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Corn yield potential varies widely across the Northern Plains

The corn product manager at Peterson Farms Seed says the yield potential of the corn in South Dakota and Minnesota varies widely.

“Especially in northeast South Dakota, we’ve had some decent rain and there’s some pretty good crop coming along. The further west you go, definitely moisture has been a limiting factor. That’s kind of a challenge,” says Rick Swenson. “And then, it’s kind of spotty across Minnesota, too. I think a lot of the Minnesota locations, some are ahead of normal, but most of them are behind. We’re kind of seeing some challenges.”

Swenson says the extremely dry conditions have zeroed out some North Dakota corn fields, even in the typically productive Red River Valley.

“I mean, it was all six feet tall, perfect,” he says. “The tassels were there and they never threw an ear on.”

But overall, he says corn is ahead of normal in the region, with some of it just starting to dent, and other fields have corn at 50 percent milk line.   

“I’d say 10 days out on some of the stuff to be black layer, but I think maybe in another 15 days there could be some combines rolling if they wanted to. But I think the soybeans will be coming then, too.”

He says there should be above average corn in South Dakota and Minnesota.