Oglesby, Illinois - USA - April 29, 2025 Case IH 290 Magnum tractor pulling a Case IH 1250 Vacuum Hydraulic Drive 24 row planter. Credit: stock.adobe.com, dvande
As the calendar turns over to April, tractors and planters will start rolling across the Midwest in a major way. And with margins tight in 2026, that leaves growers little room for early-season yield loss. In fact, the University of Illinois projects lower crop price volatility than 2025, meaning fewer chances for the market to offset lost bushels later in the season.
Crop Protection Network’s 2025 data underscores that risk, with soybean diseases like SDS and SCN ranking among top yield robbers, and Southern rust driving major losses in corn — issues that often take hold early, before symptoms are obvious.
Blake Miller, Syngenta agronomist based in Illinois, joined Jesse Allen this week to discuss getting the crop off to the best start possible and he shared other agronomic reminders for the growing season ahead.
***You can also hear the conversation and others during the Wednesday, April 1st, 2026 episode of AOA in Segment Four:
