Above average rainfall throughout the summer has given farm fields a welcomed boost in yield potential, noted farmers who participated in the 2020 White County Crop Tour. However, late season disease pressure could put a damper on the top end yields if not properly managed. Farmers hit the fields the morning of August 26 for the Crop Tour event, now in its 23rd year.
“Pleasantly, surprised”, was the sentiment of Don Duvall who toured Hawthorne Township in eastern White County. “I have been doing this for a while, and this is one of the first times you’ve seen completely healthy stalks all the way to the ground.”
“I was really surprised that the late corn was some of the better corn we saw,” commented Bryan Tomm. “I may have been hoping for a little better yield than what we saw,” replied Brad Gates. “Other than some plant health concerns, everything looked pretty good.” Tomm and Gates both toured Burnt Prairie Township in northern White County.
Southern Rust pressure was noted in several townships throughout the county due. “We ran into Southern Rust and population issues,” said Andrew Carroll. “We had some tip back on a majority of our ears too,” added Judd Longbons. Longbons and Carroll toured Enfield Township in western White County.
The average estimated 2020 corn yield for White County is 171.1 bushels per acre compared to an actual USDA corn yield (planted acres) of 158.3 bushels in 2019. This year’s estimate marks the highest yield average in the last 10 years of the crop tour. The highest USDA estimate during the last 10 years was in 2014 when the USDA corn yield hit 195.3 bushels per acre. The lowest USDA corn yield in the last 10 years occurred in 2012 with a yield of only 67.6 bushels.
Heralds Prairie Township in south-central area of the county saw the highest yield estimate at 197.5 bushels per acre. The lowest yielding township was Phillips Township which came in at 151.5 bushels per acre.
2020 estimates for each township results were (bu/ac):
- Burnt Prairie Township 175.9
- Carmi Township 163.9
- Emma Township 159.1
- Enfield Township 165.1
- Gray Township 154.3
- Hawthorne Township 195.8
- Heralds Prairie Township 197.5
- Indian Creek Township 168.7
- Mill Shoals Township 180.4
- Phillips Township 151.5
38 individuals participated in the 2020 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 8-10 fields in each township, randomly chosen around 3 miles apart from one another.
Average ear length for 2020 was 7.4 inches, compared to 7.0 inches in 2019; average kernel rows were 16.1, up from 16.0 in 2019; average ear population was 28,067 per acre, up from 27,227 per acre in 2019; and the average ear-to-stalk ratio was 98%, up from 96% in 2019.
For the complete report of the 2020 White County Crop Tour, go the White County Farm Bureau website at www.whitecfb.com/croptour.
This year’s White County Crop Tour was sponsored by the White County Farm Bureau, Consolidated Grain & Barge, and Wabash Valley Service Company.
