Crops Analysis

Bridge Payments And Big Yields Will Tilt 2026 To Corn

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:35:20 GMT

In a year when U.S. farmers might wonder if they should finally blink on corn, Scott Irwin is predicting many won’t. The University of Illinois agricultural economist believes growers will lean into growing corn once again.

“I think my overall bottom line is we’re probably going to end up with more corn acres than we were thinking a few months ago,” he says.

That will likely be the case, he notes, even though the 2026 soybean-to-corn price ratio slightly favors soybeans and enterprise crop budgets indicate soybeans will be more profitable than corn.

He offers two reasons why corn acres will likely rule again this season. For one, farmers “just prefer” growing corn over soybeans. Second, and a greater factor, are recent bridge program payments, which are likely to shape farmer behavior.

“Recent bridge program payments basically have backfilled a lot of corn losses, and there’s a lot of expectation that a third round will be coming,” Irwin says.

That perspective is shared by Ben Brown, an economist with FAPRI (Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute).

“Some of the per-acre planted rates that we’ve seen with ECAP and now the farmer bridge assistance payments, those are tied to planted acres and corn’s had the higher payment rate relative to soybeans and some of the other competing crops as well,” Brown reports. “I also look at some of the changes on the crop insurance side, the increased subsidy rates up to 80% for the supplemental coverage option, the enhanced coverage option.”

Those backstops matter, Brown adds, because they support farmers’ willingness to stick with a crop that might feel a bit risky on a cash-flow basis.

Will Farmers Plant 100 Million Acres Of Corn In 2026?

In 2025, growers’ preference for corn showed up in a dramatic way with U.S. farmers planting 98.8 million acres, based on USDA’s Crop Production 2025 Summary released in January 2026 .

“That number is still kind of hard to fathom,” Irwin says. “And if you add prevented plant acreage, you get over 100 [million] corn acres.”

While he doesn’t expect a repeat of that staggering figure, he doesn’t foresee a huge drop in the final planted acreage number, either.

“I think we’re going to plant at least 95– to 96-million acres of corn,” he says.

In addition, he anticipates soybeans will “be up from a really low level,” the 81.2 million acres farmers planted last year.

“I could see soybeans going up a couple million acres, and corn coming down a couple million, but that’s still going to leave a lot more corn acres for 2026,” he predicts.

Few To No New Crop Production Opportunities

For Midwest row-crop growers looking for alternatives beyond corn and soybeans, Irwin doesn’t see any practical large-scale opportunities, especially in Midwest states like Illinois.

“There’s really not any large-scale move here in Illinois, for example. There could be some marginal increase in wheat–soybean double-cropping if the economic returns were positive, but wheat prices are in the tank, too,” Irwin says.

“So there really isn’t any good option other than basically to continue what you’ve been doing, and try to cut costs as much as you can and hope for more bridge payment programs,” he adds.

Corn Yield Trend Line Is Moving Higher

On a more positive note, Irwin says 2025’s crop performance should put to rest the idea that U.S. corn trend yields have stalled.

“A lot of people argued that we weren’t going to go above a 180-bushel average for a long time. Well, we just blew through that, didn’t we, with the 186.5 bushels in 2025.”

Looking ahead, he pegs the 2026 corn yield trend in a similar range.

“You’re looking at a trend yield projection for 2026 probably around 185 or 186 bushels. It won’t be long before we’ll have actual yields well above 190 for the U.S. That’s coming,” he says. “Corn yield just keeps chugging along, adding about 2 bushels a year to yields on average.”

Irwin’s message overall is that the acreage mix probably won’t be radically rearranged this season. Corn will still dominate the map, while soybeans will rebuild modestly.

The real battle ahead, he adds, may be less about what gets planted—and more about how farmers get profitable in a market trying to absorb another big crop.

26 Ideas To Cut Fertilizer Costs In 2026

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:32:32 GMT

The outlook for fertilizer costs versus commodity prices for next season is a tough one for farmers across the country.

With that fact in mind, we have compiled 26 nutrient recommendations, tips, tricks and reminders from Farm Journal Field Agronomists, university Extension and industry experts.

Our hope is one or more of these ideas will help you reduce expenses, reallocate resources and build a fertility program for the 2026 season that works well for your farm and gives you some peace of mind in the process. Here we go:

1. Make controlled, calibrated decisions.
Keep your wits about you and be ready to think through various nutrient scenarios – some of which could be very different from what you’ve done in the past. Minimize knee-jerk reactions by allowing adequate time for reflection and evaluation of potential outcomes.

2. Develop your team of advisers.
Put a team of formal and informal advisers in place, those retailers, agronomists and other farmers you can talk to about purchasing strategies and other ideas they have.

Reach out to these folks now. If you make fall applications of anhydrous, that time is just around the corner. Start having discussions with your advisers on what you’re going to do.

3. The four Rs are still important.
The right product, right rate, right time and right placement are still important and can help you maximize yield potential in the process of minimizing expenses.

4. Study your existing soil test results.
“A good approach is to examine each zone in a field and pull back fertilizer rates on high-testing zones and maintain rates in low-testing areas,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

5. Do some soil tests.
If you don’t have recent soil tests, consider fields where it would be worth the investment to do them this fall because of the payoff next season.

Budget your fertility practices. Here are two ways:

6. Consider using a specific dollar amount.
Stephanie Zelinko, national agronomist for AgroLiquid, says based on historical data, farmers usually invest 16% to 20% of their anticipated income from a corn crop on fertilizer. She offers this example:

“Say we expect to grow a 200-bu.-per-acre corn crop and make $5 a bushel. That’s $1,000 of income per acre,” Zelinko says. “Twenty percent of that is $200, and that would be my starting point for a fertility budget.”

7. Prioritize cuts where fertility is adequate.
Another way to prioritize dollars: Instead of cutting $15 of fertilizer across the board, it could be more advantageous to cut $30 for one field and nothing on another field because you don’t have the fertility there to give up.

8. Remember, applying less fertilizer than removal rates call for will lower soil fertility in the field.
That will need to be reckoned with when profitability finally stabilizes.

“The good news is that many farms are in a good place where you can lean them out without damaging yields short-term. That’s the power of knowing your fertility levels,” Ferrie says.

Also, timing and placement can make fertilizer more efficient, but they don’t change the amount of nutrients plants use. For example:

“One thousand bushels of corn requires 740 lb. of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and 380 lb. of potash (0-0-60); and 1,000 bu. of soybeans requires 1,565 lb. of DAP and 200 lb. of potash,” says Ferrie. “If those nutrients are not replaced, levels in the soil will deteriorate.”

9. Macronutrients matter most, especially nitrogen (N).
“If corn runs out of nitrogen, it’s game over for the crop, regardless of phosphorus and potassium levels,” Ferrie says.

That’s not to say you can ignore other macronutrients. It’s more of a matter of prioritizing the first things first.

10. Don’t ignore micronutrients.
Just make sure they pay their way, says Karen Corrigan, a partner in McGillicuddy Corrigan Agronomics.

She advises farmers to address their No. 1 yield-limiting factor first.

“People might want to sell you micronutrients, for instance, but if your problem is potassium, micronutrients aren’t going to help much,” says Corrigan, an independent field agronomist based in Illinois. “So, you really have to know for your own operation what you need to address.”

11. Evaluate starter fertilizer.
In some cases, starter fertilizers can improve corn yield even when soil test levels for phosphorus and potassium don’t strictly warrant a large application, according to Purdue University research .

12. Is banding fertilizer an option?
Banding can make fertilizer more efficient, just keep in mind it doesn’t change the law of nutrient removal rates. Applying less fertilizer than removal rates call for over time will deplete the soil.

13. Tap into online agronomic tools.
Use online resources that can help you navigate the nutrient-use process. For various N-rate scenarios, check out the regional N rate calculator .

14. Look at soil pH.
The optimum pH range for a corn/soybean rotation is about 5.8 to 6.2. Any field with a soil pH below 5.8 will likely benefit from lime.

With a good soil pH, farmers can improve crop yields, nutrient uptake, weed control and herbicide persistence, notes Kelly Robertson, Precision Crop Services, based in southern Illinois near Benton.

“Compared to all the other inputs, limestone is cheap. I can often get the biggest ROI from adjusting soil pH,” says Robertson, who participates in the Soy Envoy program, an initiative by Field Advisor and the Illinois Soybean Association.

Two other things to keep in mind: Not all lime is created equal, so choose carefully. Along with that, pick one that will be available for soil uptake next spring.

15. Consider bean fields versus cornfields.
“If you say, ‘I’m just going to cut out all my bean spreads,’ you’re going to be cutting the lowest fertility in the field,” Ferrie says. “It usually works better to scale back your corn fertility program for most fields.”

16. Can you cut in other places?
Look at how to leave more of your fertility program intact. Maybe you can reduce the number of tillage passes, the dollar amount in your seed spend or substitute generic products for branded ones.

17. Take advantage of ‘reserve now, pay later’ and other financing opportunities.
Talk with your suppliers about any programs they’re offering on bundling products, volume discounts and the like.

18. What isn’t paying its way?
This is the year to cut products and practices that don’t clearly pay for themselves.

“The biggest place to cut is on any extra products – the add-on stuff, where you can easily spend a lot of money,” says Kyle Stull, a certified crop advisor based in Wisconsin.

On the other hand:

19. What new practice could pay next season?
Using cover crops might or might not be a consideration. This is the year to look at new practices through the lens of whether they’ll deliver ROI out of the gate.

20. Are manure and organic amendments opportunities? Consider what’s available, cost-effective and might fit your nutrient needs and farming practices.

21. Evaluate application timing.
Do you need to make a fall anhydrous ammonia application?

Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer for StoneX, says anhydrous could have a big run this fall. Anhydrous is not cheap, but it is well-priced in his opinion compared to urea and UAN.

If you decide to go with more in-season nutrient applications, consider the pros/cons and logistics with your suppliers and applicators. Again, talk with them sooner and not later.

22. Consider what you can do in-season.
Plan on doing some in-season nitrate tests to evaluate where fields stand nutrient-wise and whether the crop can benefit from additional nitrogen.

Ferrie recommends that farmers apply about two-thirds of their nitrogen early and then sidedress the remaining one-third for depth of fill, if you’re using ground equipment.

Be careful to avoid the issue of “gapping” with your N, advises Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. She says because farmers can get through their corn with high-clearance equipment today, they sometimes don’t make their in-season N application in as timely a manner as the crop requires.

“If you don’t apply much nitrogen on the front end, the crop can run out before you get back into the field with an in-season N application. It’s what we call gapping, and you’ll give up a large chunk of yield in that situation, and you won’t be able to get it back,” she explains.

23. If you made deep cuts to your fertility program for 2025, can you cut deeper in 2026?
That’s a decision many farmers are grappling with at this point.

Here’s one recommendation from Virgil Schmitt, Iowa State University regional field agronomist: “If available funds do not allow for application of all the P and K fertilizer that is recommended for your fields, you should apply the recommended rates for areas testing Very Low, even if you rent,” because research shows a large probability of yield increases and positive ROIs.

Read more about allocating funds at: Lime, Phosphorus, and Potassium Fertilizers Decisions in Times of Limited Resources

24. Make contingency plans. Have an idea for your plan B or plan C, in case costs go up. Likewise, if costs go down – and they could – be prepared to take advantage of any opportunity to lock in products at lower costs.

25. Own your plan.
Back to the No. 2 suggestion of working with advisers: it’s good to get wise counsel, but at the end of the day make decisions that are best suited to your farm. Those decisions may or may not mirror what your neighbors and friends do but are the right ones for you.

26. Consider the future.
“Right now, we’re concerned about the short-term, but we need to balance that with long-term thinking as well,” Ferrie advises. “Think about the kind of shape you want your soils to be in, once we cycle out of these low commodity prices.”

Your next read: Fertilizer Decisions For 2026 Crop Will Be A Balancing Act

Pro Farmer Crop Tour, Final Day: Iowa Corn Crop Sets 32-Year Record, Minnesota Corn Ran Out Of Gas

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 01:09:55 GMT

The fourth and final day of the 32^nd Pro Farmer Crop Tour wrapped up on Thursday, Aug. 22 with numbers from Minnesota and eastern Iowa samples combined for full Iowa results.

Scouts sampled the Iowa corn yield average to be 192.79 bu. per acre for the state, while Minnesota’s corn yield estimate was 164.90 bu. per acre.

Iowa’s Crop Tour Results

2024 Pro Farmer Iowa Corn Numbers

(Pro Farmer)

In Iowa, Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts found a strong crop — better than last year and the three-year average. In fact, it sets a new Crop Tour record.

Iowa corn yield estimate: 192.79 bu. per acre, up 5.46% from 2023
Ear count: 102.66, up 0.67% from last year
Grain length: 6.98, up 6.08% from 2023

2024 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Iowa Soybeans

(Pro Farmer)

Iowa’s pod counts were 1,312.31 in a 3’x3’, which is up 10.24% from 2023.

Minnesota’s Crop Tour Results

2024 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Minnesota Corn

(Pro Farmer)

In Minnesota, Pro Farmer Crop Tour Scouts found a corn crop sampling 15 bu. below last year’s.

Minnesota corn yield estimate: 164.90 bu. per acre, down 9.07% from 2023
Ear count: 99.52, up 0.11% from last year
Grain length: 6.04, down 4.43% from 2023

2024 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Minnesota Soybeans

(Pro Farmer)

Minnesota’s pod counts were 1,036.59 in a 3’x3’ square, which is up 5.24% from 2023.

Crop Tour’s Front and Back Half Tell Different Stories

“The first two days of the tour all we did was moved bushels from South Dakota and Nebraska to Ohio and Indiana, compared to the USDA estimates,” says Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk and leader of Pro Farmer Crop Tour’s western leg. “We had laid the groundwork for a really good crop in Iowa, especially in southwest Iowa and south central Iowa. In northwest Iowa, we ran into problems, which we anticipated with having too much rain during the planting season.”

Flory adds the crop in Illinois is frankly, really good.

“In our final day running the routes, we’ve got a nice crop in Iowa, but Minnesota is another story,” Flory says.

Iowa’s Variability Is Overpowered By A Strong Crop Overall

Pro Farmer Crop Tour Scouts sampled a record high corn crop in Iowa and found a heavily podded soybean crop.

Pod counts so good corn samplers are waiting on the soybean samplers to count pods! #pftour24 pic.twitter.com/HQlMmWmTjo
— Bruce Lantzky (@Lantzkyfarms) August 22, 2024

“Last year we had a very good crop, a record crop and most spots. And this year we just–we won’t be there. We’ll be off a solid probably 10 to 15%,” says Zach Egesdal, a farmer from Mason City, Iowa, which experienced a soggy planting season.

From what the scouts collected, Iowa’s garden spot may be the southeast part of the state in 2024.

“My best crop was 2018, and I really think I had the potential to have a better crop than 2018 right now,” says Dustin Guy from Booker, Iowa.

And while Scout Bryan Kaufman, who farms in southeast Iowa says he thinks his area may see corn yields top 250 bu. to 260 bu. He shares his soybean crop is also strong—maybe in his top two or three of all time.

Minnesota’s Corn Crop Leaves A Lot To Be Desired

“The corn crop in Minnesota looks like it ran out of gas,” Flory says.

Record-setting rains throughout the planting season set up the Minnesota crop on the wrong foot. And then a dry summer brought another set of challenges.

10 stops along my route in southwest Minnesota. Not a single #corn field looked good from the road, and that largely held true inside. Corn was yellow and uneven everywhere. Average yield 164 bu/acre. This same route was 177 last year, 210 in 2022 and 201 in 2021. #pftour24 pic.twitter.com/EvemmtXGqm
— Karen Braun (@kannbwx) August 22, 2024

“For our farm, it’s looking like 175-180 bu. corn which we should have 225 bu. And soybeans I don’t know. We’re lucky to get 50 bu. and they should be 60 bu. plus,” says James Willers, a farmer from Beaver Creek, Minn.

Reflections On The Eastern Leg Of The Tour

As eastern leg tour lead, Pro Farmer editor Brian Grete shares the strength of this crop will still depend on getting it across the finish line.

“On the eastern side of the corn belt, it’s a strong crop, but it should be,” Grete says. “USDA put a record yield on corn for five of the seven states. Ohio isn’t one of those—but if we weren’t talking about last year’s record crop in Ohio, this year would be up there. This year is comparing to last year’s gold standard.”
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View Day 3 Results
View Day 2 Results
View Day 1 Results
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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-plus fields across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota.
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For exclusive access to professional grade news, analysis and advice, subscribe to Pro Farmer here .

Pro Farmer Crop Tour, Day 3: Soybeans Steal The Show in Iowa, Illinois Corn Crop Makes Crop Tour Record

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 01:15:17 GMT

Going into day 3 of the 2024 Pro Farmer Crop Tour, expectations were high. While the crop might not have quite lived up to those expectations, scouts are still seeing big increases over 2023 — especially in soybeans.

The results from day 3 were released Wednesday night :

District 1 Iowa: 176.59 bu./acre
District 4 Iowa: 195.86 bu./acre
District 7 Iowa: 191.59 bu./acre
Illinois: 204.14 bu./acre

Are Recent Rains Enough In Iowa?
Scouts knew if Iowa is going to hit record yield numbers, moisture levels from timely rains would play a big role.

In District 1, estimates show a 3.28% yield decrease from last year’s numbers.

Iowa District 1 Corn Yield Estimate: 176.59 bu./acre
Ear Count: 102.18
Grain Length: 6.52

Crop Tour Day 3 Iowa District 1 Corn

(Lori Hays)

District 4 showed the best numbers of the three areas sampled with a slight yield increase estimate of 2.24% from last year.

Iowa District 4 Corn Yield Estimate: 195.86 bu./acre
Ear Count: 100.09
Grain Length: 7.08

Crop Tour Day 3 Iowa District 4 Corn

(Lori Hays)

This year’s yield estimate in District 7 is a 3.65% increase from 2024 and 4.31% over the three-year average — something Roger Cerven, farmer and scout in Stanton, Iowa, predicted while scouting.

“Southwest Iowa in District 7 is going to be a lot better than what it was a year ago,” he says.

Iowa District 7 Corn Yield Estimate: 191.59 bu./acre
Ear Count: 98.31
Grain Length: 7.09

Crop Tour Day 3 Iowa District 7 Corn

(Lori Hays)

Chip Flory, Pro Farmer Crop Tour director for the western leg, says this Iowa region has been the most impressive of the week.

Soybean fields showed minimal pest and weed pressure along the route, which led to big pod increases versus last year in some parts of the state.

Crop Tour Day 3 Iowa District 1 Soybeans

(Lori Hays)

In District 1, pod counts were estimated at 1,108.76 in a 3’x3' square, which is a 2.5% decrease over 2023.

Crop Tour Day 3 Iowa District 4 Soybeans

(Lori Hays)

District 4 found pod counts at 1,254.09 in a 3’x3' square — an 11.94% increase from last year.

Crop Tour Day 3 Iowa District 7 Soybeans

(Lori Hays)

District 7 kept up the trend, showing a 1,366 pod count in a 3’x3' square — a 16.74% increase from 2023.

Iowa route report on #pftour24 (from my finger to Spencer, 11 stops): #soybeans were great, pod counts safely above the last 3 years on same route. #Corn avg yield was 183.5 bu/acre, roughly 10 better than last 2 years but below 188.2 in 2021. Flood issues evident at very end. pic.twitter.com/nh8tvJ24h5
— Karen Braun (@kannbwx) August 21, 2024

“We pulled our No. 2 sample and found 2,800-some pods,” says Denny Rollenhagen, Wells, Minn., farmer and scout. “From the way they look now, if they finish they’ll be really good beans.”

Illinois’ Corn Crop Makes Crop Tour Record

Crop Tour Day 3 Illinois Corn Chart

(Lori Hays)

With USDA’s yield estimate of 225 bu. per acre in mind, the third day of the 2024 Pro Farmer Crop Tour didn’t quite meet expectations. Overall, the word of the day for the state’s corn is “variable.”

Just finished our sixth stop in northern Illinois today. Averaging 198.0 bushels/acre so far but fields have been variable.
Beans continue to look pretty good across our route#PFTour24 pic.twitter.com/oQ67NV5pCu
— Lane (@iwatchcorn) August 21, 2024

“From a yield perspective, it’s been a bit more variable than I anticipated. If you’re going to get to the 225, it has to be pretty stellar on a consistent basis,” said Brian Grete, eastern leg director. “But, there are some really big yields out there in some of these fields and that can help offset some of the ones that didn’t quite get there.”

However, the state is still holding a big crop. In fact, Grete says it hit a new Crop Tour record. This year’s estimate is 5.38% higher than 2023’s number and 5.46% above the three-year average.

Illinois Corn Yield Estimate: 204.14 bu./acre
Ear Count: 107.75
Grain Length: 7.02

“We had two stops where three of the six ears were 9" in length. Baseball bats as I like to refer to them,” Grete says.

Bloomington, Ill., farmer Dennis Wentworth says he’s still excited about the potential for a record crop.

“We’re not seeing tar spot, and you see really good plant health here,” Wentworth says. “Even the lower leaves are still green — we haven’t run out of nitrogen. We’re excited about this.”

Crop Tour Day 3 Illinois Soybean Chart

(Lori Hays)

Like southern Iowa, Illinois’ soybeans were a pleasant surprise. The state’s pod counts in a 3’x3' square are estimated at 1,419.11 — a whopping 11.69% increase from 2023.

Grete says Illinois has had all the ingredients for a big yield — uniformity, heavily podded, and good soil moisture.

The Illinois beans are starting to play a game of "find Alejandra". The next sample was over her shoulders! 😂 #pftour24 pic.twitter.com/DXPWR2asNc
— Kristi Goedken (@KristiGoedken12) August 21, 2024

“For beans that don’t look that impressive, they certainly have a lot of pods on them,” says scout Mark Bernard.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
View Day 2 Results
View Day 1 Results
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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-plus fields across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota.

This year’s event takes place August 19-22. Register now to attend in-person or watch results live each night at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

For exclusive access to professional grade news, analysis and advice, subscribe to Pro Farmer here .

What To Expect From This Year’s Crop Tour

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 13:48:35 GMT

Crop Tour is a fact-finding mission with a goal of getting a strong, objective view of corn yield potential from one big field across the seven states we sample during the third full week of August. While that’s the objective every year, it’s nearly impossible to block out all the data we’ve gathered about the crop ahead of Crop Tour. In fact, some of that data helps shape Pro Farmer’s opinion of crops outside of the areas we pull samples from on Crop Tour.

Watch live: Pro Farmer Crop Tour nightly meetings at 8 p.m. Central / 9 p.m. Eastern

Heading into this year’s tour, we knew there were areas that received excessive moisture through June in northwestern areas of the Corn Belt that resulted in some lost acres due to flooding and washouts. We also knew southern and eastern areas of the Corn Belt that trended drier through June received timely rains ahead of pollination. From our 31 previous years of experience and data collecting, we know the recipe for a strong yield is to rush the crop to pollination and then slow it down through grain fill.

As of July 7, corn development was ahead of average, with 24% of the crop silking (five-year average of 14%) and 3% in dough stage (average of 2%). Early conditions for pollination were favorable. The second portion of the yield formula is grain fill, which will be determined from mid-July into harvest.

As of July 7, USDA rated the U.S. corn crop as 68% good to excellent and 9% poor to very poor. The good/excellent rating was one point above the 10-year average. Of the seven states we sample from on Crop Tour, only Minnesota had a lower-than-average rating for corn as pollination began (59% good/excellent versus a 10-year average of 70.2%). The others: Illinois 67% versus 62.4%; Indiana 67% versus 59.2%; Iowa 76% versus 74.6%; Nebraska 80% versus 73%; Ohio 74% versus 61%; and South Dakota 72% versus 63.7%.

There’s no direct correlation between crop condition ratings and final yield. Last year was a good example, as corn crop conditions ran below average throughout the growing season, but the final yield was a record 177.3 bu. per acre. However, there tends to be a stronger yield correlation as the growing season progresses. While conditions were below average last year, they didn’t post the typical decline after pollination, which was a precursor to the strong result.

Corn and Soybeans Look 'Darn Good' In Ohio, Similar to 2021

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 20:49:20 GMT

Ohio might not be Iowa, Illinois or Indiana, but the state’s farmers have corn and soybean crops that are holding their own compared to what farmers in the I-states have in their fields this season.

“Everything looks pretty darn good for the state of Ohio from what I’ve seen here initially this morning,” says Brian Grete, Pro Farmer editor, who leads the Eastern leg of the four-day tour. “Their soils aren’t as good here as they are in the central Corn Belt, and they have to have better weather here for high yields, but we haven’t seen any pests or disease. This year is looking like a hit for Ohio farmers.”

In fact, the Eastern Corn Belt looks like the garden region -- and the big story for row crops this season -- according to Monday’s U.S. Farm Report. You can watch it here .

Grete and a crew of 50-plus scouts – some of whom have participated in the tour for more than 20 years – started out in Columbus this morning and had made two stops to evaluate crops before 8 a.m. Eastern. By early afternoon, Grete had this to say:

In all, more than 100 crop scouts are fanning out across fields to project corn yields and estimate soybean pods in seven states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota. In Iowa, scouts will sample and measure corn and soybean crops in all 99 counties.

Plenty Of Variability Present This Year

“The first two stops this morning in Ohio showed corn-yield extremes and also the randomness of the stops the tour makes,” Grete says. “We saw bad corn and good soybeans on the first stop, and good corn and not as good a soybean crop on the second stop.”

In the first stop, the crop was really short, pollination was poor and the field was in rough shape. “We projected 92 bushels per acre in that first field of corn,” Grete says.

At stop No. 2 the cornfield held a solid, well-pollinated crop with large ears, dark green leaves and excellent plant health. “We projected 208 bushels per acre there,” Grete says.

Last year, scouts sampled nearly 3,400 corn and soybean fields on the tour. Here are the final results tallied for 2022, which can be referenced and compared to this season’s results:

Hoping For A Repeat Of 2021

Josh Yoder, who farms near Plain City, about 20 miles northeast of Columbus, Ohio, says he’s encouraged by the crops he’s growing this season and by what he’s seeing on the tour today.

“I think it’s going to be a better corn crop than what we had last year. I don’t know if it’s going to be as good of a crop as what we had in 2021, but we’re set up to have an above-average crop,” Yoder says.

Here’s a look at the three-year average for Ohio corn crops:

On the soybean side, scouts in Ohio projected 1,500 pods in the first field today and 799 pods in the second field. Scouts don’t calculate soybean yields. Instead, they calculate soybean pods in a 3’ x 3’ plot in fields to get a rough sense of yield potential.

Yoder says his soybean crop looks good, though he has some concerns about disease pressure.

“Sudden Death has really reared its ugly head if you will the last couple of years,” he says. “Adding in an extra seed treatment specifically for that is becoming more commonplace here in Ohio. The biggest question mark I have for this season is what did the early season dry conditions do to do to the crop both corn and beans.”

Headed West To Indianapolis Tonight

Today, Grete’s scouts are headed west through central Ohio on their way to Indianapolis, Ind., where they’ll stop for the night, compare notes, evaluate the data and provide yield projections for the state.

“We’ll finalize our Ohio numbers at the end of today and release those this evening. The goal is to find out what the yield potential is in the state of Ohio,” Grete says.

“We will also be into eastern Indiana today, but we’ll release the Indiana results tomorrow,” Grete adds.

Initial Report From The Western Leg

Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk, is leading crop scouts on the western leg of the tour. He anticipates seeing some struggles underway in dryland crops in some states on the western tour.

“There’s some severe drought that has impacted eastern and northeast Nebraska, so I know we’re going to see some dryland crops that aren’t all that spiffy,” he says. “But from what we can see so far, the irrigated corn crop is in really pretty good shape and carrying some good yield potential out there.”

Flory adds that the soybean crop is showing some signs of drought stress and disease pressure. “On the drive over we saw some yellowing in the crop, so we will be looking for sudden death syndrome as we check fields,” he says.

Some good news is scouts are seeing better corn and soybeans in South Dakota, according to Farm Journal’s Michelle Rook.

Looking Ahead The Next Four Days

The goal for the week, Grete says, is to let farmers know what scouts are finding in each state so they can compare the results to what they have in their own fields. “We want farmers to be able to say at the end of the day, ‘OK, here’s where my crop stacks up versus what we had in these areas over the past three years for an average,’” he says.

Pro Farmer’s National Crop Production Estimates will be released on Friday. Follow along this week here on AgWeb and via social media. For X, check out #pftour23.

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Thu, 17 Aug 2023 23:21:00 GMT

The 2023 ProFarmer Crop Tour kicks off next week, with the eastern leg and western legs starting in Noblesville, Ind. and Grand Island, Neb., respectively.

Brad Nelson and Tim Gregerson, master scouts and Crop Tour regulars, give a preview of what to expect on each leg of the trip. Their stories couldn’t be farther from the same.

Eastern leg corn

Dry conditions were a theme on the western leg of the tour last year, as the La Nina weather pattern took a firm hold on drought conditions. The heat and dried-out soils crawled to the eastern leg this year, according to Nelson, who lives in Southeastern Minnesota.

“We’ve lost yield this summer compared to a year ago and we’ll be down quite a bit on yield. Right now, we’re more in-line with an average crop, or just below, but we’ll be out of moisture again by next week,” he says.

Kernel depth and abortion is a fear in southeastern Minnesota, according to Nelson. He expects the forecasted heat this weekend will be revealed on Crop Tour next week.

Eastern leg soybeans

Drought aside, Nelson says the soybean crop is doing “fairly well” this year. Outside of mild cases of aphids and spider mites in border rows, he says there hasn’t been any detrimental event to impact soybean yield.

“I put fungicide on my soybeans right after we had extreme heat, along with some insecticide. We got ahead of the aphids enough to where I haven’t heard anyone mass-spraying for them like we’ve had to in the past,” Nelson says.

Western leg soybeans

Lingering drought in the West took a late season break on crops this year, according to Gregerson. He says Mother Nature flipped the switch from drought to dew in a matter of days. And with the dew came a slew of diseases.

“We have thick, white mold starting to run ramped here in east-central Nebraska, and just this week we’re starting to notice Sudden Death Syndrome—not bad yet by any means, but it’s on its way,” Gregerson says. “We’ve also seen gall midge.”

Western leg corn

Crop Tour regulars have grown used to seeing dented corn and Gregerson says to expect the same story in the West again this year.

“Our plant dates from this Spring are April 12th to April 14th and almost 100% of our corn is dented. The milk line is not down too far yet, but there’s a great deal of dent in our area,” Gregerson says.

As far as irrigated corn, Gregerson says it handled heat stress better this year than last. While he says irrigated ear length is slightly shorter than last year, pollination did well, and tip back proved less detrimental.

A look ahead

As Gregerson and Nelson prepare to hop on each leg of the tour, they both agree that they’re most looking forward to new sights and socializing.

“I’m ready to see the tour with my own eyes; There’s no better perspective than getting my boots in the field,” Gregerson says.

“I like networking with people who have the same passion for ag that I have. A good amount of us come back each year and it’s fun to visit with them and ride along with new people,” Nelson says.

To read more insights from the 2023 Pro Farmer Crop Tour findings, sign up to receive updates straight from the field starting next week.

Highest Corn Yield Average Predicted for Indiana Ever?

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 18:39:56 GMT

Brian Grete was making his way through Illinois this morning on the eastern leg of the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop Tour, but his mind was on Indiana.

“It’s the best Indiana corn crop I’ve ever seen,” Grete told Davis Michaelsen on AgriTalk. “You don’t see quite the consistency there like in Illinois and Iowa, but boy, it looks really consistent this year. There is some pocketed dryness in the west-central parts of the state, but they’re sitting on a terrific crop if they can get it to the finish line,” adds Grete, Pro Farmer editor and leader of the eastern leg of the tour.

Pro Farmer scouts pegged the Indiana average yield estimate at 193.48 bu. per acre on Tuesday, compared to the 2020 estimate of 179.84 bu. per acre – a 7.6% increase.

“USDA currently estimates the Indiana corn crop yield at 194 bu. per acre which would be 5 bushels per acre greater than the state record yield average produced in 2018 (189 bushels per acre) and a 7 bu. per acre increase from the 2020 state yield average (187 bushels per acre),” according to Dan Quinn, Purdue University Extension corn specialist, in the Pest & Crop Newsletter, issued Aug. 13.

“The predicted value of 194 bushels per acre is also the highest yield average predicted for Indiana from an August USDA crop report,” Quinn writes. “Furthermore, this predicted yield average value also ranks Indiana second in the corn belt in predicted yield average behind Illinois, which has a predicted yield average of 214 bushels per acre.” The complete article is available at USDA Crop Report Predicts State Record Corn Yield For Indiana

Figure 1: Current 2021 USDA Crop Report predicted yield average in comparison to Historic Indiana State Corn Yield Average (1866 – 2020).

The USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report issued on Monday (Aug. 16) estimates that 72% of the Indiana corn crop is in good-to-excellent condition.

For soybeans, the USDA on Monday said 68% of the state’s crop is rated good to excellent.

The weekly report also noted that the “dog days of summer” are starting to contribute to a decline in crop conditions.

On the western leg of the tour, Chip Flory noted that the irrigated corn in Nebraska is in good shape while dryland corn is registering lower in scouts’ yield checks.

“That’s normally the case,” says Flory, AgriTalk host. “However, while dryland corn is usually 20 to 25 bu. per acre off of the irrigated corn, this year it looks to be off 35 to 40 bushels.”

Still, Nebraska corn is holding its own. Scouts there pegged the state’s average yield estimate at 182.35 bu. per acre yesterday, compared to the 2020 estimate of 175.15 bu. per acre – a 4.1% increase

For soybeans, scouts anticipate lower yields this year. They counted an average of 801.65 pods per 3’ row on Tuesday, compared to 846.77 in 2020 – a 5.3% decrease.

“Both the corn and soybeans crops need a drink to wrap things up here in Nebraska,” Flory says. “Without rain, the dryland crop will be significantly worse a week from now than it is currently.”

This afternoon, Flory and scouts will make their way from Nebraska City to Spencer, Iowa, covering the western 40% of the state.

“Honestly, there are widely mixed expectations among the scouts on what we’ll see,” he says. “Some scouts expect more of the same of what we’ve seen the first two days of the tour. Others think we’ll get a look at a corn crop that will out-perform the below-average rainfall seen in 2021.”

Preliminary Day 3 Route Report

2021 Crop Tour results: Nebraska

First Thing Today Audio | August 18, 2021