Pro Farmer kicks off their western leg annual crop tour today, and Ben Nuelle has more.
Around 50 scouts took off from Sioux Falls around six this morning heading for Grand Island Nebraska. Pro Farmer Editorial Director, Chip Flory, is the guide for the western leg. Flory says the most important thing to remember about this tour is it?s a discovery process Chip Flory Full Interview.
?If you let that happen it will tell you a lot about the yield potential on corn and soybeans crops out here. That being said, of course I have my expectations. Last year was an awesome year in South Dakota.?
He says this year is different.
?This year there was some corn planted early and then they got a gap. We are going to be looking at two different maturities on this crop out here this year. We are going to be looking closely at stands. One of the things that we do, is count the number of ears that are going to make grain on two 30 foot plots while we are out there. Obviously, this being our 24th tour we have lots of back data on this.?
Over the years, Flory says he does like the crop tour results and how they have tracked with USDA estimates.
“Not only in trend or direction from a year ago, but also into the degree of increase or decrease from the previous year. When we are looking at the state by state yields if we would happen to pull 150 bushels average yield out of South Dakota don’t just look at that number look at change from the year ago crop tour, and the percentage change,” Flory says.
DuPont Pioneer is sponsoring this year?s Pro Farmer Midwest crop tour which is now in its 24th year. Flory will announce results each evening.
