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See results from Day #1 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour
See results from Day #2 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour
See results from Day #3 of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour
Final Pro Farmer Results for Iowa
Corn: 188.2 bushels per acre
Soybeans: 1,208.99 pods in a 3 foot by 3 foot square
Final Pro Farmer Results for Minnesota
Corn: 178.67 bushels per acre
Soybeans: 1,090.47 pods in a 3 foot by 3 foot square
By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net
Most days, the Pro Farmer Crop Tour will fill a truck up with 4 scouts to take on the Corn Belt. Today, however, they are entrusting a route to only two. For the final day of crop tour, it will be just me and Dick Overby. He is semi-retired from Rain & Hail (I don’t think he has retiring in him) and is from southern Minnesota. I have been riding shotgun with Overby for 5 of the last 7 years and enjoy it every year.
His area had a snow storm on the 14th of April and that really put a strain on Minnesota’s planting season early on. There was a small window of opportunity on May 6th through the 8th, but then rain kept farmers out of the field for few weeks after that. Despite the late planting date for the majority of Minnesota crops, development was sped up by a hot and dry summer. He is just as curious as I am as to what we will find today in Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota.
Olmsted County, Minnesota
Our last stop of tour is in the books! This field was just starting to dent and stalks here were much more sturdy. There were a few skips in our rows and a 14 around that will drag this yield, but it is still a respectable 192. This bean field had its fair share of disease problems but luckily enough it is late enough in the growing season that they won’t hurt too much. Our 3 x 3 foot square pod count is 1357.2.
Dodge County, Minnesota
We are getting into the part of Minnesota that got a late start with planting and this field is not even to dent. Youngest corn field I have seen all week. The stalks were only a smidge taller than me (so around 6’5″) and the field was relatively easy to get through. Our yield check here is 141. The beans were not as impressive from the road as they were from counting samples. They were shorter than we have seen lately, but podded to the max. Our pod count in a 3 foot square is 1288.9.
Mower County, Minnesota
Our first stop in Minnesota found pretty good corn and the beans were lacking compared to earlier stops in Iowa. Plenty of skips made for a pop issues, producing nice, big ears but an overall yield number of 190. Beans looked to be late planted and had small pods at this point. Still a decent number of pods in a 3 x 3 foot square at 1238.4. We chucked the plants back into the field before a took a picture. Rookie mistake, I guess.
Mitchell County, Iowa
20 inch row corn and 15 inch row beans here. We have been in 3 fields now with all difference moisture levels. Rain has been here over the last few days but certainly more in places south of here. This yield is more of what you would expect out of this state at 216. Great looking beans, like we have seen all morning. Still a ways to go for pod fill and with the right finish they will do very well. Our pod count is 1279.2 in a 3 foot square.
Floyd County, Iowa
The first thing I am noticing as we drive to northern Iowa is that corn here is much greener and healthier looking from the road. N deficiency doesn’t look like it is an issue in this part of the state. A high pop number will help this yield, but the ears were small and light. Our yield check here is at 181. A little shy for Iowa standards.
These beans are younger than we have seen in Iowa and the potential is still there for addition pods in the coming days. Not a whole lot to say about beans all the way up Route 14. Our pod count in a 3 x 3 foot square is 1252.
