Seed selection is one of the first and most important management decisions you make. Consider the factors described here when deciding which corn hybrids and soybean varieties are apt to be top performers under your management and field conditions.
Crop modelers wrap up their forecasts of rainfed and irrigated corn yields across the Corn Belt for 2017, noting above-average yields for about 80% of the irrigated sites and more than 60% of the rainfed sites. Irrigated yields ranged from 11%-17% over long-term averages at those sites and rainfed yields at those sites were 13%-40% above average. View data for all the sites.
Figure 1. Early-planted rye on the left and late-planted rye on the right at in a research study at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead.
University researchers share results from their study of cover crops planted pre- and post-harvest and in seed corn at three sites: Clay Center, Concord, and Mead.
Forecasts for end-of-season corn yields improved across much of the Corn Belt since the early August forecast. View crop stage and yield forecasts as well as weather data. In Nebraska predictions are for near to above average corn yields for most sites, except northeast and northwest sites.
Interested in estimating your corn or soybean yields? Most of the components for corn yields—except seed weight—are set. Check out these Nebraska Extension videos and guides from Kansas and Iowa Extension for photos and how-to's on assessing your crop and estimating yield.
Corn yield forecasts for Nebraska sites indicate near-average to above average yields for most irrigated sites. There was much more yield variability for rainfed locations where three of the sites were forecast with a 50%-100% chance of below-normal yields and three were forecast for normal yields, while one was near average.
Considering the day to day and week to week variability in weather we’ve experienced and the wide range of regional conditions across Nebraska this year, scouting fields for kernel set and overall condition may be more important than ever. Check out these corn reports from across the state.
Corn growth stages are estimated for 41 sites in 10 states and yields are estimated for select irrigated and rainfed sites, based on the Hybrid-Maize model and input from specialists and educators across a 10-state area as of July 18, 2017. The authors note that these early season yield forecasts vary widely, particularly for rainfed fields, and may change considerably by end of season.
