Pro Farmer Crop Tour News
For more than 30 years, Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts have been providing the agriculture industry with insights into potential corn and soybean production, gathering scout reports from 2,000+ fields across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota. This year’s Pro Farmer Crop Tour takes place August 17-20, 2026.
Drought dominated headlines in western Iowa last year during the Pro Farmer Crop Tour, and even as drought continues to be the talk of Iowa this year, fields in some portions of the state produced a different tone.
Pro Farmer scouts pegged the Indiana average yield estimate at 193.48 bu. per acre on Tuesday, just slightly below USDA’s prediction of 194 bu. per acre.
Eastern Tour Leader Brian Grete shares a midday update on his route through central and west-central Illinois.
Fields sprouted the possibiity of big bushels on Tuesday. In Nebraska, scouts saw dryness, but also big potential for soybeans this year. And Indiana’s crops also showed potential records in areas of the state.
As scouts entered fields in Indiana on Tuesday, the high expectations for the Eastern Corn Belt were reaffirmed. In the West, irrigated fields showed solid soybean counts, but signs of dryness were a noted concern.
Brent Judisch, western Tour consultant, shares some preliminary observations and route results from Nebraska.
As scouts set out on the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Monday they got a soggy start, a good sign for soybeans in August. While Ohio did not disappoint, South Dakota showed scars from the drought with a mature crop.
“We are fast running out of gas,” says Jerry Gulke. “If we miss these rains, North Dakota and South Dakota probably deteriorates—North Dakota more so. I will be interested to see what Pro Farmer sees.”
Bruce Blythe shares some initial comments and results from his route through South Dakota.
Crop scouts weave their way across the Corn Belt as the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop tour kicks off. In the West, scouts will start in the drought-stressed state of South Dakota. The eastern leg starts in Columbus, Ohio.