Preliminary Route Report with Mark Bernard, eastern Tour consultant
What counties have you sampled from?
- Iowa: Floyd (2) and Mitchel (2)
- Minnesota: Mower (9), Dodge (9), Olmsted (9)
Corn yield range:
- Iowa: 150 bpa to 209 bpa
- Minnesota: 152 bpa to 191 boa
Corn yield average:
- Iowa: 175 bpa
- Minnesota: 167
Soybean pod count range in 3’x3’ square:
- Iowa: 508 pods to 1,240 pods
- Minnesota: 836 pods to 1,642 pods
Soybean pod count average in 3’x3’ square:
- Iowa: 825 pods
- Minnesota: 1,221
Please share a few comments from your route:
Bean crop we saw on our route in Iowa was suffering, as had the corn. Doesn’t look like we’ll pick up a lot of yield—regardless of whether we get rain. But there’s nowhere to go but backward if it doesn’t rain.
There’s an occasional good field, but most were not anything to get excited about. Average, at best.
Bean pod counts were better in Minnesota on three out of the four samples we’ve grabbed today. Whether they got rain at the right time to set pods or what—I’m not sure what the reason was for that. But again, there’s not a lot of room for improvement. It’ll be what you see is what you get, I’m afraid.
On corn, kernel rows and stands have been disappointing. Mid-to upper 20s on final stand or harvest population and a lot of ears with 14 kernel rows around just doesn’t cut it.
