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Illinois crops suffer as dryness lingers

A switch from too much moisture to not enough is taking a toll on Illinois crops.

The latest weekly report from USDA shows the condition ratings for both corn and soybeans has declined.

For corn, just 39 percent is rated good to excellent, compared to 76 percent at this time last year.

Soybeans are called 39 percent good to excellent, down slightly on the week and 34 percent lower than a year ago.

Corn in the dough stage reached 42 percent, compared to 89 percent last year and 76 percent normally.

Soybeans blooming, at 80 percent, is about 20 percent off the usual pace.

As of Sunday, topsoil moisture was rated 62 percent short to very short, with almost half the subsoil moisture profile short to very short.

However, most of central and southern Illinois received several inches of rain Monday.