Iowa, Ilinois Corn Lush, Soybeans Average

Cornfields in Iowa and Illinois look strong and lush, but later-developing soybean fields are showing stress from weather and insects, crop scouts told Reuters News Service.

Corn yield potential on one tour route through the western third of Iowa was said to be very good, with soybean yield potential just average.

Scouts on another route in west-central Iowa projected corn yields ranging from 120 to 182 bushels an acre based on four field samples, with an average of 159 bushels, Reuters reported. Last year, the tour average in the same area was 123 bushels.

Soybean pod counts taken for 3-by-3 foot squares on that route ranged from 1,000 to 1,300, with the average at 1,180. Last year's tour average for the area was 1,314.

Field inspections in Illinois produced similar results, Reuters reported. Based on 145 samples, tour scouts projected the average Illinois corn yield at 153.6 bushels an acre, versus last year's tour average of 132 bushels. USDA this month projected a 154-bushel yield.

For Illinois soybeans, based on 140 samples, pod counts averaged 1,283 versus the 1,386 seen on last year's tour.

Scouts on Monday projected Ohio's average corn yield at 136 bushels an acre, up from the drought-slashed 83 bushels seen by last year's tour. USDA as of August 1 estimated Ohio's yield at 142 bushels.

Ohio soybean pod counts averaged 1,179, versus the 1,241 seen in last year's tour, based on 85 samples, scouts said.

Scouts saw Indiana corn yields averaging 132 bushels an acre, versus the 114 bushels seen on last year's tour and USDA's August projection for an average of 144.

Indiana bean counts by scouts averaged 1,288 per 3-by-3 foot square, versus 1,499 last year.

Editors note: Richard Brock, The Corn and Soybean Digest's Marketing Editor, is president of Brock Associates, a farm market advisory firm, and publisher of The Brock Report.

To see more market perspectives, visit Brock's Web site at www.brockreport.com.