Variability is an often-used word many years on Crop Tour.As Tyne Morgan said at the evening meeting in Bloomington, IL on Tuesday, the same was said about last year’s Indiana and Illinois crops only to see it turn out okay.Last year if you remember, the USDA posted 183 and change bpa yield estimate for corn in the August WASDE report.This year it was above 188 bpa.However, last year’s “final” ended 5 bpa lower than the August estimate so maybe, just maybe, variability played a role by the time the dust settled.
Leaving Indianapolis, my route today took me to the Illinois state line just north of Champaign, IL.Both corn and soybeans saw disease pressure, primarily southern rust on the corn and SDS in the beans.It is not as if both crops suffer extensively from these yield robbers, but it was noticeable.At the end of the day, Indiana looks like last year’s crop in corn, and a slightly smaller bean crop is in the offing in my opinion.
As I drove west a change in corn’s color became prevalent.Deep greens have been replaced by a paler shade.This area received copious amounts of rain and it’s evident that most of the Illinois corn crop east of Bloomington has no fuel left in the tank as nutrients are long gone.There was only one crop scout, Mike Berdo, who was impressed with the Illinois corn crop.Granted only one half of the state has been sampled, but records require everything to go just right, and variability is not an ally.
Illinois soybeans on the other hand are impressive, although apparently not as impressive as Nebraska soybeans. Soybean plants are short in Illinois, but the nodes are close, and it should prove to be a worthwhile endeavor.
Guests at the evening meal in Bloomington, Illinois were urged to protect their crops at any cost as disease pressure looks to be increasing.While it may be sound advice, as the crop year winds down, many are running out of room in the operating loans with little available cash for fungicide applications.No one can afford to lose bushels at this point with prices where they are, but it will be interesting to see who was able to protect their investment and who was not by the time the combines rolls.
Off to Iowa City, Iowa in the morning.