The Pro Farmer Crop Tour gathers 100 scouts who pull samples from thousands of fields across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota to provide insights into potential corn and soybean production.
This year, on the eastern leg of the tour, scouts saw the following:
- Ohio is usually a hit-or-miss state, but this year most of the corn crop is a hit, says Brian Grete, editor of Pro Farmer. Soybean plants are heavily podded but still need time to maximize the yield factory.
- The yield potential for corn is strong in Indiana if the crop can avoid tar spot. Soybean pods are abundant, but the crop lacks maturity.
- There’s too much variably in Illinois to challenge 2022’s record corn yield, and soybeans will take a yield hit from late-season heat. Various diseases are evident.
- In eastern Iowa, the corn crop isn’t a disaster, but the potential of what could have been with some rain is evident. Many soybean fields are yellow, and the crop went backward this past week with the extreme heat.
Watch this 5-min. video featuring Tyne Morgan’s reporting on the eastern leg.
On the western leg of the tour:
- The South Dakota corn crop is better than 2022, but that’s not saying much. Scouts found a huge year-over-year increase in pod counts in the state, but a lack of pod fill the third week of August will hold back yield potential.
- In Nebraska, farmers have applied near-record amounts of water, and they aren’t done yet. The excessive heat will trim top-end corn yields and likely keep soybean yields around APH.
- In western Iowa, corn is variable, and the impact of this week’s extreme heat is cannibalizing 20 bu. to 30 bu. per acre. The soybeans benefitted from a cool start to August coupled with rain.
- Two-bean pods in Minnesota will take a third off soybean yields. Popcorn showers make some fields winners and other fields losers. When it comes to corn, the depth of kernel isn’t there to finish above average this year.
Watch this 5-min. video featuring Michelle Rook’s reporting on the western leg.
For complete coverage of Pro Farmer Crop Tour, click here.
