Western Illinois:
Harvest is underway in W IL. Most of the bigger operations have started. Early corn and soybean yields have been good. We're seeing 225-280 bu/A for the corn and 70-90 bu/A for the early beans. Moistures have been dropping fast in both crops with this week's extreme heat!
"Fungicide" and "disease" are the two words mentioned in every corn yield report so far this year. We are seeing 25–50 bushel advantages for one pass of fungicide and another 20-30 bu/A for a second pass.
It appears almost everyone will get started this weekend or early next week after the heat breaks.
Southern Iowa:
Corn harvest has started, but it is not yet in full swing. Roughly 10% of corn is out in SE IA with a little more progress in the SW IA.
Early yield results are highly variable, ranging from 170 to 250 bu/A. Southern rust and fungicide management are huge drivers for final yield results this year. Preliminary results on fungicide vs no fungicide are showing 20+ bushel responses with even greater yield increases coming from a second application.
Certain hybrids are showing better disease tolerance, highlighting the importance of planting a diverse package in light of extreme disease pressure.
Northeast Iowa:
Very little corn harvest has started in NE IA. Early yield results are showing strong. Disease management and fungicide response also appears to be a big driver of top end yields.
Southern Minnesota/South Dakota:
We are just scratching the surface of corn harvest in S MN, NW IA, and E SD.
A handful of fields have been taken out that had early corn planted. So far, yields have been good, generally 210-270 bu/A. Silage harvest is starting to wrap up and silage appraisals have been similar, with yields in the 28–35 tons/acre range.
Disease management will be the primary conversation this fall. Fields where disease was managed effectively will be very good, while those where disease got out-of-control will suffer. We expect harvest to get into full swing the last week of September.
Eastern Illinois:
The eastern side of Illinois kicked off harvest this week. Many operations are just beginning to test the waters on both corn and soybeans. Early yield reports have been highly variable. We heard of a few field averages near 250 bushels, but that seems to be the high water mark.
Growers are commenting that early yields are 10% lower than the ‘24 growing season. Extreme dryness in August and September has been rough on corn and soybeans.
Northern Illinois/Wisconsin:
Corn harvest in N IL and S WI has barely begun. The recent hot temperatures have moved the crop along and more fields will start to be harvested in the coming weeks.
Stalk quality needs to be monitored closely especially in fields that did not receive a fungicide application.