In their first day in the field, crop scouts found “extreme variability” in the outlook for corn yields in Ohio, Indiana, South Dakota and Nebraska, said the Farm Journal, which sponsored the tour. The tour will provide a ground-level test of USDA’s Aug. 10 forecast of a 14.2-billion-bushel crop, the third largest on record.
The rainy spring, followed by hot weather during pollination, has resulted in a wide range of conditions across the country. Farm Journal said yield estimates ranged from 109-220 bushels an acre in eastern South Dakota and headed into Nebraska. In Ohio, yields are estimated from 59-223 bushels per acre. Scouts saw signs of replanted fields, “maturity issues all over the board and pollination issues.” Soybeans were in good shape in many areas. The tour concludes in Rochester, Minn., on Thursday, with a projection of the U.S. corn and soybean crops to be released on Friday.
The weekly Crop Progress report by USDA rated 62 percent of the corn crop in good or excellent condition, unchanged from last week but 12 points less than a year ago when farmers were headed for a record-setting harvest. This year’s crop is slower than average in reaching maturity. Sixty percent of the soybean crop is in good or excellent condition, compared to 72 percent a year ago.