University of Illinois Extension Ag News
Tune in to WOC 1420 AM radio on Sunday, June 14 at 10:30 a.m. to hear an interview with Phillip Alberti, commercial ag educator (pictured here) for University of Illinois Extension.

  • Overview of hemp in 2019: Final numbers
  • Hemp right now: What is currently going on for hemp growers?
  • What are “new” things growers should be aware of this year?
  • Does University of Illinois have any research plans for this summer? How can growers get involved?
  • What resources are available for those interested in growing hemp?
  • Upcoming programs (see his upcoming Hemp webinar on June 10th below)
Ag Webinars
Join commercial agriculture educator from University of Illinois Extension for a series of summer webinars on select Wednesdays from 3 – 4 PM. Topics include:

June 10: Hemp crop updates ; Join Commercial Agriculture Educator, Phillip Alberti, as he discusses his experiences from the 2019 hemp growing season in his webinar titled "Hemp crop review and research updates". Additionally, Alberti will be sharing some of the most recent hemp production research from land grant universities across the country.

June 24: Are nematodes stealing your yield ? Do you have yield that is disappearing suspiciously? You might have a nematode problem in your field. Chelsea Harbach (Commercial Agriculture Educator, Illinois Extension) and Diane Plewa (University of Illinois Plant Clinic) present "Nematodes stealing your yield? You'll never know until you sample!" to discuss when sampling might be a good idea, how to sample your fields, and the process of examining a sample in the Plant Clinic!

July 8 : Foliar and stalk diseases on corn Dr. Nathan Kleczewski (field crops pathologist, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences) talks all things corn diseases in "Foliar and stalk diseases on corn- scouting, identification, and management". Learn more about how to look for economically important corn diseases in your fields this growing season!
Commercial Ag Webinar Archives
You can hear past programs on University of Illinois Extension's Commercial Agriculture YouTube channel. Playlists include: Hemp Growers Spotlight. Recent past webinars include: Early Season Pests to Watch For; and Navigating the Unknown Together. To allow time for closed captioning, please check the YouTube channel one to two weeks after the scheduled program. 
Posted in the University of Illinois "Bulletin" June 5, 2020 by Aaron Hage r

On June 3, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling immediately vacating the registrations of Xtendimax, FeXapan and Engenia. The Ninth Circuit ruled that USEPA’s registrations of those products violated The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Pursuant to FIFRA, all pesticides sold, used, or distributed in the United States must be registered with the USEPA. Therefore, effective June 3, 2020, based on the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, Xtendimax, FeXapan, and Engenia cannot be sold, used, or distributed as their registrations have been vacated.

While the Department has the authority to regulate the sale and use of pesticides within the State, it cannot permit any sale or use without a valid FIFRA registration. The Department acknowledges and is sympathetic to the challenges that the Court’s decision will pose to the industry.

The Department has not yet received any guidance from the USEPA, but we will continue to monitor this situation closely. As new information becomes available, the Department will provide updates on its website.
Have a question? We have answers. 
Stumped on what to do regarding a problem or course of action in your commercial agriculture operations? Find an educator with expertise you can use here .

Agriculture and natural resource educators and specialists respond to over 13,000 inquiries a year. Our educators and specialists can provide recommendations and information or refer you to appropriate resources targeted to your needs.

Check out our Expert Assistance teams including Commercial Agriculture,Local Foods and Small Farms, and Energy and Environmental Stewardship Team
Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy podcast series
Illinois Extension's farm broadcaster Todd Gleason interviews farmers, researchers, producers and professors on various strategies and best practices to reduce nitrogen runoff.
Agriculture Blogs
Blogs are great resource to tap into the latest information from University of Illinois Extension agriculture professionals.

Acres of Knowledge :  All issues concerning Small Farms, Agriculture, Local Food Systems,and the Natural Resources.

Hill and Furrow : Insights into agronomic research, trends, and events.
Your Input Needed for an Agriculture Survey

We are asking you to participate in an important research project to inform resource development and dissemination for agricultural producers and agricultural stakeholders. The survey will not take more than 10 minutes and will not collect any identifying information (name, address, etc). The survey can be completed on a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.

To complete the survey please click here: agriculturecovid19survey
Webinars, Recordings & Podcasts

  • Farm Credit COVID–19 Livestock Producer Webinar Wrap Up, farmdoc with Mike Boerboom, MN Pork Producer; Shane Tiffany, KS Beef Producer, and Butch Sensley, LA Poultry Producer. Farm Credit, hosted a webinar to highlight the problems livestock producers in the nation are seeing from COVID–19.

  • Murder Hornets & Agriculture, Nick Seiter, ILLINOIS Extension Entomologist. It’s been all over the news, there is a new hornet in the United States. Todd Gleason reports the murderous nickname isn’t that big a deal, but it could be for agriculture.

  • Corn, Soybeans, COVID-19, & the Farm Safety Net. Gary Schnitkey, ILLINOIS Extension Agricultural Economist, and Carl Zulauf, The Ohio State University Agricultural Economist. COVID-19 is going to do some serious damage to the nation's corn and soybean farmers.


  • Agricultural Law Issues and the COVID–19 Pandemic. The COVID–19 pandemic has sent shockwaves through the agricultural production system and raised unique legal issues for input suppliers, crop and livestock producers, and processors. The Director of the National Agricultural Law Center, Harrison Pittman, along with University of Illinois Agricultural Lawyers A. Bryan Endres and Jonathan Coppess, explore the pandemic’s impact on the legal enforceability of agricultural contracts, protections afforded under commodity-specific statutes such as the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and the Packers and Stockyards Act, regulatory compliance issues with potential large-scale euthanasia of livestock, state-level meat inspection laws, application of the Defense Production Act in the agricultural context, and a new generation of farm foreclosure moratorium laws. 

  • Eligible Uses and the PPP Loan Forgiveness Process. Bob Rhea and Dale Lattz, FBFM and Nick Paulson, farmdoc. Many businesses, including farmers and other agricultural enterprises, applied for and received Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. To qualify for loan forgiveness, loan funds can only be used to pay for certain expenses. 

Creative solutions ensure pesticide applicators can go to work in Illinois

While many of us are staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, some 37,000 licensed pesticide applicators are going to work, ensuring an abundant food supply and weed- and insect-free outdoor spaces. Every year, about a third of these applicators sit down in testing locations across the state to renew their licenses. So, when it became clear in-person testing would be impossible this spring, thousands of jobs were on the line. That’s when University of Illinois Extension and the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) sprang into action.Read more at ACES News .

Quick links to PSEP Resources:
Online Trainings
There are over a dozen different courses you can take on topics include: Cover Crops and Soil N Availability in Corn and Soybean Systems; Tile and Nutrients; The Dicama Dilemma and more. Once you complete a course, University of Illinois Extension will report any CEUs you receive to the International Certified Crop Adviser Program in Madison.

This program focuses on educating Illinois livestock producers in environmental stewardship and best management practices for their operations. Producers who participate in this program gain knowledge on the best ways to manage and utilize their manure.
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. 
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, email us at uie-hmrs@illinois.edu