Growers may want to use longer soybean maturities on fields where early planting is likely, while fields that often stay wet past mid-May could benefit from a mid-season variety, University of Illinois Extension says.

Grain moisture content at different growth stages is fairly well known. Kernel moisture content decreases as the kernels develop through the blister stage (85%), milk stage (80%), dough stage (70%), dent stage (55%), and finally physiological maturity (30%).

Variable soil types, knolls, flooding and drought have left many growers with extreme in-field variability of soybean maturity. There are areas in fields where the soybean seed is 13% or less moisture adjacent to areas with green seed.

This year, we had a slow soybean planting due to high rainfall in June. This was followed by below normal temperature for the whole growing season, which delayed soybean growth and development of this major summer crop.

As corn planting gets off to a slow start in many areas one concern is whether we should think about switching hybrids.

Nevertheless, folks who planted their corn later than normal are now beginning to worry whether their crop will mature safely before a killing fall freeze.

Hybrid maturity ratings have always been a sort of mystery to farmers and consultants alike, and one factor that contributes to the mystery is that your definition of "maturity" may not be the same as my definition.

Spider mites continue to be a pest problem in dry beans, soybeans and field corn in droughty areas.