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Extreme variability seen on first leg of Midwest Crop Tour

The first leg of the Midwest Crop Tour seems to validate USDA observations of extreme variability in corn and soybean fields this year.

The tour began Monday on the edges of the eastern and western Corn Belt.

In Ohio, corn yields swung between less than 60 to more than 220 bushels per acre for an average five bushels higher than the tour’s three-year average of 160.

Soybean pod counts across the Ohio route are down slightly compared to the previous three years.

On the western leg, the crop tour reports below average corn yields and 10 percent fewer soybean pods in South Dakota.

The tour continues in Nebraska and Indiana today.