The Pro Farmer Crop Tour‘s data-gathering methods are disciplined and produce consistent results. Results from the Tour have a big impact on Pro Farmer Newsletter’s annual crop production estimate released on the Friday following Crop Tour.
Scouts: More than 100 “scouts” (farmers, media, agribusiness, and Pro Farmer staff) are organized into teams that fan across 20 pre-determined Midwest routes Monday-Thursday.
Read More: How Scouts Use Their Tour Observations
The “Eastern leg” begins sampling in western Ohio, working its way across Indiana, Illinois, eastern Iowa and then southern Minnesota. The “Western leg” begins in southern South Dakota, then across eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and into southern Minnesota. Both sides of the Tour conclude in Rochester, Minn., on Thursday, Aug. 25.
Scouts attend a training session prior to the Crop Tour and each team of two to four people includes at least one experienced scout. The assigned routes that the scout teams travel have been consistent over the years to assure comparability.
During the Tour, scouts stop every 12 to 15 miles along a marked route (or at least once in every county). Each team of scouts gathers about 15 samples per day, preferably where corn and soybean fields are together.
CORN FIELD SCOUTING PROCESS
1. Record crop district and county.
2. At the end rows, go 35 paces into the field to start sampling.
3. Measure and record row spacing.
4. Measure a 30' plot, then count all ears in two rows in the plot. Record total.
5. Pull the fifth, eighth and 11th ear off one row of the plot.
6. Take corn ears back to the vehicle.
7. Measure the length of grain in inches on each ear, average and record.
8. Count the kernel rows on each ear (will be an even number), average and record.
SOYBEAN FIELD SCOUTING PROCESS
1. Record crop district and county.
2. Walk as far into the field as possible without causing significant damage along your path.
3. Measure a 3' plot.
4. Count and record the total number of plants in the 3' row.
5. Randomly select three plants.
6. Measure and record row spacing.
7. Count all pods on selected plants and determine the average from those three plants.
8. Multiply the average pod count by the number of plants in the 3' section and record. (Note: There will most likely be small pods on each plant. Scouts count any pod that measures at least ¼".)
9. Rate and record soil moisture and maturity.
Thank you to the 2022 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Sponsors
Presenting: Pioneer, Pivot Bio
Supporting: AgLeader, Beck’s, RCIS, Taranis, Sound Ag
International: U.S. Soy
