I-80 Harvest Tour: Eastern Iowa Yields May Not Make Up For Below Average Crop in West
I80 Harvest Tour Iowa 1027422
In the October USDA projected a 200 bushel per acre corn yield in Iowa off 4 bushels from last year, with soybean yield at 58 bushels per acre down 5 bushels from 2021. However, yield reports are putting those estimates in question.
Yields results have been highly variable in Iowa this harvest season, especially from west to east. In the west farmers faced below normal moisture for the second season. Lytton, Iowa Farmer, Marty Ellis says, "It’s been a tough year here. We’ve missed a lot of the rains."
Ellis says while corn yields in his area are higher than expected they’ll still be down from 2021, especially on the lighter ground. He says, "I think we're probably going to maybe get this 180 in here. I was thinking we were going to be 150 or less but I think it's going to be a little better than I thought." But even his best ground will be off of his farm APH. He says, "I really think that’s going to go 200 fairly easy it looks like it's pretty stable, pretty solid low ground, no big hills and it really looks good. So, I’m pretty sure that’ll go over 200 that’s my best guess right now."
And with very little rain in August for soybeans, yields in his area will be down from the 70 bushels per acre he harvested in 2021. Ellis says, "50 to 60 maybe a few going a little bit above 60 but that’s going to catch most of us there’s just been a lack of timing for moisture.”
Farther east in north central Iowa Grant Woodley says he picked up some of the key rains in August that Ellis missed for his soybeans. Woodley farms near Clarion and says, "We were fortunate that we're able to cut catch a couple two-inch rains in the second fourth week of August that really saved the crop. "
As a result, Woodley says his bean yields were a pleasant surprise. "So, we've been I would say, probably not record breaking but definitely, definitely trendline, trendline bean yields."
Woodley was just getting started on corn but yield reports in his area were very strong. “But neighbors have been surprised again, I'd say probably 200 Plus bushels, some as high as 250 260. So pretty fortunate I think.” And that was even with some tar spot pressure, plus heat stress during pollination that shaved off the top end corn yield. Woodley says, "We saw we saw tip back a little bit I think not as much maybe as last year. But definitely we did see some years not fill all the way for sure."
Both Woodley and Ellis say the quality of the crop has been excellent though, especially the corn. Ellis says, "I think we’ll be around that normal 58, 59 pounds. I’m guessing they’ll be somewhere in there may be a pinch lighter."
With the open weather the crop has dried down fast, resulting in very little drying. In fact, Woodley is more concerned about corn dropping below 15-percent moisture and hurting the quality….and longer term about the lack of recharge for next season. Woodley says, "We're going to need some serious moisture to get some soil moisture recharge to get the vehicle started off next year on a good foot."
Even with the stronger yields in the east, it doesn’t look that will make up for some of the lower-than-normal yield in the west. As a result, some farmers think USDA may have to come down slightly on yield in the November Crop Production Report.