Corn Yield Forecasts

Corn field
Rainfed corn near Grant, planted about May 27. (Photo by Alexander Tonon Rosa and Italo Kaye Pinho de Faria)

2018 Corn Yield Forecasts: Physiological Maturity Expected Before Historical Averages

August 2, 2018
Corn growth simulations across the Corn Belt indicate early corn maturity of one to two weeks for most sites. Simulated corn yields for rainfed and irrigated sites across the region near or above normal at most sites.

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Corn plots 7-9-18
Corn plots at the South Central Agricultural Laboratory near Clay Center on July 9, 2018. (Photo by Roger Elmore)

2018 Corn Yield Forecasts as of July 11: Higher Temperature Led To Faster Corn Development

July 13, 2018
Corn yield forecasts and crop growth stage estimates for the US Corn Belt, based on crop modeling and local input, start up this week for 2018. Corn development is well ahead of normal, with most sites in the central and southern fringes of the Corn Belt in the silking or grain-filling stages.

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Yield forecast locations

2018 Corn Yield Forecasts: Approach and Interpretation of Results

June 29, 2018
Here's how the Yield Forecasting Center will be developing corn yield forecasts for 41 locations across the Corn Belt during the 2018 crop season. Modeling, using Hybrid-Maize, weather data, and on-site verification help researchers estimate yields so growers can adjust management during the season, if necessary.

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Map indicating how various Nebraska and Kansas sites are expected to vary from average yields.

2017 Corn Yield Forecasts as of September 20

September 21, 2017
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.

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Forecast of end-of-season irrigated corn yields in Nebraska and Kansas

2017 Corn Yield Forecasts as of August 30

September 1, 2017
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.

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Nebraska Extension Educator Nathan Mueller on estimating corn yields.

Estimating Potential Corn Yield

August 25, 2017
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.

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Maps showing likelihood of yield deviations for rainfed corn at various sites.

2017 Corn Yield Forecasts as of Aug. 9

August 11, 2017
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.

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