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
USDA says Texas farmers have 59% of their crop in the ground, identical to 2024. One key difference from last year: Illinois has yet to register any discernible corn planting progress, according to the first report of the 2025 season.
While macronutrients and micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and manganese contribute to high yields, yield champs say don’t overlook the importance of having soil pH in place first.
Many seed beans were hammered by heat and drought at harvest last year, leading to variable seed quality this season. Knowing your warm/cold germ scores and using seed treatments at planting can help you get the crop off to a stronger start, especially early soybeans.
Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, breaks down what the next few days of heavy rains mean for drought risk and what planting windows could look like in the weeks ahead.
Brian Naber says growing up in a farming family in southwest Minnesota helped prepare him for the rigors of leading the company through the ag industry’s current economic and regulatory challenges.
Add several thousand ears per acre to your yield results and boost ROI by getting your planter ready for the field. Be sure to download our free planter prep checklist.
ENSO-neutral means conditions could be close to average, but Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says that doesn’t mean the weather will be normal this spring and summer with growing concerns about drought.
When growing soybeans, the first thing farmers need to explore is where they can get those “free bushels,” says Randy Dowdy. One of the most important factors to consider is planting date, specifically the need to plant early.
Ken Ferrie says to batten down the hatches for this season by picking the right hybrids, placing them on the right fields and giving them the right management. He outlines the steps you can take now to do just that.
About 45% of U.S. corn production acres and 36% of the soybean ground are dry. The western Corn Belt needs moisture, in particular. A big, wet snowstorm could help, says Eric Snodgrass.