The Crop Watch 2015 field was finished on Oct. 18. Before we reveal the yield, here is a quick summary of what went on in the field this year.
Crop Watch 10/23: Near end of harvest brings back the legend of the last round
The field was planted May 4, with 180 pounds of anhydrous ammonia injected pre-plant on April 28. Only a few pounds of nitrogen per acre were applied with row starter. No other nitrogen was applied.
The field features good, productive soil but also a fair amount of rolling, sloping soil. One pass was made for herbicide, and the field was sprayed for fungicide due to foliar disease issues. It was sprayed just before pollination began.
This farmer put one hybrid in 12 rows and another hybrid in the other 12 rows. It's his way of checking hybrids side-by-side, but also of spreading out pollination. One hybrid was rated a couple days later in maturity, and in fact, it did flower two to three days later. This extended the time pollen was present in the field.
In late August Dave Nanda and I visited the field. We made yield estimates based on using the standard formula for estimating yields outlined in the Purdue University Corn & Soybean Field Guide. However, we only checked one spot in the field, which was on some of the better soils, as it turns out. Next year we'll make more effort to scout a bigger area of the field.
My guess based on those yield estimates was 180 to 200 bushels per acre, dry corn. Nanda, a consultant for Seed Consultants, Inc., pegged the yield slightly higher, at 190 to 210 bushels per acre.
The final yield, based on a calibrated yield monitor, corrected to dry moisture content, was 194.1 bushels per acre. That fell within both of our ranges.
Crop Watch 10/19: New ways to get help spreading residue from the combine
As soon as winners in the yield guessing contest are notified and confirmed, we will bring you the official placings. Thanks to everyone who followed along this year.