Pro Farmer crop tour day 2: Lower yield results

Yield indications for corn and soybeans in Nebraska and Indiana were below their three-year averages during the second day of the US Pro Farmer crop tour, further indicating lower production for the 2026 US harvest.

The two portions of the crop tour conducted surveys moving east in Nebraska from Grand Island to Nebraska City, and moving west from Noblesville, Indiana, to Bloomington, Illinois, on Tuesday.

Corn yields in Nebraska were forecast to be down by 5.6pc from the three-year average at 163.61 bushels (bu) per acres, and in Indiana the tour results produced a forecast that was down by 2.1pc from the three-year average at 183.54 bu/acre.

For both states, the tour results are in contrast to the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) current corn forecast which put Nebraska corn yields up by 2.6pc from the three-year average and Indiana yields up by 4.6pc — at 183 bu/acre and 206 bu/acre, respectively.

Surveyed soybean acres produced similar results with pod counts — measured as the number of pods in a 3ft-by-3ft plot — in Nebraska down by 0.6pc from the three-year average at 1,219.61, and in Indiana the tour results observed pod counts that were down by 3.4pc at 1,318.64.

In contrast, the USDA placed its 2026 Nebraska soybean yield forecast up by 8.2pc from the three-year average at 57 bu/acre, and in Indiana yields are forecast to be up by 4.8pc to 62 bu/acre.

Crops remain under-pollinated

Heat-related pollination issues were reported for both states — with multiple observations of tip-back and missing rows on ears of corn — although the amount of tip-back was lower in Nebraska during the day than was observed in South Dakota during the previous day.

For much of Nebraska, rainfall was scant earlier in the growing season, with some farmers on the tour reporting zero rainfall since 4 July. Crop damage was spotted across Nebraska due to this year's hot and dry weather conditions, but yellow rust is not an apparent issue for corn this year after being widespread last year.

Areas of the crop under irrigation were in comparatively better condition, but are still likely to yield fewer bushels than last year due to tip-back resulting from heat and under-pollination.

An increase in corn-on-corn planting was also observed in Nebraska, with those fields displaying generally lower yields as is common with planting the crop in two consecutive years.

Soybeans appeared to be better off compared with corn, as the heat earlier in July was less impactful for soybeans, but there were fields in which the crop had yet to reach the blooming stage of development observed near the city of Grand Island, Nebraska.

The night ahead of the crop tour also brought heavy rains resulting in several soybean fields being left with standing water.

Crop conditions did improve as the tour moved into eastern Nebraska, especially for corn. But increased weed pressure was reported in many corn and soybean fields. Overall, this season's impact on Nebraska's corn crop was apparent, with the tour reporting ear count at its lowest level since 2013.

The tour will progress into Iowa and across Illinois today. The survey began in northeastern Illinois on Tuesday, with early indications that under-pollination will again be an issue for the state's corn and soybean crops.

By Alexander Schultz and Ryan Koory