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.

In a year that’s seen just about everything, the worries are far from over for growers. Those reporting Feedback From The Field last week ticked off a litany of concerns, from drought to cool temperatures to emerging disease problems affecting corn and soybeans.

But overall these growers also rated crops better than the previous week and also bumped up yield estimates. While the hopes – or perhaps fears – for yields remains on average well below USDA’s estimates Aug. 12, they’re creeping closer to the agency’s forecasts.

Average corn yields posted last week came in at 163.6 bushels, nearly six bpa below the government. Soybean yields of 43.7 bpa were nearly five bpa below USDA.

“Small corn ears,” noted a grower in east central Iowa. “Many soybean pods with 2 beans – none with 4. Many blanks near the bottom of the plant.”

Conditions and weather varied widely around the growing region, a reminder that “average” weather is usually a misnomer.

“Rain is what is needed,” wrote a farmer from central Illinois. “Rainfall total in my area is on 1 inch to date. Seeing fields starting to burn up some spots are past the ear height.”

“Too cold,” said a producer to the west in South Dakota.

Many posts last week noted fields will need additional time to mature, worrying about the impact from even a normal first frost.

But not everyone was negative in their evaluations. “With a challenging spring, the season has turned out good so far,” commented a grower from west central Wisconsin.

Source: Bryce Knorr, Farm Futures