Early Yield Reports

We have been hearing lots of optimistic yield reports early on.  People are reporting 200 bushels per acre and higher.  I have lots of questions about those reports, but it is not surprising that early corn is doing well.  That is, if it is on areas with good drainage.  Early corn had the advantage of good moisture during pollination.  We did have lots of drowned spots in that early corn.  Are people reporting whole field averages or just what they harvested?  I expect yields will not be so good in June planted corn and we had plenty of that.

I had this report from the river bottoms in Monroe County today.  "Started to shell today. Corn is 12% moisture(first load).  The field by the house is making 100bu/acre. I have about 18 acres done.  It is kind of what I expected as the sand spots have undeveloped kernels at the tips due to lack of August moisture and the low spots got too wet this spring and have very small ears.  The only good thing is that it is going straight to the elevator for 5.30/bushel."

I am surprised that only 6% of corn was reported mature this week.  I suspect reporters are looking for no or few green leaves.  The indicator of maturity is the black layer on the kernels.  I wrote this blog a few years ago to illustrate.  Kelly Robertson shared this link from Purdue about corn stress and black layering.  Another sure sign that the corn is mature is if the ears have dropped.  When ears drop they cut off the flow of nutrients and moisture into the kernels.  This will in turn trigger black layering if it has not already occurred.