Emergence is at 76 percent, compared to 67 percent last week, 88 percent for this time last year, and a 96 percent five-year average. Farmers have harvested about half of the state's wheat crop.

As of last week, 46-percent of the state's wheat crop had been cut, compared with last week's six percent, last year's 32 percent and the 67 percent five-year average. Oats are 13 percent turning yellow, showing significant progress from the previous week's four percent, compared to last year's 16 percent and the five-year average of 33 percent.

(Illinois Radio Network/USDA)
06 29 09 by Newsroom
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