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
There’s a big crop in the field for many Midwest growers, and it requires fuel. N supplies ears with the energy they need to add kernels all the way to their tips and to pack on weight.
Severely bruised corn stalks can limit the plants’ ability to translocate water and nutrients and even cause the growing point region to die.
As harvest approaches in the Midwest, yield potential is definitely top of mind. Please share how your corn and soybean crops look this year versus 2023.
On the heels of Crop Tour, Pro Farmer projects corn production below and soybean production above USDA estimates. Here’s the yield breakdown for seven Midwest states.
The fourth and final day of the 32nd Pro Farmer Crop Tour wrapped up on Thursday, Aug. 22, with numbers from Minnesota and eastern Iowa samples combined for full Iowa results.
The Illinois corn crop didn’t quite meet USDA’s expectations of 225 bu./acre, but it hit 204.14 bu. At the same time, Iowa’s soybean crop is putting out big numbers.
The corn yield estimate in Indiana is nearly 7 bu. per acre above the 2023 tour estimate; the soybean estimate is up 7.56%. Nebraska’s corn yield estimate is just over 6 bu. per acre higher than last year, and the soybean estimate is up 1.07%.
If you have tar spot, Southern rust or other disease pressure and plan to dry the crop in the field, you might want to spray again.
Corn yield estimates in South Dakota are less than 1 bu. per acre lower than 2023 tour estimates while soybean pod counts are up. Ohio’s corn yield estimates are slightly lower than last year and soybean pod counts came in 1.84% lower.
As scouts set off for the 2024 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Monday morning, market watchers say there a few key things they’ll need to see out of next week’s tour. From ear counts to stands to kernel size, here are the biggest metrics to watch during tour.