Crop Watch 2025: Corn Yield Threats
Several threats are impacting corn yields this season, including overly tight tassel wrap, Southern Rust and tar spot.
Unscripted: ‘Overly Tight Tassel Wrap’ Affecting Pollination?
Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist, joins Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths to shed light on crop conditions, particularly pollination issues.
Crop Condition News
Some Midwest cornfields are losing more than a percentage point of moisture daily, tightening timelines for growers trying to determine how much crop they can confidently sell into the market rally.
Barbell, beer can and banana are descriptive names for abnormal ear shapes that show up every season and cause yield losses — problems growers could avoid more often by tuning into three factors researchers refer to as GEM.
Research from Michigan State University links an early seeding window and 5‑inch row spacing with more wheat heads per square meter and double‑digit bushel gains.
Day 3 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour reveals low ear counts dragging down rain-weary Illinois fields, while Western Iowa corn flashes standout potential despite rising SDS and brown stem rot in soybeans.
Total acreage, labor and scouting frequency can help you determine whether owning a drone is a smart investment.
Day 2 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour reveals surprisingly resilient fields on the Eastern leg, while a late-summer moisture deficit leaves dryland crops on the Western leg lagging behind 2025 yields.
Flooding and derecho damage in the east, drought in the Plains, and a surprise USDA yield cut have this year’s crop looking more uncertain than ever right as Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts prepare to hit the fields.
Illinois Soybean Association on-farm research found that sulfur can boost yields under certain soil and management conditions—but it’s far from a blanket recommendation.
With varying degrees of severity being reported, agronomists and growers are evaluating whether to spray this late in the season. Check out the Crop Protection Network interactive map to see if the disease is in or near your county.
Agronomists urge farmers to scout, treat and communicate any significant losses to landlords and bankers prior to harvest.