After estimates of a near-record crop in Ohio for a second year and a lot of potential in South Dakota on Monday, the Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts found even better results in Nebraska and Indiana on day two. Longtime Eastern Leg Scout Bryan Coffman of Iowa said that, while they did notice some corn disease, the final Indiana numbers showed over 1,400 pods in a three-by-three area, 7.5 percent over last year and some two hundred more than the three-year average.
The final Indiana yield estimate was 187.5 bushels, approximately three percent more than
last year.
On the Western Leg of the Tour, Leader Chip Flory said the difference in planting dates was evident in corn fields with differing ear placements, and there were some dry areas of soybeans.
Final estimates still showed corn projections up slightly over two percent higher than the three-year average, while soybean pod counts are up over one percent from last year.
On day three of the tour, Pro Farmer Eastern Leg Tour Agronomist Mark Bernard said the corn and soybean crops in Illinois are meeting expectations. But variability has existed in years where Illinois has had a record corn crop, and Pro Farmer is projecting a 204.14 bushel per acre yield, which would be a new record and a five percent increase over last year.
Statewide Illinois pod counts in a three-by-three square were up over 11 percent from 2023 to 1,419.
The tune was different on the Western Leg through Western Iowa, as even though yield projections and pod counts in Crop Reporting Districts 4 and 7 were higher, District 1 was hit hard by Mother Nature. Tim Gregersen, a scout on the Western Leg in Iowa, said he noticed some storm damage and disease pressure.
Final Iowa yield results will be released this evening as the tour legs meet up in Rochester, Minnesota. Audio from this report is courtesy of our own Andy Petersen, who also participated in the tour this year.
