Aug 05, 2010
Trip report - Iowa, Central Illinois and Western Indiana
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Iowa - On July 31st I traveled across Iowa from east to west in the northern part of the state and then from west to east across the central part of the state. I calculated the corn yield in a dozen different fields across the state. This was not a scientific sampling by any stretch of the imagination because I had to avoid the worse areas where there was standing water. What I tried to do was to choose average looking corn fields. Below are my observations.
- The soils were saturated nearly everywhere I went.
- There was a lot of ponding and standing water especially between Ames and Spencer.
- All the creeks and rivers were very close to overflowing their banks.
- All the lawns were green, green, green.
- The dozen corn yield samples averaged 170.0 bu/ac.
- The range was 142 bu/ac to 202 bu/ac.
- The number of ears per acre averaged 30,000.
- The ear kernel length averaged 6.9 inches.
- The rows per ear averaged 16.6.
- The number of kernels per row averaged 31.4.
- Iowa has some very good fields of corn and some very bad fields of corn.
- Many corn fields are very uneven in height due to the saturated conditions.
- The corn is developing quickly due to the warm temperatures.
- There seemed to be more foliar diseases than normal, but the general plant health was good.
- There is enough soil moisture to nearly finish the corn crop.
- The soybeans in Iowa vary from very good to below average.
- The best soybean fields looked excellent, tall, dark green, flowering and setting pods and with a very good yield potential.
- The soybeans that were saturated earlier this summer are still shorter than normal, less than knee high and they will certainly have a reduced yield potential.
- Numerous acres of soybeans have been drowned out just like the corn.
Summary Iowa - In Iowa, I would have to say that it was wetter than I had expected and every field I went in was muddy. The pot holes where there was standing water earlier in the summer are generally still full of water. The Iowa corn crop was about as I had expected. It's going to be a good corn crop, but I don't think it will be a record crop. The Iowa corn yield will depend on how the drowned out spots are accounted for. If the USDA counts these areas as abandoned and as a result they lower the harvested corn acreage, then that would tend to support the average corn yield in the state. If they count these areas as zero yield and do not adjust the harvested acreage, then that would tend to limit the state's average corn yield.
The soybeans in Iowa looked better than I had expected. Some of the soybeans are still recovering from a very slow start, but they are recovering nicely. These areas will never have an above average yield, but the yields should be acceptable. The soybeans that did not experience the saturated conditions earlier in the summer look very good. They are obliviously benefiting from the hot and humid conditions and the yield potential is very good.
Central Illinois and western Indiana - I traveled through this area on July 29th and I took fifteen yield samples in an area bounded by Chicago, Springfield, IL, and Indianapolis, IN. I tried to get a representative sample, but once again I avoided the fields where the corn had been drowned out or nearly drowned out.
- The soil moisture was adequate with a few areas having surplus moisture.
- There was a little standing water here and there.
- The creeks and rivers were about three quarters full.
- The lawns were green, green, green.
- The fifteen corn yields averaged 177.5 bu/ac.
- The range was 139 bu/ac to 222 bu/ac.
- The number of ears per acre averaged 27,800.
- The ear kernel length averaged 7.0 inches.
- The rows per ear averaged 16.7.
- The number of kernels per row averaged 34.4.
- There seemed to be a lot of foliar and stalk diseases.
- In numerous corn fields the bottom two feet were fired (bottom leaves turned brown).
- I don't know if that was caused by pockets of dryness in July or leaching of nitrogen.
- The fired fields always had the lower yields.
- The soybean crop looked very good.
- In the best soybean fields the beans were tall, dark green, and growing very rapidly in the hot and humid conditions.
- The soybeans that were delayed in their growth by the saturated conditions earlier in June seem to be progressing nicely. They were still shorted than normal and were about knee high, but growing quickly.
Summary Central Illinois and western Indiana - I was a little disappointed with the corn in this area. I had expected better corn yields, but for whatever reason, they were not as strong as I expected. The firing of the corn was a surprise, I had not expected that. I also thought there were more diseases than normal, both foliar and stalk diseases. The corn would still need another shower or two to finish off the season.
The soybeans in this region were better than I had expected. The crop had evened out nicely and the soybeans that were delayed by the saturated conditions in June are now putting on
a lot of new growth. They will never be the top yielders, but the yields will be acceptable. There is enough soil moisture to sustain the crop for another ten days before moisture stresses would start to develop.