Bryce Knorr, Contributing market analyst

October 21, 2019

4 Min Read
NolanBerg11/ThinkstockPhotos

How are your crops faring this year? What are your hopes for yields? We’re asking growers about what’s really happening in their fields. Click the Feedback From The Field reporting form and give us your first-hand account on conditions and yields.

Use the interactive map below to see all this year’s reports just by clicking the flagged locations. Click the box in the upper left-land corner of the map to bring up an index of what the different colors of the markers signify and to toggle the week’s reports on and off.

There’s nothing average about this year’s crops – including the averages. While average yields and crop ratings slipped over the past week, farmers reporting Feedback From The Field last week reported yields that were very bad in some places but good in others.

Drier weather overall got more growers into the field, but it’s still wet in many areas. And even growers who are finishing up report highly variable production.

“Yields all over the place, mostly lower by a lot,” said a producer in southern Ohio with 160-bushel corn and 45-bushel soybeans.

Indeed, though average yields and conditions for corn and soybeans slipped last week, the percent of those crops rated good or excellent and poor or very poor both increased. Corn yields ranged from 90 to 240 bushels per acre, with soybeans from 25 to 70 bpa.

The October blizzard on the northern Plains has some producers wondering when they’ll be able to get back into the field.

A farmer in North Dakota with 30 inches of snow on “super saturated soil” was in that boat. ”It will be weeks before things can straighten out,” was the worry. “Snow will have to go and the ground will have to freeze to support harvest equipment.”

A southern Indiana farmer hasn’t seen any of the white stuff yet. But a variety of weather over the growing season lowered yields to just 90 bpa on corn, and 45 for soybeans.

“The wet spring of 20" rains followed by dry summer of 2" rains and several 90-100 degree days really cooked down the yields,” was the report, though late rains did help soybeans some.

But the verdict wasn’t negative everywhere. Yields of 200 bushels per acre or better were reported in Iowa, with some good results posted in Nebraska and Kansas too.

An Iowa farmer who was 80% done with soybeans had averaged 58.8 bushels per acre. “Not bad for planting June 1st,” he said.

Follow along with the season by clicking these links:

Feedback From The Field - Oct. 14, 2019 - Variable yields in Illinois make estimates difficult

Feedback from the Field - Oct. 7, 2019 - Too dry, too wet, and just about right

Feedback From The Field - Sept. 30, 2019 - Rain returns as a worry for growers

Feedback From The Field - Sept. 23, 2019 - Farmers report boom or bust yields after challenging year

Feedback from the Field - Sept. 16, 2019 - Adverse weather pushes down yield estimates

Feedback from the Field - Sept. 9, 2019 - Crops improve despite slow development and stress

Feedback from the Field - Sept. 3, 2019 - Crops improve despite slow development and stress

Feedback from the Field - Aug. 19, 2019 - Crops improve but yields lag

Feedback from the Field - Aug. 12, 2019 - Yields are here, there and everywhere 

Feedback From The Field - Aug. 5, 2019 - Farmers worry that yields aren’t there

Feedback from the Field - July 29, 2019 - Crops improve after heat breaks

Feedback from the Field - July 22, 2019 - Blazing heat wilts crops

Feedback from the Field - July 15, 2019 - Hot, dry week stresses soybeans

Feedback from the Field - July 8, 2019 - Crops improve but development lags on late planting

Feedback From The Field - July 1, 2019 - Crops improve but development lags on late planting

Feedback From The Field - June 24, 2019 - Planting woes aren’t only worry for growers

Feedback From The Field - June 17, 2019 - Acres lost to corn prevent plant mount

Feedback from the Field - June 10, 2019 - Judgement time: Take prevent plant or keep going?

Feedback from the Field - June 3, 2019 - Corn planting deadlines pass as farmers ponder what to do

Feedback from the Field - May 28, 2019 - Growers make progress, but at what cost?

Feedback from the Field - May 20, 2019 - Warm, dry week gets growers in the field as crucial benchmarks arrive

Feedback from the Field - May 13, 2019 - Wet is the word for 2019.

Feedback From the Field - May 6, 2019 - Some farmers in western areas make progress but overall planting remains slow.

Feedback From the Field - April 29, 2019 - Farmers in eastern Corn Belt and upper Midwest face delays.

Feedback From the Field - April 22, 2019 - A few wheels turned but most of the Corn Belt is too wet.

About the Author(s)

Bryce Knorr

Contributing market analyst, Farm Futures

Bryce Knorr first joined Farm Futures Magazine in 1987. In addition to analyzing and writing about the commodity markets, he is a former futures introducing broker and Commodity Trading Advisor. A journalist with more than 45 years of experience, he received the Master Writers Award from the American Agricultural Editors Association.

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