Are Those Big Corn Yields Really Out there?

by | Sep 22, 2017 | HAT News Feed

Are Those Big Corn Yields Really Out there?
With harvest ramping up, we may finally begin to get some actual yield results. Many farmers have been skeptical of the yields estimates forecast by USDA. While early yield results have been extremely variable, some areas of the state do have some good looking corn. NW Indiana has historically had some of the highest corn yields in the state, and Mary Gumz, with Dupont Pioneer, says corn in this area had ideal weather for pollination, ?Pollination conditions were excellent, so we had all the kernels there that the plant wanted to put on.?

Gumz said cool August weather was good for grain fill, ?We had cool nights that allowed the plants to rest. Then we had sunny days with highs in the mid-80s, and that was ideal for producing good yields.? Yet, the lack of rain in this area may have taken the top end off yields. ?I have some customers who had not had any rain since the end of July,? said Gumz.

Overall disease pressure has been light and stalk quality good as we move toward black layer, so she is optimistic about yields. But what remains is the unknown question of how those many washed out sections of fields will impact overall yield numbers.

Listen to the complete DuPont Pioneer Harvest update on the HAT agronomy page.

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