Persistent rain and flooding led the state of Illinois to request USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to declare a disaster in the worst-hit counties, allowing affected producers an opportunity to receive low-interest emergency loans. The action came July 22, soon after Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson toured selected counties to survey crop conditions.

“After touring some of the hardest-hit areas in the state this week, it is noticeable that we will see considerably lower crop yields in those areas this year,” Nelson said, adding approximately 40 percent of the crops in Iroquois County in east-central Illinois he observed were underwater.

Illinois is coming off the wettest June in the state’s history, and July rainfall has already exceeded the monthly average with 5-10 inches in central Illinois, according to Jim Angel, Illinois state climatologist. Wet conditions continued to limit fieldwork throughout the state during the week ending July 29, NASS’ Illinois Crop Progress and Condition report stated.

Statewide, precipitation averaged 0.97 inch, 0.18 inch above normal, though northeastern Illinois farmers experienced 2.01 inches of rain. More than an inch fell during the week in central Illinois, where farmers are experiencing boom-or-bust yields in many instances.

Shirley Schaffner, a family farmer in northeastern Peoria County, said the gently undulating landscape marking their farmland has largely spared the farm from excess flooding.

“On the east side of a field we have about 30 rows of corn that are in water, while on the west side we have some beans and hay strips flooded,” Schaffner said July 26. “Most everything looks really good, though. We don’t have too many wet spots.”

The same can’t be said of many other central Illinois farms, especially those whose fields are situated near the Illinois River or its rain-swollen tributaries. The disparity is evident in the NASS crop condition report, where statewide corn was rated 5 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 43 percent good and 12 percent excellent.

Illinois soybeans were rated 7 percent very poor, 13 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 39 percent good and 8 percent excellent.

Central Illinois farmers were limited to 1.9 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 19. Only western Illinois farmers were more restricted, with just 1.8 suitable days. Statewide, an average 3.3 days were suitable for fieldwork, led by southwestern Illinois with 4.9.

Accordingly, southwestern Illinois farmers received just 0.02 inch of precipitation during the period, and had the state’s highest average temperature at 82.1 degrees.