CNS Canada — The Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour that travels throughout much of the American grain belt wraps up its final day on Thursday, Aug. 23.

Early indications on social media and on Ag Web, report a mature corn crop in Illinois overall for this time of year with its yield potential almost set. Scouts said corn may not be able to attain the record average yield predicted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, they predicted an average for the state of 192.63 bushels per acre. The USDA had predicted 207 bushels per acre.

Similar situations were reported for soybeans in the state in terms of maturity. This year’s pod counts show 1,328.91 pods per three-by-three-foot square. Last year, scouts on the tour reported 1,230.77 pods per square on average. That’s an increase of eight per cent.

In Nebraska, crop scouts saw a mix of corn yields, but some dryland crops were reported as being as low as 79 bushel per acre, due to lack of moisture. Early indications reported a 170 bushel difference between the highest and lowest yields, but that also included irrigated fields. Many scouts said they were seeing good enough crops to hit the USDA prediction of 200 bushels per acre average.

In Ohio and Indiana, crop scouts reported corn was two weeks ahead of average maturity, although there were some areas in the north where crops got a later start and other areas experienced drier conditions. Scouts there generally felt that the overall corn crop would not reach USDA yield estimates

A wrap-up session was planned for later Thursday to combine information gleaned from the four days of field scouting into one report. Final numbers from the tour will be released on Friday, Aug. 24.