Year 2 of double cropping soybeans in the Crop Physiology Lab. This year, we learned from our past mistakes and planted on 15” rows. Looking at residue degradation and trying to release nutrients from the wheat straw for the soybean crop.

Day 5 of saturated conditions and stress is starting to show. Whole strips of the flood blocks are paler across the field as well. Project with Jared Fender Esther Ngumbi Angela Kent Will y-drop the rescue N when conditions would be fit for equipment to mimic field scenario.

Flooding 2024 is over. How does ~10 in. of rain over a 6-day period influence N use, and was rescue y-drop of value? Last year we did this in a moderate drought, almost became irrigation work. This year is one of the wettest July months on record…

Channel Seed I promise I haven’t forgotten about the trial! We squeezed in the Channel 215-70 on May 20th, and just hit VT/R1 earlier this week. The in-row picture is from a no-till no P/K treatment.

Yesterday, we took 324 soil samples to track nutrient movement between tillage types, and fertilizer placements to better understand the effect of strip till vs no till vs conventional tillage on fertilizer timing/placement. All these soil samples were taken in-row.

The crew is taking 3,444 soil samples this season in fertility trials…maybe I should have done the math during trial prep before we implemented all these studies…. A third of those are for soil biological indicators About half are nutrient stratification projects

Tomorrow! come hear more at the Illinois Agronomy- Crop Physiology Field Day-Did 2024 give you too much rain? What did you do about that? youtu.be/b6KrHtYztXE?si… via YouTube more field day info at: agronomyday.cropsciences.illinois.edu/events/

Year 2 of our Nitrogen trial. First year where I included a zero N block. Looking forward to seeing the yield and $/ac differences this fall #Plant24 #corn

Miranda Ochs backpacked 1.8 miles of fungicide this morning with a 5-gallon tank and R1 corn! What a champ!

Root characterization season has begun! Sam Leskanich with the SAAM rating (surface area, angle, mass) to characterize hybrids. Then he uses that rating to compare how and why a hybrid responds to a given management practice

While updating to a new tractor can be fun and all, remounting all the monitors required to run a research planter isn’t the most fun job, especially the wiring. Good thing I trust Connor Sible pretty heavily to run it.

More roots! Pulling from Washington county today to see how environment influences these phenotypes. We expect overall root size to differ site to site, but will the hybrids phenotype the same architecture relative to each other from site to site? Will know in a few weeks!

No fungicide, 1 pass at R1, or 2 pass with R1 and R4. Washington county, planted May 31st. Part of our hybrid screening block, full yield results will be posted by December 27 hybrids x 14 managements

Jared Fender getting us rolling on the first corn plots of the season for us on campus. Moistures still 24%+ but the R1 just running through no problem. 270+ bu/acre is not a bad start to the season on these plots

In this Illinois Soybean Association checkoff-funded project, Dr. Fred Below and Dr. Connor Sible explore new tissue testing methods in soybeans to better assess nutrient needs and increase yield potential.

All of our soybean plots are harvested, so now it’s time to double down on corn! Having 2 Almaco R1 combines in the same field harvesting different trials is definitely a dream on productivity.

Got plans for August 7th? Well if not, now you do! The 4th annual Crop Physiology Day will be in full force on Thursday, August 7th at the Crop Sciences Research and Education Center on S 1st St. #yieldofdreams #yield #agronomy calendars.illinois.edu/detail/5811/33…

Field update! I’m a little slow on these this year…

Heading down to Springfield, IL to meet with local business leaders to learn more about current economic conditions in the heart of the Midwest. I'll join the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce's monetary policy luncheon at 12 p.m. CT. Tune in here: chicagofed.org/publications/s…

It was a battle royale between 7th District teams at Rate Field—Chicago vs Detroit. The White Sox let me throw out the first pitch. All I could think was…inflation target. youtube.com/watch?v=xoAvpa…