Corn
The Minnesota corn crop is going for gold. Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts expect the crop will reach a record 202.86 bu. average, if it can outpace southern rust and tar spot. Scouts peg the Iowa corn crop at a 198.43 bu. average, but it also faces disease challenges.
Iowa could be the nation’s top state this year for corn and soybeans, but both crops are in a race to beat disease pressure that’s gaining momentum. Illinois corn continues to ride the struggle bus, while the soybean crop there is positioned to deliver high yields.
There is still up to 55% of the kernel dry weight left to be accumulated by many corn hybrids at this point — starch that can contribute significantly to grain fill and higher test weights.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts take into account the lows and highs found out in the field as they encounter variability.
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While some scouts saw a big corn crop in the making in South Dakota, yield and pod counts came in below Pro Farmer Crop Tour numbers from 2020. Results from the eastern route peg corn at 185.69 bu. per acre, beating the tour record of 185 bu. set in 2021.
Marion Calmer is renown for his corn harvesting innovations. The fourth-generation Illinois farmer also has a wealth of practical knowledge about how to take more beans to the bin — and freely shares some of his insights and ideas here.
Love is in the Air: How a 13-Acre Corn Maze in Ohio Turned Into a Larger-Than-Life Marriage Proposal
Tim Sullivan had a grand idea this spring: turn his family’s corn maze into a 13-acre marriage proposal for his then girlfriend Caroline. With the help of local farmers, his dream became a reality: flying her over the corn maze to create an epic proposal.
Jerry Gulke, president of the Gulke Group, says he was as surprised with USDA’s 188.8 bushel per corn acre yield as anyone, but their demand projections were even more surprising.
Mark Schultz, Northstar Commodity, says corn December corn closed above the $4 level on Friday and was nearly steady for the week.