Farmers braved the late summer rain as they trudged through White County fields on Wednesday, August 19 to assess this year’s corn crop. Farmers reported above-average yields throughout the county, though some reported minor pollination issues in a few fields. The overall sentiment of the participants was that this year’s crop is one of the more consistent in recent memory. This year’s White County Crop Tour was sponsored by the White County Farm Bureau, York Ridge Agency LLC, Peoples National Bank, and Consolidated Grain & Barge.
“It’s probably one of the most consistent samples that we’ve done,” commented Kent Williams, who toured Hawthorne Township east of Carmi. “Some disease was present, but not excessive. We did see some pollination issues in one field, but overall, it was a consistently good sample.”
The average estimated 2026 corn yield for White County is 182.3 bushels per acre, compared to actual USDA corn yield of 133.8 (planted acres) and a crop tour estimate of 162.5 (harvestable acres) in 2025. The highest USDA corn yield during the last 10 years for White County was in 2021 when the yield hit 190.7 bushels per acre. The lowest USDA planted corn yield in the last 10 years occurred last year. Planted acres include fields that were either never planted or were failed due to unfavorable weather conditions.
This year, Gray Township in the northeastern area of the county saw the highest yield estimate at 214.7 bushels per acre. The lowest-yielding township in 2026 was Phillips Township, which lies just south of Gray. The estimate for Phillips Township was 149.2 bushels per acre. According to crop tour participants, Phillips Township missed many of the summer rains that other areas of the county experienced.
2026 yield estimates for each township were (bu/ac):
· Burnt Prairie Township 185.5
· Carmi Township 152.3
· Emma Township 189.2
· Enfield Township 190.4
· Gray Township 214.7
· Hawthorne Township 197.3
· Heralds Prairie Township 186.7
· Indian Creek Township 175.0
· Mill Shoals Township 182.9
· Phillips Township 149.2
29 individuals participated in the 2026 tour, spanning out in teams across the county to take yield measurements. Teams measured the number of stalks in 60 feet, the number of ears in 60 feet, average length of an ear, and the average number of rows in an ear. Data was taken from 9-10 fields in each township, randomly chosen around 1-2 miles apart from one another. A yield estimate was taken from 96 fields in 10 townships.
The average ear length for 2026 was 7.2 inches, compared to 6.9 inches in 2025; average kernel rows were 16.1, the same as in 2025; average ear population was 30,374 plants per acre, compared to 28,140 plants per acre average in 2025; and the average ear-to-stalk ratio was 98%, up slightly from 97% in 2025.
The White County Farm Bureau would like to extend a special thank you to Peoples National Bank for sponsoring lunch, to Consolidated Grain & Barge in Enfield for sponsoring breakfast and for the use of their ropes and field forms, to York Ridge Agency for their assistance in compiling the data, and to all the volunteers, including the Carmi FFA Chapter, for assisting with the tour.
For the complete report of the 2026 White County Crop Tour, go to the White County Farm Bureau website at www.whitecfb.com/croptour.