Brandon Hall

Can wheat and soybeans work together to deliver greater profitability? Join this Illinois Soybean Association On-Farm Trial Network and help answer the questions on your farm: hubs.li/Q04B7JYp0

Update from the @ILSoybean On-Farm Sulfur Trial in Knox County: Brandon Hall and his intern, Grant Alexander, dug plants from the ATS, AMS, and Untreated (32% N) treatments within the trial. They took notes on root nodules, nodes, and pods. It's too early to tell which treatment will win, but those beans look to be filling out very, nicely.

Observations from Soy Envoy, Brandon Hall from an @ILSoybean on-farm sulfur trial in Knox County: - ATS treatment - smallest soybean plant with 31 nodes, weakest roots and average nodulation (Left plant in the photo) - Untreated treatment - shortest soybean plant with 26 nodes that had average or above average roots with good nodulation (Middle plant in the photo) - AMS treatment - biggest plants with 33 nodes and largest root system with the most nodules (Right plant in the photo) View past reports and more information here: fieldadvisor.org/on-farm-tri…

Heavy rains and warm temperatures can set the stage for late-season Phytophthora root and stem rot in soybeans. Learn what symptoms to watch for, why variety selection matters, and the management strategies that can help reduce future disease pressure. Read more: bit.ly/4wC8b8v

A few dry days over the Fourth of July weekend allowed us to finish post-emerge soybean herbicide applications. With spraying wrapped up, we turned our attention to crop scouting in corn and soybeans. We're beginning to see corn aphids and some disease pressure, including common rust, gray leaf spot (GLS), and northern corn leaf blight (NCLB). Continued scouting will be critical over the next few weeks as we evaluate potential fungicide and insecticide needs. Weekend rainfall ranged from 0.5–3.5 inches across the region, with northern areas receiving the highest totals. This week, we'll continue scouting fields and addressing any soybean weed escapes. Wheat harvest is nearly complete, and cooler temperatures should provide favorable conditions for baling. You can find Brandon Hall's crop report here: bit.ly/4vn4PVY

Crop residue is one of agriculture’s greatest assets—and one of its biggest planting challenges. The key is finding the balance: protecting soil health while avoiding issues like cooler soils, nutrient tie-up and planter performance problems. Read more from Brandon Hall, CCA, IL Soy Envoy: bit.ly/4aa2XIf

Crop Report from Brandon Hall on May 30th in Knox County: "Crops are taking off with heat and sunshine, as corn ranges from V2–V6 (early fields looking strong) and soybeans hit V1–V3. Wheat is now heading and flowering. Recent 1–1.5” rains helped break the soil crust and improve field conditions. Post-emerge spraying and top-dress applications are underway, but with temps in the 80s–90s, crops will need another 0.5–0.75” of rain soon to activate herbicides and stay ahead of weeds." Read Brandon's full report on Field Advisor. bit.ly/43gGnKc

Crop report from IL Soy Envoy @ilsoilnerd on May 15 in Knox County: "Farmers are making good progress planting this week and many are expecting to wrap by the end of the weekend. The soil has finally become fit for planting; this has helped tremendously with field progress. We have also been planting corn/soybean variety test plots to evaluate throughout the growing season. This research will help us know which varieties perform better under this season’s growing conditions in a side-by-side setting. In our travels this week we have been checking on emerged corn and soybean fields, focusing on emergence and crop stands. Farmers that have waited for optimal conditions for planting corn have finally received their wish. Soil temps have warmed and soils are not sticky to the feel. Now that most farmers have their crops in, we would welcome a nice steady rain to help with crop growth and development over the weeks to come." Read Brandon's full report on Field Advisor. fieldadvisor.org/crop-report…

Meet @ilsoilnerd, CCA, & 2026 IL Soy Envoy 🌱 As location operations manager at West Central FS, Brandon brings leadership and agronomic expertise to support farmers in the field. He’s passionate about sharing knowledge and advancing practical solutions for growers. View Brandon's crop reports here: fieldadvisor.org/crop-report…

Crop report from IL Soy Envoy @ilsoilnerd on May 8 in Knox County: "Field and soil conditions started this week wet and sticky. Soils are cold and have some farmers concerned about crop conditions. This also presents hesitation to continue planting. Throughout the week, the soil has slowly improved. With colder temperatures and cloudy days, it has been challenging to reach optimal conditions for any fieldwork. VE to VC hits the majority of our soybeans. Some have not emerged yet, and some that were planted in early April are just a bit bigger but don’t look great. Conversations about replanting have been had in some cases. The soybeans in our on-farm Sulfur 2.0 trial that were planted April 25 are emerging this week. Corn is starting to emerge this week in many fields. There are some fields planted early that have corn in the V2 stage. All corn has a yellow look to it due to the weather and soil conditions it has been dealt." Read Brandon's full report on Field Advisor. fieldadvisor.org/crop-report…

In the latest episode of the Field Advisor podcast, IL Soy Envoy @matt_montgo discusses the 2026 planting season progression and why the calendar remains an advantage. Listen to the full podcast on FieldAdvisor.org.