We always strive to go into the Pro Farmer Crop Tour with an open mind. The goal of the tour is to get a strong objective view of corn yield potential across the Corn Belt during the third full week of August. While that’s the objective every year, it’s nearly impossible to block out all of the data we’ve gathered about the crop ahead of Crop Tour. In fact, some of that data helps shape Pro Farmer’s opinion of crops outside of the areas we pull samples from on Crop Tour.
Heading into this year’s tour, we know the corn crop was heavily stressed by dryness through June. From our 30 previous years of experience and data collecting, we know the recipe for a strong yield is to rush the crop to pollination and then slow it down through grain fill. This year’s crop development was slightly ahead of average in mid-July, though we don’t know how much irrevocable damage was done by drought early in the growing season or how the growing season will finish.
As of mid-July, USDA rated the U.S. corn crop as 55% good to excellent and 14% poor to very poor. Illinois was among the lowest rated. It’s debatable how much, if any, crop condition ratings equate to final yield, but this year’s crop was below average as pollination started across the Corn Belt. There were also some good areas, though most of them were outside the high-producing Corn Belt. One of the keys to this year’s Crop Tour will be how much damage we find from the drought conditions in the first half of the growing season.
For soybeans, we don’t measure a yield on the tour. Instead, we calculate pod counts in a 3' square. That gives us an idea of the “yield factory.” The reason is the number of pods it takes to make a bushel is different from state to state and varies from year to year. What we have learned over the years is that the ideal pod count in a 3' square is 1,150. If the average of all our samples from Crop Tour and/or the average of all the state averages is close to that figure it’s going to be a big crop, especially if there is precipitation during or after Crop Tour to give the crop the moisture to fully fill.
2023 In-Person Crop Tour Meetings
WESTERN TOUR
Grand Island, Neb.
Monday, Aug. 21
Riverside Golf Club | 2820 Riverside Drive | Grand Island, NE 68801
Nebraska City, Neb.
Tuesday, Aug. 22
Lied Lodge and Conference Center | 2700 Sylvan Road | Nebraska City, NE 68410
Spencer, Iowa
Wednesday, Aug. 23
Clay County Fair and Events Center | 800 West 18th Street | Spencer, IA 51301
EASTERN TOUR
Noblesville, Ind.
Monday, Aug. 21
Embassy Suites Noblesville | 13700 Conference Center Drive S. | Noblesville, IN 46060
Bloomington, Ill.
Tuesday, Aug. 22
DoubleTree by Hilton | 10 Brickyard Drive | Bloomington, IL 61701
Iowa City, Iowa
Wednesday, Aug. 23
Hyatt Regency Coralville | 300 East 9th Street | Coralville, IA 52241
FINALE
Thursday, Aug. 24
Rochester, Minn.
Mayo Civic Center | 30 Civic Center Drive SE | Rochester, MN 55902
