News

Central IL crops benefitting from better weather

A central Illinois farmer says recent rains and a break from the heat have been good for the crops.

Mark Bunselmeyer, who farms in Macon County and serves as the vice president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association, says the relief arrived just in time.

“We went through two weeks of no rain and 90-plus degree temperatures.”  He says, “The corn started to roll a lot more, and the beans started inverting their leaves, and we started definitely showing signs of stress.”

He tells Brownfield aerial applicators are busy in his area as farmers look to protect high yield potential.

“We’re getting some pest issues out there.”  He says, “There’s quite a few Japanese beetles, and I’m concerned about silk clipping, so we will probably also throw in a little bit of insecticide with our fungicide when we spray that on the corn.”

Bunselmeyer says the better weather coincides with pollination for much of his corn crop, and forecasts are calling for elevated rain chances throughout the rest of the month, so he’s excited about this season’s prospects.  

AUDIO: Mark Bunselmeyer – Illinois farmer