Crop Tour Day 1: Variability at Every Stop
Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour scouts are visiting Ohio, Indiana, South Dakota and Nebraska to estimate yields for each state. Early season weather, issues at pollination and other challenges have led to extreme variability in corn and moderate variability in soybeans.
“I guess I haven’t seen anything that’s impressed me in the corn or anything that’s disappointed me in the corn,” says Chip Flory Farm Journal Pro editorial director. “The corn isn’t anything spectacular but I’m not disappointed either [in South Dakota].”
His team has seen 220 bu. per acre estimates down to 109 bu. per acre estimates in South Dakota. This isn’t the most variable part of the state, either, about 30 miles west is the driest area.
“We’re going to start seeing more variability as we get down into Nebraska,” Flory adds.
Scouts on the east side are seeing considerable variability in corn too. “[Corn] is all over the board,” says Brian Grete, Farm Journal’s Pro Farmer editor. “We have 59 bu. per acre as our low and 223 bu. per acre is our high.”
In Ohio he says they’re seeing definite signs of replant, maturity all over the board and pollination issues. The group pulled eight samples from central to western Ohio and was just entering Indiana.
Soybeans, on the other hand, are in good shape in many areas. “On our route the pod count is really good so far—higher than what I’ve seen in South Dakota before,” Flory says. “But other routes are coming in at 750, 800 and we’re up in the 1,300s so you can’t get too wrapped up in what one route is saying—get the whole picture.”
Grete’s route is showing some variability with some pod counts as low as 800 or as high as 1800. “These beans could really benefit if they could get some late season moisture,” he says. “We’re seeing some with lots of small pods and if they do get some late season moisture they could actually make something out of them.”
Get the whole picture as scouts report and bring together their results throughout the week on the Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour and see how your state shapes up.
